What is the deal with wearing a watch upside down?

[sunnygym]

nick s said:

There is absolutely no excuse for holding your fork in your right hand and your knife in your left (Unless you are only using a fork with no knife, then right hand is acceptable). It is the mark of an utter uneducated pleb!

I also judge someone who wears their watch on their right wrist, but that one is more forgivable and can just be put down to ignorance.

Does it really matter that much? I think judging people based on what wrist/hand they hold/wear something makes you the uneducated pleb.

Good day sir !

[Kermit power]

bobbybee said:

sunnygym said:

I'm a bit cack handed and wear my watch on my right...... Out of interest where does it say the left is correct ?

I also hold my fork in my right

It depends on where the crown is, no right or wrong specifically, but the design allows easy access with the other hand to make adjustments while still on the wrist.
right side crown left hand, left side crown right hand.

This is true in theory, although I'm not sure it's so relevant anymore. I don't expect many people make time adjustments without taking their watch off, and there's not that many modern watches which require manual winding, are there?

For the opposite viewpoint, I know a right-handed chap who wears his watch on his right wrist, and the reason he gave was that he'd actually broken a couple of crowns over the years just by the flex of his wrist bending the pin inside them, whereas flipping it to the inside of the arm avoided any problems.

[aeropilot]

GCH said:

A Vietnam veteran I know told me he wore it that way so the watch could be read with minimal movement when he was holed up in position to shoot (or shooting), and also for glare/reflection purposes.

This.

Also, means you can see the time at a glance down, while carrying a rifle, the foregrip of which would be supported in your left palm up hand, naturally exposing the watch face.

One of my uncles (and my godfather) always wore his watch this way up from habit until he died in his early 60's. He joined the army at 18 prior to WW2 and served 22 years right through the war and just into the 1960's ending up as a RSM. I also remember my WW2 vet father wearing his watch this way as well for many years, only really stopped doing so when he got his beloved Rollie in his mid 50's.

[Kermit power]

Urban Sports said:

Paul Drawmer said:

Do you mean inside the wrist?

Yes that.

I just tried it with my Breitling B2. If I had to wear it on the inside of my wrist, I think I'd stop wearing a watch altogether!!! It's bloody uncomfortable!

[Podie]

marcgti6 said:

Podie said:

So I should wear my Heuer Daytona on my rigth wrist, due to the crown position..?

No, please don't! A rare exception to my 'crown always facing out' rule.

Nice watch

Yeah, lovely little thing...

[marcgti6]

[quote=Podie]

Yeah, lovely little thing...

Indeed it is. I'd love an old Heuer.

[Spaceman2001]

Mates dad years ago told me most engineers and tool makers would do it to protect the glass/Perspex when working on the factory shop floor.

[Kermit power]

swerni said:

Kermit power said:

bobbybee said:

sunnygym said:

I'm a bit cack handed and wear my watch on my right...... Out of interest where does it say the left is correct ?

I also hold my fork in my right

It depends on where the crown is, no right or wrong specifically, but the design allows easy access with the other hand to make adjustments while still on the wrist.
right side crown left hand, left side crown right hand.

This is true in theory, although I'm not sure it's so relevant anymore. I don't expect many people make time adjustments without taking their watch off, and there's not that many modern watches which require manual winding, are there?

For the opposite viewpoint, I know a right-handed chap who wears his watch on his right wrist, and the reason he gave was that he'd actually broken a couple of crowns over the years just by the flex of his wrist bending the pin inside them, whereas flipping it to the inside of the arm avoided any problems.

I don't take mine off when I adjust the time.
I know this as I have to do it most weeks

Maybe just me then? I have to get a fingernail behind the underside of the crown to pull it out, so it's a fiddly pain in the backside to do with the watch still on my wrist.

[Kermit power]

There is a reason for actually wearing a watch upside down, as opposed to on the other wrist or the inside of the wrist!

If you go to India and for whatever reason you don't want to change the time on your watch, you can turn it upside down, and UK time the right way up becomes Indian time when viewed upside down. Or at least, they will after we go back to GMT next Sunday!