I recently posted the following request to Facebook, “I’m often in meetings where I need to know the time but I don’t want to look at my phone. I know the answer, a wristwatch. I want something very mimimalist, no second hand, analog not digital, and it can’t be small. Suitable for wearing to work. Not gold. Also, I have large wrists. Watch wearing friends, what do you recommend? It’s been years.”
Like that but without the second hand and the military time. I wanted something minimalist but still readable. Not a digital watch and definitely not sporty. I wanted it for work so it needs to look good with suits and dresses. I got a ton of recommendations. Thanks friends.
Lots of you had brilliant suggestions. Some beautiful and out of my practical price range. I’m not sure if I’ll happily go back to the watch habit. And I take off watches and lose them so there’s that too. Others liked quirky trendy watches and predictably fights broke out among the purists. I love my friends.
But there was one answer that made me realize how much my life has changed. Lots of you were shocked I wasn’t already wearing a fitness tracker. You made suggestions about the best kind. The thing is I used to love having one and wearing it. But not anymore. The problem is that they mostly track steps and my steps are very limited these days. When I wear one I’m conscious of how little I’m walking and sometimes I walk when I shouldn’t. My knees are happiest on days with fewer than 5000 steps. I get that just walking around campus and taking the dog around the block.
I try to put step counts away but it’s so hard. See You are so much more than your step count.
GoogleFit has been better for me because it tracks active minutes and they’re the main thing rather than steps. So my reasons aren’t Tracy’s reasons. I’m a fan of tracking. But it makes sense to track things in your control, that you have reasons to care about, and for which tracking brings about a change in behavior in the right direction. Tracking steps isn’t that for me anymore.
Anyway, back to meetings. The meetings for which I want a watch aren’t working meetings. For those I have my laptop or phone out for access to documents. Tasks and machines go together. But some meetings are all about listening. I take handwritten notes. I don’t want to be distracted from what the person is saying or have them think I’m checking my phone for messages. Checking your phone sends a signal that glancing at your watch doesn’t. I’m still watch shopping. I’ll report back when I’ve made a decision.
Update: My new watch!
That’s a really nice watch! I do wear an Apple Watch these days but if I were to go back to an analogue one, it would look similar to yours I think.