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Digital Generation Rediscovers Analog Wristwatches
Hugh Pickens writes "As recently as a half-decade ago, time seemed to be running out for the wristwatch; the mechanical device was declared to be going the way of the abacus. But now the NY Times reports that the 'sundial' of the wrist is experiencing an uptick among members of the digital generation, particularly by heritage-macho types in their 20s and 30s who are drawn to the wristwatch's retro appeal, just as they have seized on straight razors, selvedge denim and vintage vinyl. 'A cool machine that is all moving parts has got to be intrinsically interesting to someone born into this generation,' says Mitch Greenblatt, an online retailer of design-forward watches who is seeing a surge in business, 'because there's just nothing like that in their life.'"
This really isn't much of a surprise. The Steam-punk genre is quite popular with the 20-40 crowd.
I'm 37. I've had combo analog/digital watches almost continuously since I was about 10. I source them from exotic boutiques like K-Mart where they sell obscure brands like Timex.
If the NYT article wasn't behind a registration screen ... maybe something the summary didn't cover would make some sense here.
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I'm 36 and I own an analog wristwatch. I've owned several over my lifetime as well. My 5 year old son is familiar and will continue to be familiar with analog wristwatches as most everyone in his extended family wears one. How is this retro, unique or something terribly interesting because it has moving parts and is not digital? Watches have always been fashionable and (IMHO) will continue to be for all generations for the rest of my life. It's not like we're talking about 8-tracks, cassette tapes and to some extent vinyl for example. Those devices will definitely be retro to my kid as they have never (and probably never will be) a part of his life.
At night I drink myself to sleep and pretend I don't care that you're not here with me
I still think that digital watches are a pretty neat idea.
(Besides I have some difficulties to read analog watches).
"It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
And right now, I have my Dad's old analog on my wrist.
And ok, get off ... etc etc...
"The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes" - Winston Churchill
I've always worn a watch, never saw the point of lugging a cell phone around just to know the time,
Cell phones are known for having other functionality as well as being able to tell the time. I've never seen the point of strapping a somewhat functional piece of jewelry to my arm when I have a small device in my pocket that tells the time, as well as doing a hundred or more other things that I find useful.
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Shaving is for losers who are ashamed of their neck beards. Go Unix or go home. This is slashdot. You goddamned kids better get off my lawn, or I'm going to seize control of your botnets by exploiting a hole I wrote into the IRC protocol before you were born.
'Arts' get lost as progress happens. I'm sure most people don't know how to make a fire, because we don't need to anymore (not unless we like camping or whatever and don't carry matches).
I dunno, maybe in a few years' time, people who know how to read analogue will be the 'weirdos who hold onto outdated stuff', as opposed to 'everyone except these young 'uns'
In fact, maybe an iWatch wouldn't be a bad idea.
Oh god, no. You wouldn't be able to share the time with anyone else, and you'd have to use Apple's proprietary software to set it. Not to mention that it would be twice as expensive as any other comparable digital watch, and I'm pretty sure that they would pay a license fee to the RIAA for some weird reason for each one sold, which would then mean that the RIAA would now have enough money to start suing other digital watch manufacturers for infringement because apparently the "beep! beep! beep!" of their alarms is copyrighted.
Don't get me started on how you can't replace your iWatch's battery when it runs out...
I find that when I look at my analog watch it is easier for me to inherently know what time it is than it is for me to articulate the actual time when someone asks for it.
This really isn't much of a surprise. The Steam-punk genre is quite popular with the 20-40 crowd.
Nah, steampunk is a faux-Victorian genre loved almost exclusively by the irredeemably nerdy. This, like the straight-razor comeback, is more "Mad Men" '60s (or even '40s) nostalgia; it's people borrowing symbols from a time when "men were men" -- a way for men to assert their masculinity in a way that they see as intelligent and sophisticated, rather than uncultured or brutish. Since, for a while in the 90s, the latter seemed to be the only conception of masculinity being promulgated, I appreciate the trend, albeit with reservations.
You can check the time on a wristwatch without being obvious about it. The same can't be said for a phone. How do you explain to the person you are talking to that checking the time is seemingly more important than what they are saying?
When I look at a timepiece it's rare that I want to know what time it is. Much more often I want to know "how long since" or "how long until" something. An analog display gives me this info much more quickly than digital.
why do you dipshits keep posting stories that are behind a pay wall, what is the NY Times stroking your junk?
Cell phones are known for having other functionality as well as being able to tell the time. I've never seen the point of strapping a somewhat functional piece of jewelry to my arm when I have a small device in my pocket that tells the time, as well as doing a hundred or more other things that I find useful.
My analog display watch enables hands free operation and is water resistant to 100m. Its a far better choice in the rain or when scuba diving. When hiking/backpacking/camping my cellphone is generally powered down and in a dry bag, reserved for emergencies. "Never seen the point" is taking an otherwise reasonable argument too far.