As soon as I jumped into the luxury watch hobby, I had no idea which wrist I should wear my watch on. Even though I was ecstatic about getting into something I have a large passion for, I didn’t have a single clue about watch etiquette, but after I did some research about which wrist you should wear your watch on, I finally understood some proper watch etiquette that I never knew.
As a general rule, it’s optimal to wear a watch on your non-dominant hand, which is the left wrist for right-handed people and the right wrist for left-handed people. Watches on your non-dominant wrist are less prone to damage and easier to wind with your dominant hand.
In the rest of the post, I’m going to explain why wearing a watch on the correct wrist is important, wear a woman should wear her watch, wear a man should wear his watch, and my personal preference for wearing my luxury watches.
Why Is Wearing A Watch On The Correct Wrist Important?
Knowing which wrist to wear your luxury watch on is one of the first steps to learning about watch etiquette. While there are plenty of unwritten rules and formalities about wearing a watch, knowing which wrist to wear your watch on is one of the first ones you need to know, which will then inspire you to learn
Keeping your watch in the best condition possible should be at the forefront of your mind, which is why wearing a watch on the non-dominant wrist is the most ideal way to wear your watch: your watch will be far less prone to damage on your non-dominant hand since it’s used less often the majority of the time.
On top of that, winding a watch is one of the most important and common aspects of owning a watch, and it is much easier to do when you wear your watch on your non-dominant hand: it makes the watch easy to take off and wind quickly with the crown.
What Wrist Should Men Wear Watches On?
It’s generally recommended to wear a watch on the non-dominant hand. If you’re a right-handed person, then it’s best to wear a watch on your left wrist, and if you’re a left-handed person, then it’s best to wear your watch on your right wrist. Wearing a watch on your non-dominant wrist makes it easier to wind with your dominant hand.
I’m a right-handed guy, so I wear my watches on my left wrist, which is the most ideal. When I wear my watch on my left wrist, I find it very easy to wind.
Since I use my right hand so much, it’s so easy to undo the clasp or buckle with it and wind the crown of the watch. For example, one day I was using my Breitling Wings watch for a family gathering, but I realized that I forgot to wind it that day.
So, I undid the watch clasp and winded the watch easily with my right hand. This just shows one of the benefits of wearing a watch on your non-dominant hand because it makes it much easier and faster to take off your watch and wind it.
Just recently, I tried winding my watch with my left hand and I have to say that it felt weird. It felt uncomfortable and I even started winding the watch backward at one point.
If you’ve ever wondered if winding a watch backward is bad for your watch, you can check out this in-depth article I wrote answering the question of whether winding a watch backward is a good idea or not by clicking right here.
Which Wrist Should A Woman Wear Her Watch?
For a woman, choosing which wrist to wear a watch on is the same as everyone else. It’s ideal to wear a watch on the non-dominant hand (left hand for right-handed people, and the right hand for left-handed people), which helps keep damage to a minimum.
Some watch enthusiasts and those just getting into the get confused and think that women have to wear their watch on a certain wrist, but it’s just not the case at all. Picking a wrist to wear your watch on for women is the same for men and everyone else in the world.
I asked my mother, Carmen, who owns several watches ranging from Rolex to Cartier but also having some more affordable brands, which wrist she prefers to wear her watches on and she says,
“I wear my watches on my left wrist. I’m a right-handed person, so it feels the most natural to wear it on my left wrist and it doesn’t get damaged as easily.”
-Carmen Agno
Once my mom said this to me, I totally related because that’s the exact way I feel about wearing my watches as well. It just feels the most comfortable to wear on my left wrist.
Which Wrist I Wear My Luxury Watch On
Personally, I wear my watch on my left hand since I’m a right-handed person. Wearing a watch on my left-hand feels the most comfortable and natural wrist to wear my watch on, and I found that it’s the best way to make my watch less prone to damage.
To test this, I just put my watch on my right wrist for just a minute. When I did this, it felt unnatural, and I could totally see myself really damaging the watch since I use my right hand so much for everyday tasks. For instance, I write pretty much every day with my right hand, which means that my watches can face a much higher risk of being scratched or damaged when if I were to ever wear it on my right wrist.
At the end of the day, you have the choice and power to wear your watch on either wrist you want that feels the most comfortable to you. Wearing a luxury watch should be, well, a luxury: wearing it should be a pleasure and a privilege so wearing it on the wrist that you want should be the main priority.
Nonetheless, it’s ideal to wear a watch on your non-dominant hand to lessen watch damage and to help wind your watch easier.