Wrist watches and the wrists

Often this question pops into our mind - Why are watches worn on the left wrists?

Well...majority of the people in this world are right handed and thus it makes sense not to wear a watch on the right wrist for practical reasons. However, in my opinion there is more to it than the dominant right hand theory. Below is my opinion and I am sure of many others as well:

1.       Right hand being the more dominant hand is more active and is involved in actions like waving, writing, eating which require a lot of hand/wrist movement. The watch hinders its movements and is also susceptible to damage due to quick movements. Left hand being the non dominant hand requires less movement and thus the watch is more protected on the left wrist as compared to the right. Also, makes it easier for the wearer to read time even while the right hand is busy with its chores.

2.       Earlier and I am sure even today (especially for all the HMT and other mechanical watch fans) mechanical watches were in prevalence and the crown of the watch was mostly (almost 90% of the cases) on the right side of the watch (3/4 o’clock position). Since it was regularly operated by the wearer, it was easier for one to reach out to the crown while the watch was on the left wrist.

3.       For a right handed person it’s easier to buckle up the watch on the left wrist as compared to the right.

4.       The earlier society was more conservative and discreet when it came to men’s accessory so while the right arm would be extended to a hand shake the wristwatch would be hidden from the attention of the gathering on left wrist under the shirt’s cuff. Perhaps that could be the reason why a lot of people these days wear their watches on the right hand wrists to get the attention they want to their watches which are more of an accessory now than a time keeping device.

5.        People followed the earlier convention and thus continued to wear their watches on left hands even when the world saw the invasion of electric cell powered watches making the usage of crown redundant. Since a lot of people in the current generation have not experienced the joy of wearing a mechanical winding watch they often experiment by switching the watches from left to right wrists. Also the thought of “look different from the lot” has won a lot of fans and thus switching wrists when it comes to watches is also a way to look different.

In the end as long as you keep up with the pace of time right is right and left is right too.

Caveat emptor - Let the (HMT watch) buyer beware

Friends,

With more and more franken watches reaching the wrists of innocent watch enthusiasts with professionally made after market dials the difference between original and fake watches is reducing to a thin line.

What I have learnt and observed is that the watches with printed dials are the most faked ones and one must be very careful while buying watches with printed dials. Examples – Janata (art deco), Saathi, Chinar etc. Old discarded dials are repainted assembled with original cases old HMT movements and sold as new-old-stock. 

Though there is no full-proof way of identifying the fake dials from the originals there are still a few giveaways. HMT watches come with pie pan shaped dials and most of the fake dials do not have printing closer to the dial edges and ends at the curve of the dial. They have a separate print for the edges (movement details, made in India) and it stands apart from the printing on the rest of the dial. Another point is the quality of printing it won't be as neat and sharp as the original dials. One more factor is the lack of lacquer finish on the fake dials. Original HMT dials have a lacquer finish which is done post the printing of dial making it more resistant to damage due to heat and moisture. This gives a shine to the dial of the watch and thus fake dials look dull due to absence of lacquer finish. The hands on these watches are often taken from older watches and since hands are too thin to be buffed they often look older as compared to the condition of the watch or if they are brand new you might find them slightly different from the original hands (length of the hands, shape etc).

Another important factor is that not everybody is a purist who wants the dial, case, hands, crown to be as it came off from the assembly line and the watch dealers cater to such customers too therefore do your due diligence for dealers sell to masses and not classes before buying a watch.

So how should we tackle this problem two probable solutions – 

1. Do your homework before you buy a watch. Only your knowledge can save you from buying cheap imitation dial watches. Compare the watch you intend to buy by closely comparing it with the photographs of original watches. If you feel it’s not right, don't take a decision walk away from the deal it’s not the last watch on the planet there are plenty more waiting to be unearthed.

2. Don't just concentrate on the Janata, Pilot, Sona etc there are lots of other variants that are equally gorgeous and less in demand chances of you finding an original Deepak or a Kohinoor or a Vijay, Sartaj is much higher than the big three. Also, you might find them reasonably priced as compared to the much in demand watches.

What I have just mentioned here is what i have learnt from other experienced collectors, HMT staff and through my own good and bad experiences.  I am not an expert therefore my observation should be used with personal discretion.