Pros/Cons of Wearing a Watch

[Bill Mattocks]

A cheap digital watch is for people who want to know what time it is.

A classic mechanical wristwatch is for ladies and gentlemen who wish to be dressed.

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[seasoned]

Self defense is almost like a come as you are party. I can defend with or without one on. As far as any defense value, I don't think they have any. IMO

You can wear a watch and it be more usefull than most watches.

For a watch is a watch is a watch... unless:

http://davos.wsj.com/photo/06PWbSyehp85T?q=Asthma

And a cell phone is a cell phone is a cell phone unless:

http://www.engadget.com/2005/10/31/carryguard-pepper-spray-disguised-as-a-cellphone/

But a Glock is still just a Glock!

Deaf

I stand corrected, what will they think of next. How about the face of a clock embedded in the grips of that glock. This will be for the next time a a stranger, late at night, and in a bad part of town, comes up to you and says, hey buddy, got the time.

 

[Kembudo-Kai Kempoka]

Lol. Okay, I get that wearing a watch is a choice...

But what if you're wearing one and find yourself in an altercation?

I did a hammerfist to the side of a guys head while bouncing one night. The strike turned his head to the side; the watch, passing his head, zipped it open to the tune of about 20 stitches. It was a melee, so he and his friends were sure someone zipped him with a knife in a dogpile. I wasn't about to correct him. Cleaned the bit of tissue off the edge of the band, and kept my mouth shut. That was my metal band watch.

My surf watch had nylon velcro leash on it. Which I used as a grip for putting a guy in a sleeve wheel choke. So me? I like watches.

 

[Gordon Nore]

I always wear a watch, even when I'm sleeping. I've got a certain type I like too, they have to be completely stainless steel be automatic and have a black face (easier to read).

Me too. I'm lost without a watch on my wrist. I pretty much only take it off to train. I gave into batteries a long time ago; although I miss the wind-ups. I cannot stand digital displays. I like two hands and a face.

 

[Nolerama]

Hmm... Okay, I found that having a watch provides an assailant a good way to grip your wrist. Your opponent can yank the mess out of your arm, and have more leverage in controlling that one arm.

 

[shihansmurf]

Pro: You'll always know what time it is.

Con: You'll always know what time it is.

Not that I have a big aversion to punctuality (don't confirm that with my mother!) but I've found that when I always know what time it is I can never really relax. As a result I've purchased and lost well over a dozen nice watches over the years because I never want to wear them. The latest casualty was a $10 thingie with a stopwatch function that I bought for the purpose of dog training. I even lost that one. Before I managed to teach Fido what he needed to know. :uhyeah: So I guess that would be two votes against watches from the both of us.

You beat me to the joke.

I always have a watch, even in comparison to other soldiers I'm insanely punctual. I'm pretty much always 20 to 30 minutes early to anyplace that I have to be. My wife is exactly the opposite. It is interesting how many squabbles have started over that unfortunate dichotomy...

I'm a battery powered watch kind of guy. I have a tendency to break a few watches a year as I forget to remove them before doing things like obstacle courses, confidence cources, IMT type training, and such. I do have one nice wind up that I wear when I'm dressed up but I balk at the replacement costs of 4 or 5 watches a year.

Mark

 

[Deaf Smith]

I stand corrected, what will they think of next. How about the face of a clock embedded in the grips of that glock. This will be for the next time a a stranger, late at night, and in a bad part of town, comes up to you and says, hey buddy, got the time.

No, they will put cell phones in glocks.

Deaf

 

[jim777]

I love watches I have about 2 dozen or so, and some I wear and some I don't. A few Movoados, a nice old(er) Rolex AirKing, but the one I was wearing the most recently is a new Citizen Eco-Drive Skyhawk (the Blue Angels model) my lovely bride got me for my birthday. It is sun light powered, and synchs with the atomic clock, so it never needs batteries, never needs winding and is always dead on accurate. It also tells the current time and date in every city I deal with for work, which is crazy convenient. It really is perfect for my particular needs, and almost everyone on our IT staff has one.
It is, however, a bit heavy. And with the recent news that the pain in my wrist is from osteoarthritis and missing cartilage, I have gone back to wearing either my AirKing or going without most days. I don't worry about a watch getting in the way of fighting or defending myself. Since I work in a global investment bank as a global manager, I need to know what time it is for meetings and such so a watch isn't a luxury for me, though some particular watches could be considered as such.

