# Exactly where on the wrist should you wear a watch?



## Seikosha (Feb 9, 2010)

Just curious if there's a preferred way to wear a watch.

1) Right wrist or Left wrist? Should it be opposite of your handedness?

2) How high do you wear the watch? Just after where you bend the wrist, or further up?

3) Exactly centered on the flat of the wrist curvature, or tilted toward you to make it easier to see the face?

4) How much slack do you give the bracelet, loose that it could rotate somewhat, or tight enough to turn blue?


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## 2BATTRANGER (Feb 7, 2010)

Seikosha said:


> Just curious if there's a preferred way to wear a watch.
> 
> 1) Right wrist or Left wrist? Should it be opposite of your handedness?
> 
> ...


1) opposite of handedness

2) just above the wrist "knuckle" (the bone that sticks up like an ankle)

3) exactly centered on the flat to of the wrist

4) just enough slack to get the tip of my pinky finger under/between it and wrist (at the bottom of the strap/bracelet

This is the way I wear my watches, but I'm sure there will be many different answers...

:-!


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## hansomegq67 (Jul 12, 2009)

2BATTRANGER said:


> 1) opposite of handedness
> 
> 2) just above the wrist "knuckle" (the bone that sticks up like an ankle)
> 
> ...


+1 Exactly how I wear mine.



2BATTRANGER said:


> 2) just above the wrist "knuckle" (the bone that sticks up like an ankle)


Above, meaning towards the hand. Not on the forearm. I just wanted to clarify that, if I may.;-)


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## ulackfocus (Oct 17, 2008)

1) What, you don't wear them on BOTH wrists? 

2) I wear mine between the bone and the heel of my palm. 

3) Ever so slightly tilted towards me, but barely noticeable to anyone else.

4) Pinky rule applies with me too.


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## hansomegq67 (Jul 12, 2009)

ulackfocus said:


> 1) What, you don't wear them on BOTH wrists?
> 
> 2) I wear mine between the bone and the heel of my palm.
> 
> 3) Ever so slightly tilted towards me, * but barely noticeable to anyone else.*


1.) Uhhhh NO! Damage control:rodekaart
2.) :-d Doh!
3.) Isn't it the truth? :-( Oh Well, we've got each other here, to appreciate what's on our wrists;-)


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## Ananda (Feb 28, 2008)

2BATTRANGER said:


> 1) opposite of handedness
> 
> 2) just above the wrist "knuckle" (the bone that sticks up like an ankle)
> 
> ...


perfect answer! could not agree more!


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## Moosie (Mar 17, 2010)

2BATTRANGER said:


> 1) opposite of handedness
> 
> 2) just above the wrist "knuckle" (the bone that sticks up like an ankle)
> 
> ...


YEP for number 2 though i wear it on the left of the bone towards my elbow bur just above. and for number 3 i try to keep it flat or sometimes facing a little towards me.


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## John MS (Mar 17, 2006)

Seikosha said:


> Just curious if there's a preferred way to wear a watch.
> 
> 1) Right wrist or Left wrist? Should it be opposite of your handedness?
> 
> ...


I wear my watches just tight enough that they don't rotate around the wrist. Gravity and arm placement determine where the watch is perched at any given moment. Unless one cinches watches up pretty tight they won't stay in one place.

Virtually all watches are designed to be worn on the left hand so that's where they reside on my wrist.


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## Close 2 Cool (May 22, 2009)

Left wrist, over the bone basically where my wrist meets my hand, and loose enough it moves, but not near enough to spin around. If I was to wear it above the bone I feel it would look pretty bad, and definitely not stay there unless I resized it to a point it would not be comfortable.


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## BDSmith (Jun 12, 2010)

1. Opposite of handedness, so left for me.

2. Watch is pretty loose, like a bracelet. It's floating over where my wrist bends.


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## MikeyT (Mar 28, 2009)

When all is said and done, wear it where it is most comfortable to you.


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## hidden by leaves (Mar 6, 2010)

MikeyT said:


> When all is said and done, wear it where it is most comfortable to you.


+1. No rules.


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## pickle puss (Feb 13, 2006)

Where ever!!

Seriously!!


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## Sean779 (Jul 23, 2007)

each watch finds its own unique position on my wrist, kind of like how a dog goes in circles before he flops down to sleep. We like it that way :-d


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## mr00jimbo (Apr 26, 2009)

This article will help 
http://www.esquire.com/style/wearawatch1107


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## hidden by leaves (Mar 6, 2010)

Sean779 said:


> each watch finds its own unique position on my wrist, kind of like how a dog goes in circles before he flops down to sleep. We like it that way :-d


Great analogy. Or is that a simile... I still get those mixed up. Anyhoo, well said regardless ;-)


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## narcosynthesis (Dec 28, 2009)

Seikosha said:


> Just curious if there's a preferred way to wear a watch.
> 
> 1) Right wrist or Left wrist? Should it be opposite of your handedness?
> 
> ...


1) Opposite my dominant hand, so I wear it on my left being right handed

2) To the arm side of my wrist joint

3) Flat to my wrist, with very narrow wrists on me it looks a bit silly anywhere else and looks too big...

4) Tight enough so that the watch doesn't move around much, loose enough to be comfortable.

There is no 'right' way though, this is only what works for me...


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## bigvatch (Sep 25, 2007)

Seikosha said:


> Just curious if there's a preferred way to wear a watch.
> 
> 1) Right wrist or Left wrist? Should it be opposite of your handedness?
> 
> ...


1) personal preference as to what side. You would be surprised as to how many left-handed people prefer to wear their watch on their left wrist (refer to search of WUS polls) for whatever reason.....probably because of the crown situation

2-4) personal preference, but recommendeded is not too lose, not too tight, after the bend....in the 'pocket'


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## scm64 (May 12, 2007)

I wear mine on my left wrist (i'm right handed), above the bone and semi tight/firm so they don't flop around.


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## gpjoe (May 21, 2008)

bigvatch said:


> 1) personal preference as to what side. You would be surprised as to how many left-handed people prefer to wear their watch on their left wrist (refer to search of WUS polls) for whatever reason.....probably because of the crown situation
> 
> 2-4) personal preference, but recommendeded is not too lose, not too tight, after the bend....in the 'pocket'


I'm a lefty and wear mine on the left.

As you (and another member) pointed out:

Because of the crown positioning it seems fairly obvious that most watches are designed to be worn on the left. Of course that doesn't mean that that is correct for everyone as you should wear your watch the way it feels right to you.


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## CombatMarine (May 21, 2013)

I don't understand the logic that say's the watch was designed to be worn on the left arm?? When you wear it that way the crown digs into the back of your hand if you bend it backwards, it doesn't when worn on the right wrist, which is exactly why I wear it on my right wrist being right handed. Although with the advent of the computer mouse, desk diving now involves me taking he wrist watch off when on the computer.


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## erictrumpet (Mar 9, 2010)

I vary the "height" of the watch (positioned above or below the wristbone "knuckle") for different watch sizes. Generally, I wear mine "low" - between the bone and my hand; but if it's a very large and/or heavy watch (I have a couple biggies), then I'll scoot it up towards the elbow a bit and I find that more comfortable. This also reduces the size of the watch visually, by putting it on a slightly wider part of the arm. This is only for big watches though (46mm+). Most days I'm wearing 36-40mm watches, right up against the back of my hand.

Eric.


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## brashboy (Jan 7, 2013)

2BATTRANGER said:


> 1) opposite of handedness
> 
> 2) just above the wrist "knuckle" (the bone that sticks up like an ankle)
> 
> ...


Couldn't have said it better.


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## Brianetta (Sep 23, 2014)

CombatMarine said:


> I don't understand the logic that say's the watch was designed to be worn on the left arm?? When you wear it that way the crown digs into the back of your hand if you bend it backwards, it doesn't when worn on the right wrist, which is exactly why I wear it on my right wrist being right handed. Although with the advent of the computer mouse, desk diving now involves me taking he wrist watch off when on the computer.


My Skyhawk's buttons and crown are all on the right of the case, and all the mode functions are operated using the crown. If I wear it on my right wrist, I have to reach across the face to operate the crown. Extending the crown at all is difficult, as it faces away from the hand that can reach it. Therefore, the Skyhawk is demonstrably designed to be worn on the left wrist, _or_ is intended to be removed from the right wrist before making use of the chronograph, countdown, alarms or time zone changes.

I haven't noticed that it digs in, but I concede that it could - still, the watch is not fully functional on the wrong wrist.


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## Ace McLoud (Jun 28, 2013)

On the outside.


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## cayabo (Jan 9, 2016)

Situation dictates - e.g.

Captain Koons _(Christopher Walken - Pulp Fiction) _
"Hello, little man. Boy, I sure heard a bunch about you.

See, I was a good friend of your dad's. We were in that Hanoi pit of hell together for over five years. Hopefully, you'll never have to experience this yourself, but when two men are in a situation like me and your dad were, for as long as we were, you take on certain responsibilities of the other. If it had been me who had not made it, Major Coolidge would be talking right now to my son Jim. But the way it turned out is I'm talking to you, Butch.

