The watch wearer can often obtain the information without opening an entire digital world.
This does not make one person better than the other.
It simply demonstrates that the tools we use can influence our relationship with information.
A wristwatch can provide a small boundary between checking the time and checking everything else.
The Wristwatch and Attention
Attention has become one of the most valuable resources in modern life.
Digital devices are designed to attract attention. A person may pick up a smartphone to check the time and immediately encounter messages, notifications, social media updates, emails, or news.
The watch offers an alternative.
Look.
Read.
Move on.
For some people, that simplicity is precisely the attraction.
A wristwatch can perform one task extremely well without demanding additional attention.
This is particularly interesting in an age when people are increasingly aware of how much time they spend looking at screens.
The Watch as a Personal Record
A wristwatch can also become part of someone’s personal history.
