Do you wear a watch?

[Joe Republic]

You wear it on your non-dominant hand/wrist, and I was under the assumption this was common knowledge.

That's just... weird though.  Why does this 'rule' even exist in the first place?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

You wear it on your non-dominant hand/wrist, and I was under the assumption this was common knowledge.

That's just... weird though.  Why does this 'rule' even exist in the first place?

Well, the wrist watch began not as a fashion statement, but as a practical way of carrying a watch to use while doing other tasks with the dominant hand.  In that case, the best place to put a wrist watch is on the opposite hand.

[BaconBacon96]

Can't live without it.

[Joe Republic]

You wear it on your non-dominant hand/wrist, and I was under the assumption this was common knowledge.

That's just... weird though.  Why does this 'rule' even exist in the first place?

Well, the wrist watch began not as a fashion statement, but as a practical way of carrying a watch to use while doing other tasks with the dominant hand.  In that case, the best place to put a wrist watch is on the opposite hand.

But as soon as watches were designed to wrap around the wrist rather than be held in the hand, that rule ought to have died.

[Tender Branson]

No, I have a phone.

[Gustaf]

Yeah and I like it actually. I find that very often when I'm interested in the time I can't check my phone, either because it's off or because I have to be discreet. This goes for being on a plane, at formal ceremonies, etc.

[windjammer]

Seriously, I can't believe how some people can live without a watch?...

[Ebowed]

Never worn one.

[Napoleon]

Seriously, I can't believe how some people can live without a watch?...

........

[windjammer]

Seriously, I can't believe how some people can live without a watch?...

........

What?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

You wear it on your non-dominant hand/wrist, and I was under the assumption this was common knowledge.

That's just... weird though.  Why does this 'rule' even exist in the first place?

Well, the wrist watch began not as a fashion statement, but as a practical way of carrying a watch to use while doing other tasks with the dominant hand.  In that case, the best place to put a wrist watch is on the opposite hand.

But as soon as watches were designed to wrap around the wrist rather than be held in the hand, that rule ought to have died.

You seriously intend to try reading a watch while it's on the wrist of a hand that is doing something else?

[Joe Republic]

I've survived the last 20 years or so doing so without any issue...

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I've survived the last 20 years or so doing so without any issue...

Then you either have very good eyesight or were doing tasks where you didn't have to keep your dominant hand engaged while you consulted your watch for the time.

[politicus]

I've survived the last 20 years or so doing so without any issue...

Then you either have very good eyesight or were doing tasks where you didn't have to keep your dominant hand engaged while you consulted your watch for the time.

Not sure why you wouldn't just take a break to look at the time?

Anyway, there is clearly a cultural component to this. Everyone here has their watch on the wrist of the dominant hand. Never thought about that Americans do it differently. It must be the "time is money" (and not a second can be wasted on useless breaks) mentality.

[angus]

I don't think so.  If that were the case there would be some division along the lines of the Protestant/Catholic divide in Europe with English, Germans, Scandanavians etc., on one side and Italians, French, Spanish, etc., on the other, but if you look at maps showing how the majority of people do it, by country, it doesn't seem to work like that.  English and French and the Catalan part of Spain are one way; the rest of Spain, along with Germany and Southern Scandanavia go the other.  

It would seem difficult to manipulate the watch on the right arm, no matter which is your dominant hand.  They are designed so that if you wear it on the left, you can get to the knob easily without taking it off.  I know it can be adjusted on the other arm as well, but it is much less convenient.  
 
Having said that, I did a quick internet search and found that many people do wear their watches on the right, both inside and outside the USA.  Also, according to GQ.com, there is no faux pas in wearing it on either arm.  Also, according to Sheik Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) it is not against the Qur'an to wear it either way.  In fact, he probably puts it best as a practical matter:  

"Putting a watch on the right hand is not better than putting it on the left hand, because a watch is like a ring, and there is no difference between putting a watch on the right hand or left hand. But undoubtedly putting it on the left hand is easier with regard to correcting it and looking at it, and it is safer in most cases, because the right hand moves more so it is more likely to cause damage to it."

I think that's pretty much the whole story.  When I do wear a watch I wear it on my left hand probably for that reason, but also because it is obviously made to be worn that way.  I also generally wear my wedding ring on my left hand.  But sometimes I wear it on the right.

We could probably also go on for days about top of the wrist versus bottom of the wrist.  I'm sure there's a website somewhere that says if you're gay do it like this, if you're French do it like that, and if you're Pakistani do it the other way, etc.  But I don't really think that matters either except for the practical considerations (e.g., when using a laptop probably top of wrist makes more sense but when torturing prisoners consider putting it on the bottom of the wrist.)

[politicus]

I don't think so.  If that were the case there would be some division along the lines of the Protestant/Catholic divide in Europe with English, Germans, Scandanavians etc., on one side and Italians, French, Spanish, etc., on the other, but if you look at maps showing how the majority of people do it, by country, it doesn't seem to work like that.  English and French and the Catalan part of Spain are one way; the rest of Spain, along with Germany and Southern Scandanavia go the other.  

It would seem difficult to manipulate the watch on the right arm, no matter which is your dominant hand.  They are designed so that if you wear it on the left, you can get to the knob easily without taking it off.  I know it can be adjusted on the other arm as well, but it is much less convenient.  

Interesting. Why Southern Scandinavia. Have you noticed a north/south difference?

[angus]

I guess it was Danmark and Norway one way, and Sweden the other, but looking at more finely-grained data, I saw that in the far north of Norway they were with Swedes (and Finns) in this regard.  Not that there was a hard rule.  I'll try to find the map again.  Meanwhile, study this wedding ring map, which more or less runs the same way:

[angus]

I also found that some companies do make watches meant to be worn on the right.  They're not common, but they exist.  Here is one example from a Swiss company:



That particular watch retails for about $5000.  It is not necessarily marketed to Lefties, since others wear it on the right hand as well (accordion players, for example).  

Here's a non-exhaustive compendium of world leaders and which hand they wear the watch on:

Obama:  left



Hollande:  left and bottom of wrist (although he seems to be unaware of that)



Putin:  right



Xi Jinping:  left



Nieto:  watch on the left hand, beautiful soap opera actress on the right



Merckel:  left (does she ever smile?)



Lil' Kim:  left



Berlusconi:  left (yes that's a five hundred thousand dollar gold VC watch.  The man knows how to dress.)



Bush:  left (40-dollar Timex Indiglo)



cameron doesn't care for watches




Pennsylvania voters, notice that both Wolf and Corbett wear watches and rings on their left hands:

[Del Tachi]

Of course! A watch is the only piece of jewelery a man can get away with wearing, so it is imperative that it be of the utmost taste and caliber. 

[Repub242]

Yes, on the right wrist.