An astute observation was made today over brunch. That, in the rapid growth of the use of mobile devices, wrist-watches have become less popular, less worn. Everyone has a clock on their cell phone – usually more accurate than the one you set yourself. This, of course, prompted us to start checking out everyone’s wrists to see who still wears one. I still do – my watch was given to me as a high school graduation present by a very close friend. But neither friend I was with wore a watch.
There’s a tradition in wearing watches. From the days of yore when a little boy came into manhood, his father would often give him a pocket watch, perhaps as a way of saying, keep track of your time, you’re responsible now. Even today, watches are often given as presents, or passed down through generations. When someone buys a watch, it probably comes with a lot of thought. There are still Rolex knockoffs out there. Watches still seem to convey a sense of class status, of tradition.
So, will watches become non-functional, just a piece of jewelry, in the age of digital mobility and interconnectivity? I don’t know. But I now can’t help but look at people’s wrists all the time.
Cynthia Wang 