Which hand should you wear your watch on?

Left or right? Is there a rule that says on which wrist you should wear a watch? There are always the strangest rumors and stories circulating on the Internet. Some even claim that on the left hand there is a nerve that the watch could affect. In the rest of this article, we'll untangle the truth from the false to reveal how to define the hand on which it's best to wear your watch.
Even if it's not a medical imperative, specialists will readily confirm that leather watch straps and bracelets without sharp edges offer an extra level of comfort. However, hand surgeons are unanimous: it doesn't matter which hand you wear your watch on. From a strictly medical point of view, all you need to do is make sure the strap is not too tight. Otherwise, a nerve could be pinched. However, this nerve is present on both right and left wrists, just above the radius bone. If this nerve is pinched, you will sooner or later feel an unpleasant tingling sensation on the outside of your index finger and thumb.

Historical background and specifications

The question of which wrist to wear a watch on has been debated for many years now. Centuries ago, of course, there were no watches with digital technology. Not only were their movements highly complicated, the watches themselves were relatively large and heavy. As a result, they had not yet found their place on the wearer's wrist: they were traditionally kept in the trouser pocket.
It was only with technological progress that watches became small enough to be worn on the wrist. However, the first wristwatches did not have a movement powered by batteries. The wearer had to wind the movement manually. The winding mechanism was operated by a small wheel (crown) located on the side of the watch. At that time, there were more right-handed people than left-handed, so watch manufacturers placed the crown on the right.This created the custom of wearing the watch on the left hand.
For left-handed people, this automatically created a disadvantage, because their dominant hand could not operate the mechanism. Fortunately, there are very few hand-wound watches on the market today. For reasons of personal comfort, left-handers tend to wear their watches on the right arm.

Reasons to wear the watch on the left

Everyone has certainly noticed that a large percentage of the population wears wristwatches on the left. The reason is simple: most people are right-handed.

• Right-handed people use their right hand for most activities, i.e. cooking, writing, cutting, brushing teeth, etc. A watch on the dominant hand could interfere with many of these activities. Therefore, it is recommended that right-handed people wear their watch on the left.
• However, it's not just everyday activities that cause problems for right-handed people who wear a watch on their right hand. Even putting on your watch with the help of your left hand can become a test of patience for a right-handed person. The same applies to operating the watch functions.
• In addition to the problems in everyday life and watch adjustments, the watch also suffers from "inappropriate use". The watch can be scratched more easily and must be polished frequently accordingly.

Reasons to wear the watch on the right

For left-handers, of course, the situation is exactly the opposite. For them, the left hand is the dominant one and wearing a watch on the right hand is natural for them.

• Left-handed people want to avoid their watch being in the way during daily activities - they wear their watch on their right arm accordingly.
• Exceptions prove the rule: there are definitely also right-handers who wear their watch on the right. These are probably behaviors induced by personal habits that began in childhood, so it would probably be futile to force anyone to change such a habit.

Conclusion

Each person should decide for themselves on which hand they would like to wear their watch. For practical reasons, we recommend that right-handed people wear their watches on the left, while left-handed people should wear their wristwatches on their right arm. However, those who have already become accustomed to the "reverse style" do not necessarily have to change. Wearing a wristwatch should be a pleasure - regardless of the hand.

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