Where do you wear a watch?

Among all the jewelry and accessories that the fashion world has to offer, the wristwatch is clearly the special "extra" that skilfully adds the finishing touch to any outfit. But where should a watch be worn correctly on the wrist - left or right? We provide answers and reveal how men's and women's watches can be shown off to their best advantage.

Historical and cultural aspects of clock placement

To fully address the question of the perfect place for a watch on the wrist, we first take a look at the historical background of the wristwatch. We also examine cultural and conventional influences on the usual etiquette surrounding watch wearing.

Traditional Practice of the Left Hand

The attentive observer has probably noticed that most people wear their watch on the left hand. But where does this "rule" of watch placement, which most men and women adhere to, come from?

Historical Background

The main reason for wearing watches on the left wrist is history. The first timepieces with a movement small enough to be worn on a wristband all had to be wound by hand. The winding was done using a very delicate crown on the edge of the case - on the right-hand side.

This placement was by no means chosen by chance by the watch manufacturers. Then, as now, most people were right-handed, so it made sense to place the crown on the right side of the watch. If you wore the watch on your left, you could comfortably use your preferred right hand to wind it. Unfortunately, left-handed people were and are at a disadvantage in this regard: they have to reach around the case of the watch in a relatively awkward way or - despite their preference - use their right hand.

Cultural Meaning and Conventions

Today, most watches no longer need to be wound manually. Nevertheless, wearing the watch on the left wrist has become common practice and is, in a way, one of the traditional rules when it comes to watch placement. And there is also an optimum height for the watch on the wrist: about a thumb's width should fit between the wrist and the case. Alternatively, if you have long jacket sleeves, you can choose to place the watch a little lower on the arm so that the sleeve and case line up perfectly.

Personal preferences and individual adaptation

The fact is: When it comes to outfits, you can make a great impression with a high-quality watch, regardless of whether you want to wear it on your left or right hand. Ultimately, comfort, habit and taste decide on the perfect place for the accessory. At this point, we would like to summarize the biggest advantages and disadvantages of wearing wristwatches on the right and left:

Right hand

Advantages and disadvantages of this placement

Wearing the watch on the right is particularly suitable for left-handed people. After all, they use their left hand for all sorts of everyday activities, and the watch can sometimes be a nuisance. When worn on the dominant left side, the watch and strap are also subject to greater stress, which experience shows accumulates more signs of wear. In addition, putting the watch on the left hand can be quite tricky for a left-handed person. It may take a certain amount of practice to be able to place the watch smoothly on the wrist with the non-dominant hand.

For all these reasons, it is recommended that left-handed people wear their watch on the right - even if this does not comply with the usual "rules". After all, placing it on the right arm does not detract from the chic look of the watch and so, despite etiquette, there is nothing to prevent you from wearing the accessory on the right.

left hand

Advantages and disadvantages of this placement

For men and women whose dominant hand is the right, the situation is exactly the opposite. They use the right hand for cooking, cleaning, shaving, brushing teeth, etc., which is why the watch is generally better off on the left. There, it doesn't get in the way of right-handed people in everyday life and is less likely to get scratched.

How to wear a watch with style?

Regardless of which arm the watch is worn on, we would like to give you some tips on choosing the ideal watch for men and women:

watch size

How big is too big? This is also one of the most frequently asked questions about watches. The basic rule is that the size of the watch should match the size of the wrist. For men with wide wrists, a larger watch may be the optimal choice, while for a woman with a delicate arm it would look exaggerated and heavy. This is where the so-called 18-40 rule comes into play. This states that the case of a watch for a person with a wrist circumference of 18 cm should measure a maximum of 40 cm.

material and color

There really is something for everyone on the large watch market: from the simple, no-frills watch for women to the diamond-studded gold watch with a thick link bracelet to the sporty diving watch for men, there is nothing that doesn't exist. And that's a good thing! In terms of the material and color design of the watch and bracelet, there is basically no "right" or "wrong". A watch doesn't have to be flashy and extravagant to be recognized as high quality. Likewise, it doesn't necessarily have to be reserved and subtle to express good style. As long as it harmoniously complements the outfit it is worn with, supposedly strict "style rules" are superfluous. In this sense, it is worth making sure that the material of the watch and bracelet matches the rest of the jewelry. This creates a wonderfully harmonious overall picture.

Occasion

Of course, the watch should be chosen to suit the occasion or situation. For example, a sports watch with a bicolor textile strap and bright hands is better suited to a sporty casual look, while a chic, classic dress watch completes a business outfit. If you wear a striking platinum luxury watch with a huge case to a casual meeting with friends, you may quickly be seen as a show-off. On the other hand, a used no-name watch with a half-tattered leather strap may be too much of a good thing in terms of "understatement" if you wear it to an important meeting.

Of course, all of these tips are just rough suggestions, and the exception proves the rule. In the end, don't forget: anything you like is allowed!

Conclusion - The optimal placement of a watch on the wrist

Even though the days when all watches had to be laboriously wound by hand are over, most people still wear their timepieces on their left hand. In theory, there is nothing wrong with wearing a watch on your right wrist. On the contrary: for left-handed people in particular, the right arm is often the more comfortable, more practical choice.