When I get to work from home more often I will definitely look for older watches, as I've always had a thing for Walthams, but they aren't convenient for me at the moment. Plus, I have a terrible guitar addiction, so that eats up a lot of available cash as well

 

[sempai little1]

My husband has a cell phone to tell time.
If I had a watch I couldn't entertain myself through out the day asking him what time it is then watching have to dig his phone out of his pockets. This is more fun in the winter when he forgets which pocket he put his phone it.

Your friend,
Sempai Little1 :wavey:

 

[Deaf Smith]

My husband has a cell phone to tell time.

And I use my beeper from work. It has a clock on the face and I don't see why I need to wear any timepeace if I have my beeper.

Deaf

 

[Ronin74]

This is why Chuck Norris doesn't need a watch.

 

[Guardian]

This is why Chuck Norris doesn't need a watch.

Amen to that.

 

[Zero]

Nolerama, not sure if I follow you dude, I assume this is only from a SD perspective?

I think it was you that did some bouncing work(?). If so, wearing bling when you're putting yourself in a work related sitaution every Friday night when your "bling" has a chance of being damaged/busted may not be the most optimal way to go. If you're bouncing regularly then your fancy and possibly costly wrist merchandise has an increased risk of damge, either through punching someone or in applying a headlock etc, whatever...

I only did some bouncing for a short time when I was much younger so you will be more experienced here, but I only used to wear a non-descript black G-shock casio, it didn't flash around and it could take a relative beating and keep going (just like the wearer). I had a mobile in case needed to make a call but only looked at the watch for time reference; it is not good to be distracted by a phone when you are on the front door or in the club, as you'll know.

Outside of this work, you should wear what you want. I normally don't wear watches now, as said by others, there is the mobile or blackberry in the pocket which also keeps time. Howevevr, certain areas at certain times may mean that a flash watch worn openly brings trouble. A guy I knew had his wrist badly cut by a knife when a looser tried to slice the watch strap and do a runner.

I do wear a pretty decent watch to client meetings where I need to track time but to look at a blackberry etc would appear rude.

In an actual unexpected street fight or SD situation I don't see the watch being a disadvantage, I don't see it giving much of an advantage either. As with rigns etc, watches aren't permitted in competition fights as they can inflcit messy surface cuts to the skin. But these are really superficial wounds and skin tears and would not be an advantage over hard open hand or fist/elbow strikes in an SD situation to a determined attacker.

Best
Zero

 

[Zero]

Me too. I'm lost without a watch on my wrist. I pretty much only take it off to train. I gave into batteries a long time ago; although I miss the wind-ups. I cannot stand digital displays. I like two hands and a face.

If you like decent watches and don't mind spending a little, get one of those nice bio-energy or photo-energy watches that need nothing more than a bit of solar to keep them running. I got a decent one that will run forever without batteries as long as it is in a light environment. If it is not in any light for more than 7 days it stops. But bring it out of the cupboard etc and re-set the time and it kicks off again. I like the idea that one day (a long, long time from now, maybe never hopefully...(Highlander **** etc)) if I'm buried, a thousand years later some aliens dig up the graveyard and my watch starts up again. Weird, but there you go...

 

[chinto]

Self defense is almost like a come as you are party. I can defend with or without one on. As far as any defense value, I don't think they have any. IMO

yep I agree.. folks what you got on your wrist as a watch will not effect your self defense as far as I can see.

 

[sgtmac_46]

I sometimes wear a metal watch. It's my bling.

I'm expecting more Cons than Pros for wearing one.

What do you all think?

I find being able to tell the time useful.

 

[Skpotamus]

If you wear a heavy metal watch it might add a little oomph to a forearm/hammerfist/knifehand style strike, but it wouldn't really be concentrating the force very much, so i doubt it would do much more than without one on.

I did notice that when I started wearing a watch again (pretty much use my cell phone all the time) that when I wore it on my left hand, sometimes it would slide up towards my hand and it interfered with my two handed grip sometimes when shooting. So I switched it to my right hand (dominant hand) and no problems.

Other than that, I can't really think of any other pros or cons.

 

[prokarateshop]

I have to ask, what does a watch have to do with self defense?

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I have to ask, what does a watch have to do with self defense?

If do right, is no defense.

 

[elder999]

Well, there was a product that was a "self-defense watch wristband," basically an extendable loop garrote from the watch that enhanced chokes. The only thing I could find online was an abstract of the patent

And, my Rolex got me mugged, once, more than 20 years ago-taught me a lot, actually-like not to bling on the subway....doesn't matter much now, though...:lol: