In this blog post, we will look at the reasons why people still insist on analog watches in an age where digital technology has become commonplace, and the emotions and meanings behind them.
In the famous Japanese detective manga Detective Conan, Conan always wears a wristwatch. Conan’s wristwatch has a hidden tranquilizer gun, which he uses to subdue Mouri Kogoro and conduct his own investigation instead. As the comic series has been running for over 20 years, the artist’s intention to reflect the changes of the times, such as the transition from cell phones to smartphones, can be seen. However, there is one thing that has not changed over the years, and that is Conan’s wristwatch. Of course, a wristwatch is essential for using a tranquilizer gun, but why hasn’t Conan replaced it with a new design or technology?
In fact, you can easily find men wearing analog wristwatches not only in cartoons but also in our surroundings. From luxury watches to ordinary watches, surprisingly many people still prefer analog watches. Now that there are more convenient devices such as smartwatches, digital watches, and smartphones in the 21st century, why do men insist on analog watches?
It wasn’t that long ago that we started using wristwatches. In the Middle Ages, people could tell the time using sundials and water clocks, and knowing the time was a privilege of the few. To let the public know the time, people used to ring bells or guess the time by following the movement of the sun. It was not until the 19th century that watches became small enough to be worn on the wrist, and they developed into watches that people could carry around. As such, watches gradually became more popular, and the oldest known wristwatch is said to have been worn by Empress Josephine de Beauharnais of Napoleon I.
By the 20th century, wristwatches had become popular. Until then, pocket watches were the norm, and wristwatches were only used by people with special purposes. As production technology developed, watches became more accessible to a wider range of people, and today, anyone can easily wear a wristwatch.
However, with the development of technology, digital watches and smartwatches have emerged, and analog watches seemed to have faded for a while. Nevertheless, analog watches are still firmly in place. What makes people stick to analog watches?
An analog watch is not just a simple machine. It is a symbol that visually represents the passage of time. Analog is a natural and traditional thing, and a tool that makes you feel the passage of time ‘physically’. Even in an era where digital devices ‘digitize’ and efficiently show everything, analog watches gently show the passage of time with the movement of the hour and minute hands. Although they do not provide instant and accurate time like digital watches, the “naturalness” contained within them attracts people.
Modern society is full of digital devices. Everything from our smartphones, computers, and even cars have become digitalized, and as a result, we have come to live a fast-paced life. However, in this fast-paced life, people sometimes miss the slow and steady rhythm of analog. For example, when we stop time for a moment in our busy lives and watch the second hand of a clock slowly tick, we rediscover the charm of analog clocks. It’s like escaping from the hustle and bustle of the city and finding the tranquility of nature.
It may be that Conan’s constant adherence to analog watches is in line with this context. Times may change, but Conan’s wristwatches remain the same. Just as analog watches have an eternal quality, people connect the past and the present, and the traditional and the modern, through analog watches.
A wristwatch is more than just a watch. It plays a major role as a fashion item, but behind it, people’s emotions and tastes are reflected. In particular, watches are considered a representative accessory among men, along with cars. In this respect, it is worth noting that analog watches continue to maintain their high popularity.
In an age where digital technology has taken over everything, people often do not realize that they are surrounded by digital technology. However, the wristwatch is often still analog. This may be an act to fill the “sense of loss” that humans feel in a digitalized world. The nostalgia for something that does not change over time and the desire for something simpler and more intuitive are contained in a small tool called an analog watch.
The reason why Conan continues to wear an analog watch can also be considered as an extension of this trend. Analog watches that remain in the digital age may be a symbol of human instinctive desire and regret. Digital technology has brought convenience, but at the same time, it feels like something important has been lost. Perhaps people wear analog watches on their wrists to fill that sense of loss?
As such, the wristwatch is more than just a simple machine, and it remains a timeless presence in the lives of modern people.
