As a child I played a game with my grandmother (she was born in 1900). When asked for the time she looked at the sun and was always right within a ten-minute accuracy. Artificial time like 10:42 did not make sense to her. Of course living in Chennai India (latitude 13° N) simplified things for her.

My first watch was a quartz Seiko and I suddenly felt all grown-up! When I tried to pass on this experience to my teenage kids, I was rudely rebuffed. They do not need a watch they said – they were woken-up to go to school and the bells signaled the end of class. It was so uncool (I wonder if this term is now passé!). In any case their most precious possession, the mobile phone, could also tell time!

Older, and in the executive world, my interest in watches began. Why wear a watch? Convenience and habit. And it’s certainly more than a time-measuring instrument. It completes my attire, panders to my vanity (the only piece of “jewelry” I wear). Is it also a fascination with precision engineering and craftsmanship? Heirloom? Investment? Influence of advertising imagery?

The last couple of years has seen the advent of wearable technology. Smart watches that notify messages, track location, monitor health and fitness, make payments at retail. Soon scent messaging, keys replacement, air purification and… and… and…

I wonder what my squinting-at-the-sun grandma would have said?

Related Links:

http://www.creationtips.com/time.html

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/clocks-watches/why-wear-wristwatches.htm

http://patriot-tech.com/wearable-technology-trends-2014/