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4 Reasons Why Military Wear Watches Inside Wrist

Have you ever noticed that military wear watches inside the wrist?

Military personnel look and interact with their watches more often than most civilians do.  Of course, they look at the watch in order to know the time.  However, they also look at their watches to synchronize their timekeeping with other members of their team, other teams, and even other branches of the military.

Military Personnel Wear Watch Inside Wrist. Military personnel in field with watch and using binoculars.
Military Personnel Wear Watches Inside Wrist

Also, they may be changing the time on their watches fairly often.  This is because military folks often move between time zones, sometimes cross the international date line, and switch between local time, the time at their home base or command center, and “Zulu” time.

What does any of that have to do with how military personnel wear watches?

Well, the following are the reasons why:

1. Minimizes Damage

Look at your wristwatch.

Chances are that the outer region, which is the face, bezel, crown, and the external surface of the band have more scratches, chips, stains, and tarnish compared to the interior of the band or the case back.

Military Watch on camo cloth. Military personnel wear watches inside their wrists for several reasons.
Military Watch. Wearing a watch inside your wrist protects it from damage.

When opening the door, moving past other people or objects, the upper side of the wrist is more exposed than the inner side.

This means that the watch is more prone to damage than when worn inside the wrist.

(See more: Best G Shock watches for military personnel)

Have you ever banged your watch on something?  The sound of damaging your watch in this way is also something to be avoided in some military circumstances.

2. Improves Rifle/ Gun Handling

Most military personnel are right-handed and this means that they will wear the watch on the left wrist.

To aim the firearm, you need to support with the left wrist.

If wearing a timepiece, chances are that it will come into contact with the rifle.

You won’t have a complete feel of the firearm and this may affect your aim.

Wearing it inside the wrist offers better handling and control.

Military Handling Guns wear watches inside wrist. Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/soldiersmediacenter/8182017400/ Infantrymen assigned to the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, stack before clearing and securing a building, one of the final tasks of Hammer Strike, a brigade level exercise conducted at the Udairi Range Complex near Camp Buehring, Kuwait,
Military handling guns. Infantrymen assigned to the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, stack before clearing and securing a building in an exercise conducted at the Udairi Range Complex near Camp Buehring, Kuwait.

3. Better Focus

When adorning a watch the normal way, you will subconsciously know that you have it.

Also, the large glaring face will always tempt you to keep looking at it.

However, by having it inside the wrist it is less noticeable.

This allows you to pay attention to the activity at hand. This is critical for the military.

In summary, you will only be checking your watch because you have decided to do so, not because you glanced down, saw your watch, and checked for that reason.

Military Watch Worn to Inside of Wrist
Military Watch Worn to Inside of Wrist

4. Minimizes Reflection

The glass or crystal face of your watch is probably highly reflective.  On bright and sunny days, or at night in artificial light, the reflection from a watch can be easy to notice.

It will have a sort-of-mirror reflection, which can easily give away your location especially if in a discreet setting.

Training yourself to wear it inside the wrist helps you to stay unidentifiable when you need to.

Conclusion

Other than the military, other people also do wear the watch inside the wrist.

This makes it easier to handle things, view time, minimize distraction, and reduce abrasion, bangs, and bumps.

Military Watches

Brand
Citizen Eco Drive
Citizen Eco Drive
Bulova
Casio G-Shock
Timex
Citizen Men's Eco-Drive Weekender Garrison Field Watch in...
Citizen Eco-Drive Garrison Quartz Men's Watch, Stainless...
Bulova Men's Military Heritage Hack Veteran's Watchmaking...
Casio Sports Watch Men's Stainless Steel Quartz with Strap...
Timex Men's T49961 "Expedition Scout" Watch with Nylon Band
Model
Citizen Men's Eco-Drive Weekender Garrison Field Watch in...
Citizen Eco-Drive Garrison Quartz Men's Watch, Stainless...
Bulova Men's Military Heritage Hack Veteran's Watchmaking...
Casio Sports Watch Men's Stainless Steel Quartz with Strap...
Timex Men's T49961 "Expedition Scout" Watch with Nylon Band
Model Number
BM8180-03E
AT0200-05E
96A259
GST-S100G-1BDR
T499619J
Men/Women
Unisex
Men's
Unisex
Men's
Unisex
Face
Black. Day-Date, Luminous hands, Arabic numerals,
Three-hand analog display with quartz movement, three sub-dials and date display window.; 1 second chronograph
Black with Luminous Arabic Numerals
Neobrite, double led light, world time, 31 time zones, second stopwatch
Black Dial with Arabic Numerals
Band
Green Nylon
Green Canvas
Green Canvas
Plastic
Green Nylon
Water Resistance Depth
100 meters
100 meters
30 meters
200 meters
50 meters
ASIN
B000EQS1JW
B000EQR6H0
B08JYLPSCK
B01KIKLVVS
B00HYUSWPE
Brand
Citizen Eco Drive
Citizen Men's Eco-Drive Weekender Garrison Field Watch in...
Model
Citizen Men's Eco-Drive Weekender Garrison Field Watch in...
Model Number
BM8180-03E
Men/Women
Unisex
Face
Black. Day-Date, Luminous hands, Arabic numerals,
Band
Green Nylon
Water Resistance Depth
100 meters
ASIN
B000EQS1JW
Brand
Citizen Eco Drive
Citizen Eco-Drive Garrison Quartz Men's Watch, Stainless...
Model
Citizen Eco-Drive Garrison Quartz Men's Watch, Stainless...
Model Number
AT0200-05E
Men/Women
Men's
Face
Three-hand analog display with quartz movement, three sub-dials and date display window.; 1 second chronograph
Band
Green Canvas
Water Resistance Depth
100 meters
ASIN
B000EQR6H0
Brand
Bulova
Bulova Men's Military Heritage Hack Veteran's Watchmaking...
Model
Bulova Men's Military Heritage Hack Veteran's Watchmaking...
Model Number
96A259
Men/Women
Unisex
Face
Black with Luminous Arabic Numerals
Band
Green Canvas
Water Resistance Depth
30 meters
ASIN
B08JYLPSCK
Brand
Casio G-Shock
Casio Sports Watch Men's Stainless Steel Quartz with Strap...
Model
Casio Sports Watch Men's Stainless Steel Quartz with Strap...
Model Number
GST-S100G-1BDR
Men/Women
Men's
Face
Neobrite, double led light, world time, 31 time zones, second stopwatch
Band
Plastic
Water Resistance Depth
200 meters
ASIN
B01KIKLVVS
Brand
Timex
Timex Men's T49961 "Expedition Scout" Watch with Nylon Band
Model
Timex Men's T49961 "Expedition Scout" Watch with Nylon Band
Model Number
T499619J
Men/Women
Unisex
Face
Black Dial with Arabic Numerals
Band
Green Nylon
Water Resistance Depth
50 meters
ASIN
B00HYUSWPE