Of course, you have a clock on your phone. You should still wear a watch.
We recently covered the essential behaviours of the modern gentleman. According to the authors of that study, gentlemen should wear a watch. That might seem unnecessary in a world where everyone has a smartphone with them all the time, but here’s why you should still consider it.
How wearing a watch can boost your success
Looking at your phone all the time can seem obnoxious. If you’re speaking with someone, or in a meeting, and you pull out your phone to check the time, it can come across as rude, as if you were not paying attention to the conversation at hand.
We all have many reasons to look at our phones: new emails, text messages, app updates, etc. Wearing a watch at least gives you one less reason to be a slave to your device. It’s easy to discretely glance at your wrist to check the time.
It’s an accessory that can help define your personal brand. Other than a wedding ring, men don’t wear jewelry. (Or at least they shouldn’t. See: 10 things no man should wear.) A watch is an acceptable fashion accessory that can make a statement. Are you high tech or old fashioned? Are you a steel band person or a leather strap? Do you need a timepiece that can accompany you on a dive 30 metres below the ocean surface? You won’t find a smartphone that can do that.
You can also collect several watches to define your moods and activities. Dressy and casual. Sporty and classic.
In some sectors wearing a watch is as customary as wearing a tie. It is part of the uniform. You would be underdressed with it. Forbes recently reported that “you aren’t taken seriously in business in Europe if you don’t have a good mechanical watch.”
Wearing a watch can also impress hiring managers in job interviews. It suggests that you are a serious professional and that you care about being punctual. And of course, breaking out your phone – even to check the time – when talking to a potential employer is a deal-breaker. You won’t be getting the job. You shouldn’t really check your watch either in that situation, but if for some reason you need to know the time, you can be subtle.
How you dress tells the world how you want to be treated. Timepieces are (ironically) timeless. Those mechanics, the whirring gears and ticking hands have a rich tradition of craftsmanship. Wearing the right watch says that you value tradition, you have good taste, and that you pay attention to detail.
Check out these Original Grain watches made from the wood of old whisky barrels.
