How To Wear a Watch Inside Wrist - The Vintage Style You Need to Try

 

Watches have come a long way from the rudimentary time telling tools they first were. They have expanded in designs ranging from moderate and minimalist to intricate and complex. People often debate things such as “What wrist should you wear a watch on?” or “How tight should my watch be?”

But have you ever considered wearing your watch on the inside of your wrist? Today, I’ll explore this trend and will explain how to wear a watch inside your wrist and why some people choose this unique style.

Why Should Your Wear a Watch Inside Your Wrist?

You rarely, if ever, see it these days. A fashion trend that came and went during the 1960s, wearing your watch with the face turned inside is unheard of in modern society. Despite this, there actually are some pretty decent reasons why you should go against the grain and consider a new style of wearing your wristwatch.

Protect the Watch Crystal

If you have a lot of experience wearing watches of any kind, you know the feeling of bumping into a rough surface or scraping against a rugged wall and praying there wouldn’t be a crack or scratch on your timepiece when you flipped it over.

A main reason that people were wearing their watch inside their wrist in the ‘60s is because watch faces were often much thicker than the slimmer cases we enjoy today. The thickness made them more likely to bump against surfaces and made them more susceptible to damage.

Simply turning your watch over can prevent this. Because we walk, run, reach, and complete the vast majority of our movements with our palms facing down or inwards, wearing your watch inside your wrist significantly reduces the chance of damage to the watch face.

In doing this, any impact or collision to your wrist would be absorbed by the strap. This is great for you as the wearer because straps are generally built to withstand more wear and tear than the face. Not all straps are ideal for this, but there are some that will fare better than others.

If you have watches that you’ve worn regularly over a long period time, you might notice that the face looks like it has been through a lot more than the underside of the watch. Preserving the watch crystal and getting the most out of its lifespan is a big reason why some wear their watches inside their wrist.

For your reference, NATO straps and Stainless Steel straps are your best bets when looking for a durable strap that’s also comfortable. For more on which straps are most comfortable, please check out our recent article – the 3 most comfortable watch strap materials! (5 min. read)

On top of this, it is considerably easier and more affordable to replace a watch strap than it is to repair or replace the face / casing should it get damaged. You can get a leather strap repaired for around $10 - $20 whereas a casing repair could end up costing you up to $100.

It’s Easier to Tell Time

Although it isn’t a huge hassle to turn your wrist to tell time, it is a much more convenient style for those in professions that require them to tell time using their wristwatch such as nurses, military personnel, and law enforcement.

Nurses often use a stopwatch to time to vitals when dealing with a patient. If they don’t have a stopwatch, an alternative is the seconds hand on their wristwatch. Having it inside their wrist makes it that much easier to perform their jobs.

Some say the main reason military personnel wear their wristwatches this way is to prevent a glare from their watch giving away their position on the battlefield. However, this is often met with skepticism from actual military members who say there are other alternatives to solving the glare issue and the ones that wear them inside their wrist likely do it for their own aesthetic purposes.

Another common theory why soldiers and law enforcement wear them this way is because of the way your watch is facing when pointing a weapon. It is thought that this angle makes it easier to tell time; however, this theory isn’t very practical as it would be unlikely for a solider or officer to be in a situation holding a gun and urgently needing to know what time it is.

Again, there may be isolated cases where these people wear it for those reasons, but it is likely more of a personal preference situation rather than a tactical move.

In any case, it is more likely that they’re wearing them on the inside for the reason listed earlier – to avoid damage to the crystal as all these positions deal with moving around frequently and have a much higher chance of bumping into things than the average person.

You Can Read Your Watch Inconspicuously

Imagine you’re in a meeting – or even worse, a face to face conversation such as an interview – and you suddenly get the urge to check your watch. This could be checking the time or, if you’re sporting a smartwatch, checking a notification that just popped up.

If your watch is positioned on the inside of your wrist, you can easily check it from a natural resting position by just *inconspicuously* glancing down at your wrist. A watch worn on the outside of your wrist would be impossible to check without it being completely obvious that your mind is on your watch. Some might see this as disrespectful or rude even if that isn’t your intention.

Wearing it this way may also make it easier to hide a message (on a smartwatch) from someone nearby. It’s much easier to conceal the face from the inside position than it is on the outside.

It Fits Your Chic Aesthetic

Undoubtedly the second likeliest reason why people wear their watch inside their wrist (behind protecting the case crystal) is simply because it’s a cool and fashionable style. Don’t think so? Doesn’t matter! Fashion is all about pushing boundaries and wearing the style that works best on you. That’s why we tell our customers to “shop your style” 😉.

Some like that this style makes them look different and stand out. Certainly, seeing someone passing by wearing their watch this way would make you take a closer look. Simply turning your watch inwards can definitely make you more noticeable in a world where hardly anyone dons this look anymore.

There are also watch lovers out there that wear their watch this way to emphasize the watch’s strap. Watches that have vibrant straps such as stainless steel or mesh look great for someone looking for a shiny piece of jewelry on their wrist and look even better when worn in this style.

Conclusion

Like any other fashion trend, watches worn inside the wrist seemingly went as fast as they came in the 1960s. However, a fair amount of people still wears watches inside their wrist today for various reasons such as to protect the watch crystal, tell the time easier and more inconspicuously, or just because they love the way it looks.

Although it may not seem like many people are wearing their watches in this style today, don’t be surprised if, like many other style trends, watches being worn inside wrist make a return soon.

About Black Tie Watch Co.

Black Tie Watch Co. is an American minimalist watch brand providing modern styles at affordable prices. We began operations in August 2019 out of Houston, TX and have been growing rapidly ever since. As of today, we have shipped our pieces to 27 countries across the world and look to continue to expand our global presence! Our watches proudly run on quartz movement to ensure they are as accurate as possible. Each watch also comes with a full year warranty so you can shop with confidence every single time!

We are also looking for talented freelance writers to contribute to our blog! Articles will cover minimalist watches, watch styles, current watch events, as well holiday events happening with Black Tie Watch Co.If you have any experience or would like to gain experience contributing to our articles, please shoot us an email.

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