Which Hand Do You Actually Wear a Watch? Right or Left?

So, which team are you on? Left-hand or right-hand team? For the majority of people, which hand to wear a watch isn’t something to be concerned about. As long as it can sit comfortably regardless of which wrist is best, anything would be just good. But for ones who pay attention to certain unwritten rules of fashion etiquette, the left or right wrist does matter either for strapping the look or the practicality.

Which hand should I wear a watch?

Although there is no standard rule, you might want to read this article for a new perspective of why some people pay attention to this matter. As a rule of thumb, most people wear a watch on their non-dominant hands. On the left hand for a right-handed person and right hand for lefties. The reason is simple, people don’t want to mess up between the watch they wear and the things they do.

The dominant hand is the one we use to perform most actions in daily activities, be it writing, holding a glass, or eating.  So, you might not want to spill your juice when you unconsciously twist your wrist to check the time. No one wants to worsen their day with spilled juice on their shirt. 

Wearing a watch on a non-dominant hand would free you up to tell time while you are doing another thing with the dominant hands, such as writing. For example, you are a right-handed person and have a watch with especially a large one on your right wrist. It’s unavoidable that you’ll feel quite uncomfortable if you are writing using that hand — that would be harder for you too to perform that activity. So, if you are a right-handed person, wearing a watch on your left hand would be a good option and vice versa.

In addition to that, wearing a watch at the opposition of the dominant hand could protect the watch. During the time you use your dominant hand in daily activities, there is likely the watch gets bumped, jolted, or even scratched. Therefore, keeping it on a non-dominant hand would make it safe from damages.  

However, it’s still not exactly a rule to wear a watch only on a non-dominant wrist. The choice will always be yours as the wearer. The matter of which hand you should wear a watch might seem as simple as just slapping it on your wrist. But, it turned out that some functionality and practicality are also things to consider. So, it’s not only about which hand you should wear a watch but also how it makes you feel comfortable.

Practical things to consider

The biggest concern of why you need to wear a watch on a non-dominant hand is the practicality to operate the crown. Look at your watch crown and where it is placed. Most of them are put at the 3 o’clock position because most people (90%) in the world are right-handed, which means at the right side of a watch. So, it would be difficult to operate the crown if you wear it on the right hand. Not to mention the small size of the watch crown that needs another effort.

Further, the crown is meant to be easily gripped and operated. Therefore, determining where the crown is located first would help to decide which hand you should wear a watch. If the crown is at 9 o’clock then it’s the opposite which is the right hand. Otherwise, you’ll need a lot of effort to operate it and it’s a total pain to just adjust the time. So, time setting will be much easier if wearing a watch in accordance with the watch crown’s position. Besides, the watchmaker may have a specific picture in mind while designing it on where the wearer should wear the watch.

On top of it all, nowadays watchmakers also make watches specifically for left-handed people. For instance, Dievas has developed left-handed model watches with the crown located at the left side of the watch case. Left-handed watches are also known as “Destro watches”. So, you don’t need to worry as the world of watches wouldn’t leave you behind to taste the art of horology.

Final thoughts

With all of that being said, still, the matter of which hand to wear a watch is a personal preference. There are some considerations to pay attention to, such as practicality functions. But above all, you could wear your watch on whichever wrist you prefer as long as it is well-strapped on you. While wearing a watch on the right wrist is rare, the left wrist is familiarly known as the “officially correct” wrist. 

The fact that most people are right-handed is the reason behind it. As we’ve known that the majority’s preferences are what eventually become the norm. So, it’s easy to understand why some people say that we should wear a watch on the left wrist. Even more, sometimes a certain group of watch enthusiasts wears a watch on both of their wrists. See, it’s all a matter of individual preference. 

Some people might also ask, “what side do men wear watches?” and “what hand do women wear watches?”. But, this matter is so far away about man or woman. Both of them could wear a watch however they like it. Some differences might have happened in the past when watches were still considered as women’s things. But, it’s changed and watches can be everyone’s favorite now.