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RECOMMENDED READING: Should you wear a watch when exercising? RECOMMENDED READING: Should you wear a watch when exercising?

RECOMMENDED READING: Should you wear a watch when exercising?

Nick Kenyon

If you love watches, you probably want to wear them all the time. The past CEO of The Swatch Group Nicolas Hayek was famous for wearing half-a-dozen watches at one time, and even if you aren’t quite that eccentric, you might still feel like you’re missing something when you don’t wear a watch. But this begs the question, should you wear a watch when exercising?

Nicholas Hayek - wear a watch when exercising
While not exercising in this image, Nicolas Hayek would probably wear a watch while at the gym. Image: pinterest.com.au

There are no hard and fast rules about mechanical watches and exercising, other than personal comfort, and potential damage to the watch. If you are comfortable wearing a watch while you exert yourself, and aren’t concerned about potentially breaking the timepiece, then go for it. If you are slightly more concerned, there are a couple of things you can consider.

Rafael Nadal Richard Mille wear a watch when exercising
The watch worn by Rafael Nadal while he plays is specifically designed to withstand the demands of tennis.

Risks to a watch could come from impacts, such as knocking it against a weight or jolting it up and down while running. It could also be at risk from moisture getting into the movement of the watch, an event that will reliably stop your watch from functioning any further. Despite these risks, however, there are still some watches that are suitable to be worn in the gym, which Chrono24 go into some detail about in their article here.