Ever worn a non working - with totally wrong time watch just for the "look"

[dks]

Over a decade ago I had to go somewhere in a suit and I wore an analogue watch, with a flat battery, to complement the overall business look.

Nobody asked me the time, and the meeting went well.(I had a phone to tell time)

I also  sometimes see in watch forums celebrities wearing expensive watches, with the wrong time (usually automatic/mechanical watches) as jewelry, with no intention of using them to tel time.

Anybody else ever did that? -Wore a non working/wrong time watch just to complete a look or as wrist jewelry?

[Smashie]

No I couldn't stand to see a watch not working, it's my own OCD, the same as I don't like patina. 

[Steinar]

I would have felt like a smurf if I did that. I sync watches with NTP, so I never use anything more than a few seconds away from correct time, and preferrable with sub-second accuracy. Wearing a watch that doesn't even work would strike me as utterly absurd. I can see the point of view where such things make sense, but I don't live or work in that world.

[metasyntax]

I don't have any watches classy enough to wear just for the looks. The only two watches I have that would do for this situation are $30 Timex things. The rest are all digital, the ruse would be more obvious.

[kkokkolis]

Yes, I did. I used my Raymond Weil when in suit, even with dead battery. But now I wear my Suunto Core and I don't care.
Watches aren't for time any more, we have cellphones and tablets for that. more or less, we wear them because we are used to.
OK, OK, some people use their watch for time. But, then, why they don't wear digital watches which have a more readable format and more functions and prefer this obsolete old timer analogue thing? It has to do with looks and what a watch symbolizes.

[Yadda]

A broken or dead analogue watch is correct at least twice a day.  Some only once if they have a day night feature.

[Fortytwo]

Yes, I did. I used my Raymond Weil when in suit, even with dead battery. But now I wear my Suunto Core and I don't care.
Watches aren't for time any more, we have cellphones and tablets for that. more or less, we wear them because we are used to.
OK, OK, some people use their watch for time. But, then, why they don't wear digital watches which have a more readable format and more functions and prefer this obsolete old timer analogue thing? It has to do with looks and what a watch symbolizes.

I still carry my analogue watch for the time. Analogue reads approximate time faster than digital but exact time slower I feel. I also factor in that it looks rather unsocial to take out your phone, sure, it looks like you're bored when checking your watch but taking out your phone looks like you have much more interesting things going on in social media.

[Fortytwo]

A broken or dead analogue watch is correct at least twice a day.  Some only once if they have a day night feature.

That's better than any other watch, they will always be at least fractions of seconds off.

[chrono]

Yes, I did. I used my Raymond Weil when in suit, even with dead battery. But now I wear my Suunto Core and I don't care.
Watches aren't for time any more, we have cellphones and tablets for that. more or less, we wear them because we are used to.
OK, OK, some people use their watch for time. But, then, why they don't wear digital watches which have a more readable format and more functions and prefer this obsolete old timer analogue thing? It has to do with looks and what a watch symbolizes.

I actually did not wear watches for a good 10+ years on regular basis until a few months ago. I am a CNC programmer, and frequently in the machine shop. I do not bring my phone with me in the shop, since I do not like the dirt and the smell of iron on it. Due to responsibility change, I have to be in and out of the shop more often, so the need for knowing time becomes more apparent. I have a bunch of Casio and a few Seiko kinetic watches. My daily go-to watch is my most expensive one, a Seiko premier kinetic (I think I paid $250+ for it).  So in my case, the rest of my attire (t-shirt + jeans + steel toe boots) do not compliment the watch I wear watches for enjoyment, not to fit in or stand out from the crowd.

[Tomcat_81]

I'm very peculiar with my edc and without my knife, my greenstone, ring, wallet and watch I feel strangely naked.
I simply love the solid feel of a watch, but would never carry a non-working one.
 
My phone on the other hand is not part of my real edc (I call it lovingly "the little sh*t") and couldn't replace an item as important as a working watch.
Every item I carry has its own character, a phone is just a phone to me.
Tomcat

[kaput]

Yes, I did. I used my Raymond Weil when in suit, even with dead battery. But now I wear my Suunto Core and I don't care.
Watches aren't for time any more, we have cellphones and tablets for that. more or less, we wear them because we are used to.
OK, OK, some people use their watch for time. But, then, why they don't wear digital watches which have a more readable format and more functions and prefer this obsolete old timer analogue thing? It has to do with looks and what a watch symbolizes.

I still carry my analogue watch for the time. Analogue reads approximate time faster than digital but exact time slower I feel. I also factor in that it looks rather unsocial to take out your phone, sure, it looks like you're bored when checking your watch but taking out your phone looks like you have much more interesting things going on in social media.

I agree fortytwo. Also it takes time to reach into pocket, possibly even have to set down what you're holding, then click the phone on, then put back into your pocket.

OR with the watch, you twist your wrist... Even with a tool in hand. Done deal. Watch 

And yes, I've worn a watch with dead battery. Same reason as OP. 

