The strange reason why men are wearing broken watches

Wearing a sleek watch isn’t just about donning a fashionable accessory to complete an equally chic outfit.

It’s also about having a practical device close at hand that will help you keep track of the time as you go about your day… right?

Well, there’s now a trend among watch collectors to purchase stylish timepieces that don’t actually work, making them void of any useful function altogether

So, what is the point of wearing a watch that, to put it frankly, is broken?

According to The Wall Street Journal, it’s all about prioritizing style over substance.

Men’s fashion editor Jacob Gallagher explains that men who follow this trend may have been inspired by artist Andy Warhol, who often wore a Cartier Tank watch that didn’t tell the correct time.

“I don’t wear a Tank watch to tell the time,” Warhol stated in 1973. “Actually I never even wind it. I wear a Tank because it is the watch to wear!”

While some may view the practice of wearing an inoperative watch as strange, others would argue that there is logic in keeping up appearances.

Stephen Viscusi, author of On the Job: How to Make it in the Real World of Work, is of the opinion that wearing a wristwatch could be a make or break decision when applying for a job.

“My advice to you millennials who use your phones as timepieces is simple: cut it out! Go buy a wristwatch!” Viscusi wrote for Huffington Post.


“It may be a gimmick, but believe me, it will separate you from everyone else your own age interviewing for the same job.”

While the notion of wearing a luxurious wristwatch may not be feasible for those unwilling to dish out thousands of pounds on a gadget that has no function, others may work around this by renting watches for a fraction of the price.