Poll: Do you wear a watch while woodworking?

[Bill Carey]

When I stopped estimating I took off the watch and I marked the time by looking at my phone - and I use the term marked because, as has been pointed out, it is mark on the scale, a point in time, a place. I found myself being distracted by emails, chats, weather, youtube, etc etc every time I looked at the phone as well and was wasting time. Which may very well be an oxymoron since I doubt you can waste digital time. When I was estimating the watch gave me perspective on the duration of the processes I was working on, and this afforded me the ability to plan my day and have some certainty that I could accomplish what I had set out for myself. Working in the shop more in the last 3 years I missed the flow of time, so started wearing a watch again. For instance I can look at my phone and know that this post took 6 minutes, or I can look at my watch and see that I have been writing this for 6 minutes. Now 7.

So yes, I wear my shop watch every day, and then afterward I put on the non shop watch. And the funny thing is they are the same inexpensive model from Timex, one white and one black.

[Mel Fulks]

Interesting question. I remember when the Acutron came out . I had to have one. Think it was about $125 in mid sixties.
They were ganranteed accurate to a minute a month. But some years back at a seven eleven store the clerk dropped an
animated " The Simpsons" watch on the counter ,but it did not break. And it still works!! Was free with purchase of 8
gallons of gas. The Acutron made a high pitched noise, but I doubt I would hear it now. Perhaps I'll buy it a battery.

[Jim Becker]

This thread was likely bumped by a spammer.

While I haven't worn any kind watch for a number of years now, I didn't feel uncomfortable with one on while in the shop. It was not loose, etc. because of my wrist issues, I switched to a belt-loop type watch for awhile but even that went away when I retired from full time work. I've just used my phone or the wall clock to know the time since then. Now I did ask "Santa Claus" for an Apple Watch, but I don't know if I'd wear it in the shop or not if the big elf leaves one under the tree. It's more of something I'm just interested in for other reasons...

While I'm personally ok with a watch, I'm not ok with rings...I learned that the hard way years ago when my wedding band got smooshed when I was doing something (I can't remember what) either in there or on the property somewhere.

[Bruce King]

I wore watches until I started carrying a phone even though I arc welded a watch band across a charged up capacitor once doing electronic component level repairs. I had to reach into some scary equipment to make voltage checks in a previous career but used the non watch arm. Now I pull out my phone to check the time, check email etc and put the phone back without remembering the time. I’m retired so it doesn’t matter, sometimes I don’t even know what day it is.

[Ray Newman]

Have a big 16" diameter wall clock in the shop. Don't have my watch con/with me in the shop as its chain will/does get in the way at times.

[Mel Fulks]

Some of us remember Dick Tracy ( famous comic strip police detective) using "2 way wrist radio" in pursuit of funny looking criminals. The first stylish wrist watch-" walky talky ". He often wore a bright yellow trench coat.

[Curt Putnam]

My dad wore the watch faithfully. Now I do.

[Keith Outten]

Retired my watch when I got my first beeper. Since cell phones I now have a calendar as well and notes to remind me of whatever is important for any particular day. I have a wall clock in my shop and several upstairs in my office. When I am mobile in the yard or using wireless earbuds its "Hey Siri what time is it"?

[Alan Lightstone]

Wear a watch faithfully every day. As far as not being as accurate as a cell phone, my Seiko Astron is guaranteed to be accurate to 1 second every 50,000 years. I told the saleswoman that if it is off in 20,000 years, I'm going to find her.



Pretty well the only fashion statement left for men, FWIW. Sorry, an iWatch doesn't really work for me for fashion, and working in the OR on call, an 18hr battery life was the deal breaker there. Woulda been a little awkward asking to turn off the heart-lung machine as I have to run and charge my watch. Still have my original calculator watch from the 70s. Sadly doesn't work. I brought it into a watch repair place once, and he looked at me like I had the plague.

[Scott Bernstein]

I have always been fascinated with all things mechanical. That's part of reason why I enjoy woodworking, cycling, and collecting mechanical watches. I always wear two watches, one on each wrist. One is some kind of activity tracker, Garmin mostly, to keep track of my rides. I found that if I don't wear it all the time I'll head out on rides without it. On the other wrist is always a mechanical timepiece. I save the Lange and Vacheron for non-wood-working times, but I might sport a simple Seiko 5, Doxa, or Sinn in the shop. I won't wear my Accutron in the shop either...vintage cases like the Accutron's are not well known for their ability to seal out dust.

To the respondent who mentioned getting a new battery for their vintage accutron...make sure you get a correct battery. The "tuning fork" mechanism is partly dependent on the correct battery voltage for proper timekeeping. The old mercury-based batteries these movements were designed for are not made anymore. However, you can find batteries from specialty on-line sellers with a built-in voltage regular which will work.

SB

[Greg Hines, MD]

How odd that this showed up again. I had replied in 2018, one whole shop ago, but did not realize you were asking about wrist watches. I generally wear two, one on each wrist. On my right wrist is an Apple Watch, which is, to me, an extension of my iPhone, letting me answer phone calls, control my Audible Book or music, etc. On my left wrist is an Omega Seamaster.

Doc

[Jim Dwight]

Yes I wear a watch and I do not take it off for woodworking. I sometimes take it off when working on a car but that is only because it catches on things and makes it difficult to get to where I need to get to. I do not think a watch is a safety issue for woodworking. I do not wear clothing with loose sleeves, however, because I believe there is some small chance it will catch in a tool and pull my hand toward the blade.

[Ole Anderson]

In a word, yes. Interesting that this was a "poll" but didn't use the forum's poll function. I was expecting one.

[Jim Becker]

In a word, yes. Interesting that this was a "poll" but didn't use the forum's poll function. I was expecting one.

Old thread, resurrected by a spammer...but still an interesting topic after all the time has passed. Greg's comment above is a good example because technology is playing a role in folks' habits. Watches are not necessarily just timekeeping devices these days.

[chuck van dyck]

I wear an old Seiko Automatic my granddad gave me.

As a 35 yr old member of the ADD generation, I find a watch helps me stay on task. Show me a screen and I lose 15min, just like what is happening right now.

That plus the undeniable coolness of a functional automatic adds a lot of mojo to my work. It being an heirloom to me adds even more.

Never had it be a safety issue.