I got something for ya...This watch I got here was first purchased by your great-grandfather during the first world war. It was bought in a little general store in Knoxville, Tennessee, made by the first company to ever make wrist watches. Up until then, people just carried pocket watches.

It was bought by Private Doughboy Ryan Coolidge the day he set sail for Paris. This was your great-grandfather's war watch, and he wore it every day he was in the war. Then when he had done his duty, he went home to your great-grandmother, took the watch off and put it in an old coffee can.

And in that can it stayed 'til your granddad Dane Coolidge was called upon by his country to go overseas and fight the Germans once again. This time they called it World War Two. Your great-grandfather gave this watch to your granddad for good luck. Unfortunately, Dane's luck wasn't as good as his old man's. Dane was a Marine and he was killed along with all the other Marines at the battle of Wake Island.

Your granddad was facing death, and he knew it. None of those boys had any illusions about ever leaving that island alive. So three days before the Japanese took the island, your granddad asked a gunner on an Air Force transport named Winocki, a man he had never met before in his life, to deliver to his infant son, who he had never seen in the flesh, his gold watch. Three days later, your granddad was dead. But Winocki kept his word.

After the war was over, he paid a visit to your grandmother, delivering to your infant father, his Dad's gold watch.

This watch.

This watch was on your Daddy's wrist when he was shot down over Hanoi. He was captured and put in a Vietnamese prison camp. He knew if the gooks ever saw the watch that it'd be confiscated; taken away. The way your Dad looked at it, this watch was your birthright. He'd be damned if any slopes were gonna put their greasy yellow hands on his boy's birthright. So he hid it in the one place he knew he could hide something. His ass. Five long years, he wore this watch up his ass.

And then he died of dysentery, he gave me the watch. I hid this uncomfortable hunk of metal up my ass for two years. Then, after seven years, I was sent home to my family.

And now, little man, I give the watch to you."


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## corpyr (Aug 12, 2012)

Started by Seikosha, June 11th, 2010


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## John MS (Mar 17, 2006)

What does all that rambling add to an ancient thread.


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## watermanxxl (Jul 12, 2013)

Although, being a "southpaw", I wear my watch on my left wrist. Conventional wisdom says wear your watch on your "non-dominant side" BUT, the world is made for right-handers; from door knobs, elevator buttons, gear shifters and so on... So, I don't fight it; I wear my watch on my dominant side...and, engage the world with my right hand.


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## Rob.DeLorne (Apr 18, 2018)

That crown digging in is yet one more argument in favor of us newbie watch enthusiasts' favorite affordable "in house manufacture" the Seiko 5. Experience the four o'clock crown.









That said, even with the largest crown in my collection and with wearing them in the "pocket" between that bone flair and my hand, I don't much notice any jabbing. And I mean even if the watch is literally all the way down to where bending my hand backward moves the watch. (Maybe my hand just doesn't bend back as far as everybody else's? I mean, it must be an issue else why did Seiko move it?)


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## Rob.DeLorne (Apr 18, 2018)

That crown digging in is yet one more argument in favor of us newbie watch enthusiasts' favorite affordable "in house manufacture" the Seiko 5. Experience the four o'clock crown.









That said, even the largest three o'clock crown in my collection worn all the way down in the "pocket" between that bone flair and my hand, I don't much notice any jabbing.

So far down that bending my hand backward moves the watch.

(Maybe my hand just doesn't bend back as far as everybody else's?)


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## narchibald (Jun 26, 2018)

hmmm. wherever it feels most comfortable?


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## sillo38 (Nov 10, 2014)

This is an 8 year old thread. Why did it need to get resurrected?


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## Brianetta (Sep 23, 2014)

It's kind of a timeless discussion.


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## TwentiethCenturyFox (Mar 8, 2014)

On top, left wrist and I am left handed.


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## rfortson (Feb 18, 2012)

I'm left handed. I wear my watch somewhere between my hand and my elbow, usually facing up.  

I've never had a problem with a crown digging into the back of my hand.


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## Morris Day (Feb 6, 2018)

sillo38 said:


> This is an 8 year old thread. Why did it need to get resurrected?


Bump an old thread?
"Why are we resurrecting an old thread?"

Start a new thread that has been discussed before?
"This has been discussed ad nauseam. Use the search function."


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## Likestheshiny (Nov 28, 2011)

Morris Day said:


> Bump an old thread?
> "Why are we resurrecting an old thread?"
> 
> Start a new thread that has been discussed before?
> "This has been discussed ad nauseam. Use the search function."


If you're only doing either because you somehow think the same content is more important when you're the one saying it, then you deserve the criticism either time.


