How do you read your analog watch?

GoatDragon · **on:** September 01, 2018, 09:53:41 PM

When looking at the watch on your wrist, do you translate the position of the hands into numbers? Or do you just look at the hands and know the time with out translating it into digits in your head?

I have been wearing an analog watch for a while now, and for the longest time I would look at the hands and think to myself the time in "digital format". But lately I have stopped doing that and just "feel" the time, and am realizing it is much quicker. Of course if someone asks me what time it is I still have to translate it into digits to verbalize it, but if I am just checking for myself, the physical position of the hands is enough for me to know the time, even if I don't say the corresponding numbers to myself in my own head.

Mechanickal · **Reply #1 on:** September 01, 2018, 10:02:02 PM

Yes, I see the time instead of reading.
Seeing is faster then reading and does take some getting used to, like you noticed.
But it's a handy "skill" to have

Yadda · **Reply #2 on:** September 01, 2018, 10:16:22 PM

Quote from: GoatDragon on September 01, 2018, 09:53:41 PM

When looking at the watch on your wrist, do you translate the position of the hands into numbers? Or do you just look at the hands and know the time with out translating it into digits in your head?

I have been wearing an analog watch for a while now, and for the longest time I would look at the hands and think to myself the time in "digital format". But lately I have stopped doing that and just "feel" the time, and am realizing it is much quicker. Of course if someone asks me what time it is I still have to translate it into digits to verbalize it, but if I am just checking for myself, the physical position of the hands is enough for me to know the time, even if I don't say the corresponding numbers to myself in my own head.

I have both and wear them interchangeably. I started analog. I still round my time when giving the time from a digital watch.

Smashie · **Reply #3 on:** September 01, 2018, 10:40:42 PM

I don't read it, I glance and know what the time is.

I started analogue and then digital and they are completely interchangeable as far as I'm concerned

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #4 on:** October 18, 2018, 02:34:32 PM

I usually just glance at an analogue watch and know the time. If I have to think about it then I stumble a bit and go back to my grade school clock learning.

"Ok, the hour hand is just a little past the nine, and the little hand is near the 4 so that's 5, 10, 15 and one, two three so it's nine eighteen o'clock!"

Def

Steinar · **Reply #5 on:** October 18, 2018, 06:26:58 PM

Not having to "read" the time, but just "seeing" is usually me reason for choosing an analog watch. I've noticed people in their forties and older take this for granted, while many younger people, never having started with analog, don't know how much more efficient analog is.

Top-Gear-24 · **Reply #6 on:** October 18, 2018, 06:49:09 PM

Quote from: Steinar on October 18, 2018, 06:26:58 PM

Not having to "read" the time, but just "seeing" is usually me reason for choosing an analog watch. I've noticed people in their forties and older take this for granted, while many younger people, never having started with analog, don't know how much more efficient analog is.

Very true, after years of digital watches I got myself an analog G-Shock some time ago, and it immediately felt right ... so easy and quick to read the time. When I told the wife and kids how happy this analog watch made me, my oldest son (who also has an analog G-shock, be it a smaller one) said he never looks at the hour hands, he reads the time on one of the tiny digital screens on the dial, since he has to think too long when he tries to read the hour of the hour hands ...

When I asked him why he didn't buy a digital G-shock then, he said he just liked the look of the analog better ...

Anyway, after getting the analog G-shock I was once again hooked on analog time reading, so I got myself another analog G-Shock so I can switch watch from time to time ... (I also have a Seiko Black Monster, but this one only sees wrist-time when I have to go to something fancy well dressed ... which doesn't happen often

).

pfrsantos · **Reply #7 on:** October 30, 2018, 01:43:18 PM

I don't "read" the time but I know it as if I've read it. That's how natural it is to me. I have been carrying a digital watch lately but, when I look at the time, it immediately translates into a visual analog image in my head. Still trying to decide if that's good or bad...

MadPlumbarian · **Reply #8 on:** October 30, 2018, 07:45:37 PM

I’ve pretty much been digital for the past 10yrs but I want to go back to analog, either way I just look at the time and it just sinks, but then when someone asks me I gotta look at it again and think it over, cause if the time is 5:23, I gotta round it and say oh it’s 5:25..
JR

Don Pablo · **Reply #9 on:** October 30, 2018, 07:53:53 PM

I can usually read the time on a digital watch.

Valkie · **Reply #10 on:** November 01, 2018, 03:18:55 AM

Being an old F#$T, I was brought up with analogue watches and clocks.

My mind just sees the hands and knows the time.

Digital watches do require some thought to process, after all whats this 2.30? my mind says about 1/3 of an hour past 2

Or Ill see 2.50 and my mind says I've still got 1/2 hour until 3.00.

Perhaps im just a little strange, but thats it.

gerleatherberman · **Reply #11 on:** November 01, 2018, 07:03:49 AM

I have collected watches(early on it was more just acquisition) since I was in the third grade. Started with digital $1-store watches. Broke a bunch just taking them apart to see the guts. My grandfather, in 1998, gave my a 10yr battery Casio analog watch. And since I grew up in a house with a lot of antique clocks, I kind of knew how to read analog time pieces with minor efficiency.
Well, I never took that watch off. It stayed on 24/7, in the shower, when sleeping, at school, swimming, playing at home, cutting grass (how I made money as a kid), etc etc. I wore it for five years like that and I guess corrosion got to the stem seal and it fogged up, then stopped working. I then used some of my money to buy an Alpha automatic Speedway-clone ($79 at the time). I then started collecting watches I liked that had some inherent value as a time piece aor sentimental value.
It's been analog all the way for me since. I glance at the dial for a half second or so and my brain translates it.

ezdog · **Reply #12 on:** December 14, 2018, 10:43:28 PM

Quote from: Steinar on October 18, 2018, 06:26:58 PM

Not having to "read" the time, but just "seeing" is usually me reason for choosing an analog watch. I've noticed people in their forties and older take this for granted, while many younger people, never having started with analog, don't know how much more efficient analog is.

Exactly!

I first read this and wondered what the O.P. was talking about really?

Pretty much like driving a car with a Manual/Standard Tranny,it is just in there and I never really think about it.

Man do I feel old.

Mechanickal · **Reply #13 on:** December 14, 2018, 11:14:50 PM

*gniffel*

LoopCutter · **Reply #14 on:** December 15, 2018, 02:34:16 AM

Grew up with analog, wind up style on wrist, just like my dad's!

Moved to digital in mid 80s through 1999, then bought nice Citizens Eco Drive while in the Caribbean on a cruise.

Had no trouble just seeing the time either way. Even converting to 24 hour (military) time for my work reports since my entire career, 1973 on.

But now I have fun, a youngster ask the time, it is either 1410, or 10 after 2, or quarter after 1, or even half past the hour or 10 to.

They look at me and often ask, "what did you say?", then give same time in different format. Usually by third request, give them the digital, or they give up after second request.

Being old isn't all bad

Never really thought about how my mind was interpreting that watch face till reading this thread.

Have friend, his gun forum ID is three to four, his favorite hand gun caliber.