What is a watch to you? Is it a functional timepiece or an accessory to elevate your style? Whatever your answer is, the most important factor is that you feel comfortable and confident with the timepiece you are donning.
A common question people have when they purchase their first watch is “which arm do I wear my watch on?” Many people will tell you to wear it on your left wrist because ‘that’s where it belongs’, but is the left wrist really the ‘right’ wrist? There are also people who question which wrist does a woman does a woman wear a watch and does men and women wear their watch on different wrists. It is difficult to tell you what is right or wrong because there isn’t a definite answer to the above questions. As long as you are comfortable regardless of the wrist the watch is on, that is the ‘right’ wrist for you!
Nonetheless, with that being said, the left wrist is where accessories are most commonly worn on. Here are some practical reasons as to why most people think left is the ‘right’ wrist!
- It’s the Norm
With 90% of the world’s population being right-handed, it has become a norm for people to wear their watch on their left wrist, which is the non-dominant hand. Eventually, the norm is deemed as “the right way” to wear a watch. Wearing the watch on your non-dominant wrist is not a hard-and-fast rule, but it is more comfortable because the crown is not in the way when you flex and stretch your hands and wrists.
A note to the lefties, you can actually wear it on your right wrist. There is no right or wrong way of wearing a watch.
- Easy Adjustment of Crown
All watches have crown designed on the right side of the watch, unless you purchase a watch specially designed for a leftie. As such, it is easier to adjust the crown when it is worn on the left wrist. Lucky for you, if you own a quartz movement watch like August Berg’s timeless timepiece, quartz watch doesn’t require you to keep adjusting the crown. If you are interested to find out more about quartz movement, you can read more read more here!!
- Easy to Tell Time
Having the watch on your non-dominant arm also allows you to read the time more easily without having to pause in the middle of a task or activity. Just imagine in the middle of work and you want to check the time. Of course, you can check it on your phone. Yet, the best alternative if your phone isn’t near you, is a watch. You wouldn’t want to waste your precious time to pause all work just because the watch is on your dominant hand.
- Better Protection against Damage
Wearing a watch on your non-dominant hand means that there is a lower likelihood of the watch being bumped, nicked, and jostled throughout the day. When carrying out your day-to-day activities, your dominant hand will be actively involved, and you never know when accidents may happen. You wouldn’t want to risk having scratches or breaking your watch by wearing it on your dominant hand.
Additionally, the watch may get in your way if you were to wear it on your dominant hand. For example, if you are trying to write with your dominant hand, your hand would feel uncomfortable and make it harder to write. With the watch band rubbing the surface of the table, it also causes wear and tear.
- Better Protection of the Movement
It is inevitable for watches to experience wear and tear, but the process is sped up when you constantly wear it on your dominant wrist while performing tasks. All kinds of shock, no matter the degree, tend to wear the movement. Hard shocks can cause some serious damage and even completely destroy the movement of any watch. Regardless of which wrist you wear your watch on, always remember to remove the watch from your wrist before doing any extreme activity.
You don’t have to follow the “norm” of wearing the watch on your left wrist, no matter if you are a leftie or a rightie. Forget about “what hand should a woman wear a watch”, but think of “what is comfortable for me”. In some occasions, watches are worn by women as a fashion accessory than a necessity. Times like this, there should be no consideration about which side do women wear watches, but all about what looks better and makes a better impression.