[Joe58]

I wore a watch before for three or four days straight, till finally someone asked me the time, and the watch was dead. So I've no idea how long I walked around with a dead watch. Back in the good old days when it didn't really matter what time it was. And never bothered to take it off for washing up or anything. Old Seiko dive watch. No idea whatever happened to it.

Now, as already mentioned, I don't have any watches that would much impress anybody either. But I do like wearing a watch. Analog. Just looks "right" to me.

[gregozedobe]

No.  I wear a (digital) watch to tell the time.  I don't care about appearances, and even if I did I just couldn't bring myself to put on a watch that I knew wasn't working.  But as the saying goes, "different strokes for different folks".

[jerseydevil]

No.  I wear a (digital) watch to tell the time.  I don't care about appearances, and even if I did I just couldn't bring myself to put on a watch that I knew wasn't working.  But as the saying goes, "different strokes for different folks".

Exactly. I wear a digital or analog watch all the time. A non-working one would be useless to me.

[PTRSAK]

I wore the gold TAG Heuer I used to have for an indeterminate length of time before I realised it was suffering from a dead battery.
Made me think about how little I relied on a watch for the time.
But I don't think I would do it on purpose.

[Poncho65]

Don't think I have ever worn a watch on purpose that didn't run I wear a cheap carabiner watch that is analog mainly for durability over a digital one I have broken a few while laying block and setting the block on my leg to put a head joint on it before putting it in the wall and next thing I know the face is broken Digital watches fair even worse when that happens

The best carabiner watch I ever had came with my LM Blast and I loved that watch and carried it for over three years before it finally gave up The next best one was a Craftsman branded Fossil watch that was about $20 and it lasted a very similar amount of time but these days the $10 Wal-Mart clip on watch does the job I usually get rid of the clip it comes with  and replace it with another carabiner that I have

[dks]

I got thinking about people that wear baesball hats, in the car, at night, people that were hats going to various functions, again at night, neckties,even wearing a shirt at an interview, or wearing nice shoes with dress trousers, even women carrying huge handbags.

These are in most cases unnecessary. Does the tie hold your shirt together?  Do you need to keep your head warm with a hat/cap?

I am not just talking  about expensive/decorated/fancy watches, but even when people wear working watches do they really need all the size/function/design elements? If you choose a watch based on its looks/style/bragging factor TOO, then part of its purpose is to make you look and feel good, all the time, or at certain situations.

[Steinar]

I personally wear knives much more for feelgood reasons than what I do when it comes to clothes or watches, I suspect.

I need clothes to stay warm and avoid being arrested for indecency. I don't need several knives in EDC rotation.

[Poncho65]

I got thinking about people that wear baesball hats, in the car, at night, people that were hats going to various functions, again at night, neckties,even wearing a shirt at an interview, or wearing nice shoes with dress trousers, even women carrying huge handbags.

These are in most cases unnecessary. Does the tie hold your shirt together?  Do you need to keep your head warm with a hat/cap?

I am not just talking  about expensive/decorated/fancy watches, but even when people wear working watches do they really need all the size/function/design elements? If you choose a watch based on its looks/style/bragging factor TOO, then part of its purpose is to make you look and feel good, all the time, or at certain situations.

I do wear ballcaps most of the time (when not having to wear a hard hat at work) but it usually has a purpose as a sunshade for my eyes while driving and I do take it off sometimes when not needed but I do see your point a lot of things we wear or carry is for fashion or comfort rather than function

[Chako]

In my profession, I live by my watch. So much so, I made sure to get one that synchronizes automatically with the regional atomic clock signal. I dare say, my watch is more accurate than that which runs the school I work in.

With that said, I could never wear a watch that doesn't work. I do feel naked without one however...but it most certainly has to work as I am constantly checking my watch.

[ToolJoe]

Sometimes in the colder months, I have numerous layers on and can't pull my watch out to glance at it so I use the hourly chime and just listen for it.

[dks]

Done

[Grant Lamontagne]

I think if it was a last minute thing and I felt a watch might complete the image I might, but as a general rule, no.  By last minute I mean, I am ready to walk out the door and I notice the watch is dead.  As you can see from most of my pictures though, I rarely give much thought to my appearance, so I doubt I would worry too much about "looks" and wear a watch though, so even in that case probably not.

However if I noticed en route or during the event that my watch was dead I would still wear it, simply because taking it off would increase the chances of it getting lost and I would really hate that.

Def

[Ray S]

Don't recall ever wearing a non-working watch although sometimes they will spontaneously expire while I am wearing them.One of my self winding watches has a nasty habit of doing that on occasion. I think the rotor is sticking a bit.
I actually prefer a wind watch to an automatic or a battery operated one. My Breitling Navitimer is a remarkably accurate wind watch and I like to wear it often but unfortunately it is not water-resistant.
Wearing a non working watch purely for show is akin to putting hubcaps on your car that look like mag wheels.