Pocket or Wrist; Which Watch Works For You?

Recently we wrote about the resurgence of pocket watches and highlighted some of the benefits and drawbacks of these distinctive and charming timepieces. One question that any horologist will be asked regularly though is ‘which is best?’ Here at Martin’s of Glasgow we have over 25 years experience in Rolex, Tag Heuer and Breitling watch repairs, as well as servicing for these and many other brands. With all this experience we think that we may have the definitive answer to this age-old question for you.

In this blog we wanted to settle it once and for all and find out which option is the best; to do this we have compared the two on the three most important factors of choosing a watch.

Style

When buying a quality watch style really is the biggest factor, and you simply wouldn’t buy a watch that you didn’t like the look of. When it comes to style it really is a personal choice but we personally think that there is something about opening a pocket watch that oozes style and sophistication. In a similar way to a wristwatch being classier than checking a phone, we think that checking a pocket watch is more satisfying and stylish.

Usability

Whilst style is perhaps the most important factor in choosing, usability is the factor that seals the deal for most. Due to the fact that a pocket watch is harder to check than a wrist watch, the two are really incomparable in terms of usability. The handiness (no pun intended) of a wristwatch ensures that it remains the most useful form of time-keeping technology.

Durability

Whilst there are rugged versions of both pocket and wrist watches there is one factor that ensures that there can only be one winner in terms of durability. The fact that a pocket watch isn’t attached to you as securely as a wristwatch it is innately more at risk of damage, couple this with the fact pocket watches are generally more fragile and the wristwatch clinches this round.

Looking down the list you will see that it’s a 2-1 victory for the wristwatch, and it would certainly seem that the pocket watch, though very charming, is the inferior option when choosing a watch. This simply doesn’t cover the whole issue though, as everyone chooses a watch for different reasons, and they are both a solid option. Personally we think that we’ve come up with the best possible solution for those that can’t decide… buy both!