Watches have been a part of our fashion regardless of their functionality. Yes, sports watches can have many functions, but the focus stays on being stylish. Many trendy brands have established themselves in the market by creating fashionable watches. But a question remains, in which hand do you wear your watch?
What is the psychology of wearing a watch in the right hand? We see that men mostly wear their watches on their right hand and women on the other. The psychology of it is fascinating. Let’s learn more about it below.
The Tradition of Wearing Watches on the Right Hand
The history of wearing watchers in the right can be dated back to the 14th century. During that time, men believed in the religious reason for wearing watches on their right hand. Apart from that, men portrayed their wealth by wearing costly ornaments and accessories.
They were flashier than the jewelry of their counterpart. There was also this superficial belief that wearing your watch on your dominant hand would keep evil spirits away. This was believed in the 17th century. During the 18th century, wearing watches on the left hand was popular in England.
There is also the concept of proprioception. You will be able to determine the location of an object compared to other things. This will happen when you handle it with your right hand. Because proprioceptors are more in our right hand compared to the left.
This also makes people think they have more control over their balance in their movement. You might also notice getting imbalanced while watching GPS on your watch. So, wearing your watch in the hand with better proprioception can help when using GPS in your watch.
You can also learn about the 5 Common Things to Know About GPS watches.
Why Men Are Used to Wearing Watches in Their Right Hands
Purdue university conducted research where they found that men wear their watches mostly in rights compared to women. They speculated gender stereotypes could influence it. Women carry their accessories in their left hand, whereas men tie their belts facing right.
We can also see a variation when people wore more jewelry during the middle ages. Usually, men used to wear or hold their accessories with their right hands and women with their left hands. This can also be why men wear their watches on their left hand.
Why Women Are Used to Wearing Watches on Their Left Hands
A study held in 2008 figured out that left-handed people wear their watches in their right hands more. Meaning the urge to wear the watches on the non-dominant hand is real. It is usually seen that women are more right-handed than men.
This can be one of the causes of women wearing watches in their left hand instead of their right hand. Also, women are more used to housework which can be another reason for wearing watches in their left hand. That is because the house works can cause their watches to get scratched quickly and get worn out.
Why the Non-dominant Hand and Not the Other?
The reasons for wearing your watch in your non-dominant hand are plenty. Here are some reasons explained briefly
- It doesn’t become a hindrance
Non-dominant hands are usually less utilized than our dominant hands in daily activities. If someone were to wear their watch on their dominant hand, it is possible to feel hindrance. For instance, imagine a few scenarios where you were right-handed and wore your watch in your right hand.
You would feel uncomfortable with your watch when you have to write something, and your watch would feel like an obstacle between you and the paper. Same for working on your pc; your hand would rest on the table or the edge of your laptop.
In this scenario, your hand would be slightly elevated because of the watch you are wearing on your dominant hand. You will feel hindered even in other physical activities where your hands get busy.
- Less damage
As mentioned earlier, we use our dominant hands the most in any activity. So wearing your watch on your dominant hand can cause the watch to wear out by colliding with other objects. So wearing your watch in your non-dominant hand saves it from getting scratched or dinged easily.
Thus, the instinct of not wanting to scratch your stylish watch can be a big reason for wearing it on your non-dominant hand.
- Your watch will overload your working hand
We humans get easily distracted by whatever we are doing. While using our hands, we need to have coordination. If you wear your watch on your dominant hand, you will easily get distracted by it, and you will constantly get distracting thoughts.
For instance, if your hands get stuck somewhere because of your watch, you may also think of it as it will hinder your movement. Moving around our hands can impact the work we are doing. As mentioned, wearing a watch in your dominant hand and coming between your work is a hindrance.
With all those distracting thoughts, it is common for you to feel overloaded when working.
Conclusion
The Psychology of Wearing a Watch in The Right Hand can be explained from the point of view of the dominant hand or non-dominant hand. Even the social or traditional aspect is there, and that aspect is something we can not ignore. Nevertheless, you will be the one to choose which hand you will wear your watch.
You are the one who will wear the watch to portray your fashion and represent yourself to the world. So, choose the hand you can be most comfortable with to wear your watch. Don’t worry about social conventions or traditions, and dance to your tune in this aspect.