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## joepac (Jun 29, 2011)

On the outside of the wrist... Preferably 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk


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## Munchie (Dec 20, 2013)

rfortson said:


> I'm left handed. I wear my watch somewhere between my hand and my elbow, usually facing up.
> 
> *I've never had a problem with a crown digging into the back of my hand*.


Amazing - its an issue that I consider for every purchase that I make and has been the reason for moving on at least 2 watches that I liked in every other respect.


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## Tirete (Sep 20, 2018)

hansomegq67 said:


> Above, meaning towards the hand. Not on the forearm. I just wanted to clarify that, if I may.;-)


Doesn't that interfere with the movement of your hand?

I wear on my left (righthanded), slightly past the knuckle towards my forearm, tight enough not to move around but loose enough to be comfortable:


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## kcotham (Jun 21, 2018)

Seikosha said:


> Just curious if there's a preferred way to wear a watch.
> 
> 1) Right wrist or Left wrist? Should it be opposite of your handedness?
> 
> ...


1. I'm left-handed so I wear my watches on the right arm. I firmly believe one should wear watches on your non-dominate hand, to keep them out of harm's way.
2. On the actual arm, not over the wrist bones. One should wear your watch over the radius and ulna, just before the end of those bones. (Marc Frankel of LongIslandWatch wears his over the actual wrist bones in his videos and it drives me nuts! I can't get an actual view of what it would be like on my arm.)
3. Most watches will settle on the flat of your arm, between the radius and ulna. A slight tilt of your arm and it should be readily visible.
4. I like to wear mine so that you can just get one finger under the band. I hate watches that flop around. And one that is too tight is just painful. I hate bracelets because of this. In warm weather you have to add a link, in cold weather you have to take one out. A strap just has to be adjusted one hole.


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## kcotham (Jun 21, 2018)

gpjoe said:


> I'm a lefty and wear mine on the left.
> 
> As you (and another member) pointed out:
> 
> Because of the crown positioning it seems fairly obvious that most watches are designed to be worn on the left. Of course that doesn't mean that that is correct for everyone as you should wear your watch the way it feels right to you.


Crown position is meaningless unless it digs into your wrist. And if you wear it on your arm and not over the wrist joint, it shouldn't, unless the crown is oversized. Most watch manufacturers out there recommend NOT adjusting the crown while wearing their watches anyway. Cheers!


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## kcotham (Jun 21, 2018)

Rob.DeLorne said:


> That crown digging in is yet one more argument in favor of us newbie watch enthusiasts' favorite affordable "in house manufacture" the Seiko 5. Experience the four o'clock crown.
> 
> View attachment 13533213
> 
> ...


I'm left-handed and I have NEVER had a problem with the crown digging into the back of my hand in 40 years. I wear my watches on my non-dominate right arm. If you don't wear your watches over your actual wrist and you don't wear oversized watches, you should never have a problem.


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## BarracksSi (Feb 13, 2013)

Generally, it should be inboard, or "proximal", of the ends of the forearm bones, illustrated below. This keeps the watch from landing on the flexible part of the wrist, where it can get in the way when pushing on things (doors, chairs, etc).

Of course -- and I'm saying this in the most factual, non-judgmental way possible -- if your forearm is too fat and your forearm bones are hidden under extra flesh, you just have to pick the narrowest portion and size the watch for it.


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## Calypso2 (Sep 23, 2017)

On (when I'm) hot days I wear the watch on my left wrist, and on cold days, on the right wrist.
Why?
My right wrist is 7 -1/2 , and the left 7-1/4
On a cold day my normal (left) wrist shrinks, so the watch is moved to the right for a better fit.


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## kcotham (Jun 21, 2018)

BarracksSi said:


> Generally, it should be inboard, or "proximal", of the ends of the forearm bones, illustrated below. This keeps the watch from landing on the flexible part of the wrist, where it can get in the way when pushing on things (doors, chairs, etc).
> 
> Of course -- and I'm saying this in the most factual, non-judgmental way possible -- if your forearm is too fat and your forearm bones are hidden under extra flesh, you just have to pick the narrowest portion and size the watch for it.


Exactly, which is why it is called "eine Armbanduhr" in German, which is literally "arm band clock (or watch)".


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## Holdenitdown (Feb 7, 2019)

I'm late to the party here, for sure, but I recently stumbled on a memory of my dad telling me that the watch should sit on my left wrist, to the right of my wrist bone, which is as confusing to me now as it was when I was 10. Everyone's physiology differs, but I have to believe that most people cannot wear the watch between the bone and the hand and retain a full range of motion in the wrist, regardless of case size and crown position. Why would you want to restrict a function that millions of years of evolution has worked to refine?! What's more, with all the concern about placing stress on the spring bars, bracelet pins and crown, how could that position be anything other than bad for the watch?


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