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What's with the whole "hand watch" thing online?

ninman
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So I posted this picture to celebrate my 3 year anniversary of owning my 3861 Speedy.

20250124_215721.webp


Then people started saying I'm wearing my watch too high up my wrist.

I'm confused, because if I wore it tight enough to not go past my wrist bone it would be way too tight. What's this thing all about and how did it get started?

Also, to be clear, I don't care what people online think, I'm just wondering why this became a trend.
 
NGO1
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ninman ninman
Then people started saying I'm wearing my watch too high up my wrist.
unless I missed the sarcasm. I’d consider your photo too low wearing. I wear above wrist bone. So when the wife throws sharp objects my way, stupid watch don’t block my wrist articulation.

IMG_0268.webp
 
ninman
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NGO1 NGO1
unless I missed the sarcasm. I’d consider your photo too low wearing. I wear above wrist bone. So when the wife throws sharp objects my way, stupid watch don’t block my wrist articulation.

IMG_0268.webp

Lol, no sarcasm. Someone genuinely thinks my watch is too close to my hand.
 
ErichPryde
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ninman ninman
Lol, no sarcasm. Someone genuinely thinks my watch is too close to my hand.

Well, it's not worn "traditionally." But next time just point them towards Roger Waters!
 
JimInOz
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I can't see a problem with the way you're wearing.

Most forearms are tapered from the elbow to the wrist then increasing in girth at the styloid process of the radius, as are mine.
If I set my bracelet to the "well above the wrist bone" position, within minutes it's gone to its natural position, but now too loose.
I therefore adjust my bracelet to be comfortable with the watch sitting just above the radius/ulna and scaphoid/lunate junction.
 
ninman
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JimInOz JimInOz
I can't see a problem with the way you're wearing.

Most forearms are tapered from the elbow to the wrist then increasing in girth at the styloid process of the radius, as are mine.
If I set my bracelet to the "well above the wrist bone" position, within minutes it's gone to its natural position, but now too loose.
I therefore adjust my bracelet to be comfortable with the watch sitting just above the radius/ulna and scaphoid/lunate junction.

Yes, there's literally a whole sub reddit devoted to making fun of people wearing their watches like I do. However, the watch moves up and down my wrist about 5cm, if not it's too tight.

I'm kind of confused by this trend.
 
Gruesome
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'High' vs 'low' seems ill defined. High on the arm, or high towards the hand? I believe the anatomical terms that make more sense are proximal (towards the body) and distal (away from the body). In my personal opinion the watch in the first picture is too close to the hand, on the wrong (distal) side of the forearm styloids. But if you don't need full motion of your wrist, and don't mind the crown poking into the back of your hand, then there is no problem. Wear your watch whichever way you like.
From what I see online most people that post pictures of watches on their wrist actually do wear their watch like you do.
 
ErichPryde
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ninman ninman
Yes, there's literally a whole sub reddit devoted to making fun of people wearing their watches like I do. However, the watch moves up and down my wrist about 5cm, if not it's too tight.

I'm kind of confused by this trend.

Yeah, so the Reddit watch communities seem to be fairly convinced that the informal rules for what size your watch should be, what kind of watch you should wear for what occasion, where you should wear your watch, &c &c, are a lot more rigid than they really are.

you can wear it like a bracelet or you can wear it like a "tool" that needs to stay stationary so it doesn't damage your hand or get in your way. Or in between.

Who cares what reddit thinks?
 
ninman
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Lol, I don't care what they think, it's just confusing, because I see loads of pics of people wearing their watches. I think "fits just fine", but they make fun of them for wearing the watch too close to their hand.

Like I said, my watch moves up and down my wrist a little bit, because you're supposed to have it a little loose.
 
Davidt
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It depends on the size and shape of your wrist. I can’t wear mine above my wrist (ie further away from my hand) as:
The shape of my wrist means watches worn above my wrist sit at a funny/tilted angle on my wrist and look strange.
The size/taper of my lower arm/wrist means even I could get over the daft angle, my watch always slips down towards my hand unless it’s on ridiculously tight.

TLDR: who cares, everyone’s different, wear your watch how it makes you happy.
 
Pastorbottle
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3 times F1 World Champ Jackie Stewart wears his watch low down close to the hand, but he does it for a reason, he wants it to show from under his sleeve at all times as he is a brand ambassador for the watch brand that should not be mentioned! (the one with the silly crown logo)
And then there was Gianni Agnelli the Italian industrialist (Fiat) he would wear his watch over the cuff of his shirt.
Apparently the reason being due to the fashion of the time Italian shirt tailors would cut the sleeves long down to just above the hand leaving no room for a watch to stick out so as he couldn't be arsed pulling the sleeve back every time he wanted to consult his watch he simply just wore it over the sleeve instead of under it.........when you've got that much money I guess you can wear your watch anyway you want, and no one will give you shit about it!

Untitledk.webp
Just wear it as you want, who cares what a bunch of tosspots on social media think?..... actually I'm surprised any of 'em spend much time and effort thinking at all!
Edited:
 
alam
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ninman ninman
.....I don't care what people online think....
^^ I second that! ^^ if the watch feels comfortable on your wrist the way you wear, then who cares!? I don't! enjoy your watch!
 
McBeardy
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From my understanding (& everyone’s free to wear what they want & how they want). But the watch is ideally worn below the (away from the wrist) from the bone pointing out.

Due to if you fall & out your hands out to stop, if the watch is too close to the wrist it will stretch or cause damage to your wrist.
 
hen
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It seems like young persons making their first wobbly unsure steps in an grown up world, tend to need guidance on how to do things. It also seems this is seen more often in status activities like watches, sigars, vine/spirits or clothing. They also wonder what is the correct music to listen to. Older kids will often ascert dominance by doing things correctly and tease younger for doing it wrong. Our job as village elders or boring old farts if you like is to advice said youngsters on the whole spectre of human activeties with a focus on freedom of choice, and not hurting others. As position of the watch is non offencive to your surroundings it is clearly in the " go fυck yourself I do what I like " category. The most important thing with watches is of course not to wear a " I`m a dickhead watch ", not the position on the wrist or which wrist it is on,

A Seamaster that pretty much lives its own life, sliding up and down my arm.

1863219-6190a352f1be7b19946fc99a47ced2f4.webp
 
Duracuir1
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More comfortable away from the hand, but when I worked on the shooting range in freezing cold temps and wearing multiple layers, the watch was closer to my wrist, so that I could use it.
IMG_8199.webp


And 98% of the people think this guy was pretty cool. Use this as a response to the nerdy critics.


IMG_6139.webp
 
BAJJ
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Never thought much about this, but for me I wear at the hand down from the knuckle, just feels wrong further up my arm. As always, each to their own.
image.webp
 
Jemagloh
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I wear mine like you do, @ninman. It feels natural and comfortable, and I've never once considered wearing it further away from the wrist. Also, and more importantly, nice Speedy!
 
noelekal
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Well...it's gotta be low for photographing to show on the Forum's WRUW thread.
 
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