65 million years ago we said goodbye to the dinosaur (give or take a million or so).

Thousands of years ago we said goodbye to caves as we learned to build houses.

Almost a hundred years ago we said goodbye to the horse drawn carriages as automobiles were becoming more and more common.

Thirty years ago we said goodbye to BETA tapes.

Fifteen years ago we said goodbye to the typewriter.

 

Today we thank the watch for it’s many years of service and wave a fond farewell as it joins the ranks mentioned above.

 

The other day I was walking in the mall and realized my cell phone was out of power.  I was supposed to be meeting a friend for lunch and needed to know the time.  There was a grandfather and his grandson sitting at the food court and I asked them if they had the time.

 

The grandfather looked at his wrist and checked the time on his wristwatch.  The grandson pulled out his cell phone and checked the time on there.  I was struck by the fact that the kid not only did not wear a watch but in reality no longer had a need for one.

 

I realized I had some time before meeting my friend so I thanked them both and started walking through the mall looking at people’s wrists. 

 

I soon noticed that almost no one under fifty years of age or so was wearing a watch.  Many people had cell phones clipped to their belts or in their pockets.  Most of the older adults still wore watches and there was a small percentage of Generation X who had both a cell phone and a watch.

 

So I started to do a little research and walked into various stores.  My first step was a Russell Korman Jewelers where I spoke with Nina a sales associate.  Here is what she said “I believe when most younger people get a watch these days its as a gift for a major event such as high school graduation. We sell high end watches here and most young adults don't have $2000.00 to spend on a watch. As they get a little older and start their professional life there is more need, but with technology I agree it is just easier to carry a cell phone.”

 

Joel Simon the Manager at Austin Watch and Jewelry said “Quite a few college age customers still shop for watches but fewer than in previous years. I am surprised at the number of young professionals who are willing to spend quite a bit on a nice watch.”

 

Sarah a Manager at Precision Watch and Jewelry stated: “most younger people these days don't even know what a mechanical watch is.”

 

That took care of the more expensive watches, but what about the everyday watches we wear or the ones we buy our kids so that they know when it is time to come home from a friends house?

 

I went to a local Walmart and went to the Jewelry section.  I spoke with the sales person there and they said that they have ordered less and less watches for their stock and that it is rare for someone to purchase a watch over a cell phone.

 

As I was driving back to my office I looked at my dashboard and saw that the time was displayed right in front of me.  No need to look at a watch while I was in the car.  I got to my office and on the bottom of my computer monitor the time was displayed.  I walked into our meeting room and there was a wall clock with the time. 

 

I went home and looked in my nightstand and there were three watches all out of power and none of them had been touched since I started to carry a cell phone full time.

 

I closed my drawer and wondered how long I would hold onto them before finally tossing them into the garbage to join my tape deck player and MC Hammer pants. 

 

So there we have it.  Evolution has once again crept up on us and claimed another victim.  If you do currently wear a watch enjoy it while you can.  If you are like me and have them in a junk drawer maybe pull them out and think of the fond times you had together.  Perhaps hold onto one so you can show the next generation what a watch was and how it’s only function was to tell time.