Unless you’re a watch aficionado or a young person with an old heart, you’re most likely not going to have a sundial watch tied around your wrist. It’s a millennial thing, they said. Watches used to be a sentimental accessory that our parents and the older generation would wear proudly. Some of these were passed on from one generation to another. But, as the world moved on, and smartphones took over our lives, the value we attached to watches faded away.
Also Read: Millennials are Not That Complicated. Period!
Back in school, I was only allowed to wear watches once I entered the 8th standard. As young kids, we would watch our seniors flaunt their G-shocks or Fastrack watches, hopelessly waiting for the day we could do the same. The idea of wearing watches in school was almost like an upgrade in life, the official entry to senior-dom and an invisible label of “don’t mess with me; I am a senior”. But when the Boards came knocking on our doors, reality struck and we knew why our teachers prompted us to wear watches – to keep track of time and prevent us from day-dreaming in the middle of an exam. Duh! The watch fad soon turned into a symbol of D-day (Board exams), and we slowly started to grow distanced from it. Phase 1 of ‘Watches ain’t that Cool Anymore’.
Phase 2 of ‘Watches ain’t that Cool Anymore’ begins when you bid goodbye to school life. The exit of school meant the entry of smartphones into our lives. A parting gift by our loved ones, and a tap in our back for passing the Boards. As millennials, our growth to adulthood came with the boom of social media. Some of us, though we may not admit it, were (and still are) addicted to scrolling through our social media feed just to feel that extra dose of a dopamine rush. In the middle of all of this chaotic social gratification, it’s our watches that took a back seat. When I talk about watches, I mean the ones without the word ‘smart’ attached to them. These sundial watches ended up inside our cupboards or shelves, where we wouldn’t bother scanning through throughout our life. The question – We have smartphones that show us the time. So, why bother about wearing a wristwatch? – started looming. Smartphones thus became a convenience to check the time. An easy way out.
Just a few years ago, we all begged and pleaded with our parents to get a fancy watch to show off in school. Not one of us thought that this incredible accessory would soon end up in pandora’s box. Today, with smart gadgets on the rise, the classic timepiece holds an ‘old is gold’ value, and thus, it is rare to see people adorn it on their wrists. You’d be lucky to find such souls on the planet now. And if you do spot them, the majority wear these watches out of nostalgia, or as a fashion accessory. That said, there are a few who wear watches for their practicality because it’s this accessory that makes you feel like living in the present.
Yes, smartphones and smartwatches have easily replaced the good ol’ timepiece. While the love for watches may soon die a hopeless death, we hope that there are some people who will keep their timeless value alive and running. No matter what you say, technology cannot be at par with the simple yet complicated structure of a watch that lasts generations.
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