Why Men Stopped Wearing Pocket Watches

About this video

Centeno traces the history of pocket watches from their origins as luxury status symbols to their decline in the early 20th century. He explains how World War I military adoption of wristwatches, combined with functional advantages, fashion trends, and the disappearance of the waistcoat, led to the pocket watch’s replacement by the wristwatch as the dominant timepiece for men.

Key takeaways

• Centeno argues that the 1917 British War Office decision to issue wristwatches to soldiers marked the pivotal moment that doomed the pocket watch, as soldiers continued wearing wristwatches after returning home.
• Centeno identifies three factors in the pocket watch’s decline: function (wristwatches proved more practical in daily use and warfare), fashion (wristwatches became a status symbol and social trend among men), and the fall of the waistcoat (the garment that traditionally housed pocket watches).
• Centeno contends that while pocket watches may experience niche revivals among certain subcultures, mass adoption is unlikely because the wristwatch remains the superior solution for timekeeping.

Episode details: published December 22, 2022 · 324K views · 21:25 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. The style advice summarized here is Antonio Centeno’s own teaching and opinion, presented for education; product recommendations are his, not ours. Summaries are written by Self Growth Videos from each video itself.

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