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.
