Farmwork, such as raising crops and livestock, is one of the most rewarding things a person can undertake. However, it is not the most ‘neat’ job out there, with your hands getting dirty pretty much all the time. Should you wear a watch to work on farms?
You can wear a watch to work on farms. The watch needs to be water-resistant, have a smooth surface, and have waterproof straps for easy cleaning. The watch should also be cheap to replace if you break it and have quartz movement as it handles shock better. In short, a beater watch.
We further outline why or not to wear a watch to work on farms below. We also looked at the qualities of an excellent watch for farmhands.
We also suggested several watches we think are great for farm work, just in case you are searching for one.
Why Wear A Watch To Work On Farms
You should wear a watch to work on farms since you still need to tell time, and clocks are not available everywhere. Your hands might not be cleaned enough to reach out to your phone. You also might be so used to wearing a watch that you just want to have it on.
You Still Need To Tell Time
Farm work. You, the field, the livestock, open skies… and no clocks. That is the biggest issue that farmhands will face at work, as there’s no clock to help them tell time.
This is why you still need to wear a watch to work on farms. If you ever need to tell time, just flick your wrist, and you are good. You do not have to walk back to your truck to check the clock or ask another farmhand for the time.
Some farm work, such as mixing fertilizer, might require a degree of timing precision, which you can calculate easily by looking at your watch.
You Are Used To It
Some people are so used to having something strapped to their wrist that they feel ‘naked and cold’ when there’s no wrist candy. Some are also used to the weight, and without it, their hand feels funny and ‘lighter.’
If you are one of these people, you are certainly ok. There is no problem with this. Feel free to strap on a watch and get on with the work at the farm.
Why Not To Wear A Watch To Work On Farms
People choose not to wear a watch to work on farms as they worry about getting sweat, grime, and dirt on their watch. Their watch might also pick up scratches and nicks along the way. The watch may be exposed to shocks and vibration, affecting its accuracy.
Sweat, Grime, And Dirt
Farm work is no office work. You engage in physical labor all day, such as walking, lifting, and carrying. You will sweat heavily.
Sweat also mixes with dead skin. They are then picked up by the watch and, after a while, become a sticky substance on the watch surface, which we call grime.
You will also be exposed to the environment while doing farm work. Soil, fertilizer, animal fluids such as saliva, etc.
There are all potential contaminants that may ruin your watch, so some farm hands stay away from wearing watches at work.
Scratches and nicks
Throughout farm work, you will be handling machinery, engaging in physical work, and reaching out to places when you might not see where your hands are going.
Suppose you wear a watch to work on farms. In that case, you will have plenty of ‘perfect opportunities’ to introduce some scratches and nicks to your watch. This is more likely if your watch has hard surfaces such as stainless steel.
Some people are unwilling to scratch up their watch, so they leave them at home and forgo the chance to wear a watch to work on farms.
Shocks and vibration
If you wear a watch to work on farms, you will also introduce a lot of shocks and vibrations to your watch. As you engage in farm work, you will carry and drop heavy stuff and hold onto vibrating things such as a tractor steering wheel.
Not all watches can handle these well. For example, automatic watches will struggle to keep time correctly if frequently shocked, as their delicate balance wheel might be disturbed when shocked. The accuracy may suffer, and your watch may gain or lose time.
What Makes A Great Watch For Farmwork?
A watch suitable for farm work needs to have water resistance. It should also have a smooth surface for easy cleaning. The straps also need to be waterproof and tear-resistant. A softer material for watch casing helps to manage scratches. Quartz movement will help to manage shocks better.
Water resistance
You might not need the water-resistance of a deep ocean diver, but some degree of water resistance is needed for a watch to survive farm work.
This is because farm work involves frequently having your hands in water and fluids. For example, cleaning pens or soaking hay.
Waterproof and Tearproof Straps
If you wear a watch to work at farms, you will be immersing your hands in water or some fluid as you engage in farm work. If you are to wear a watch to work on farms, you want a waterproof strap.
A water-absorbent strap such as leather, canvas, or cloth will be wet upon contact with water and stay wet all day. It would be uncomfortable for you and, on cold mornings, possible torture as well.
They may pick up sweat and grime and eventually become smelly and uncomfortable to wear.
Your watch strap also needs to be sturdy and tearproof, as you will be engaging in strenuous physical labor that may stress your strap. Metal bracelets are a bad idea since the links may break or bend under stress.
Perhaps straps made from resin or synthetic rubber such as silicone and polyurethane are suitable for farm work. These straps are waterproof and tearproof.
Soft But Sturdy Case
The watch case should be sturdy to handle the impact and shock to handle and deal with scratches and nicks.
At the same time, the case should have a degree of softness that allows it to take on scratches and direct impact without leaving ‘scars.’
A full stainless steel case would not be able to do this. Perhaps a silicone or resin-based watch case would be better.
Quartz
Vibration and shock may negatively affect performance and accuracy, especially automatic movement. This is due to the delicate mechanical parts in automatic watches. They may malfunction if shocked repeatedly.
Quartz watches rely more on electronic systems to keep time and have fewer moving parts than an automatic movement. This means they are less susceptible to shocks.
Smooth surface
A watch with a smooth surface is less likely to pick up dirt, sweat, and grime. This is because it does not have too many folds or crevices of holes that trap them.
As a result, the watch would be easier to clean as well. Perhaps a simple hose down is all it needs to be cleaned up after a day’s work.
If you are going to wear a watch to work at farms, consider watches with smooth cases and straps. Stay away from bracelets, for example, as they have a lot of folds and holes that make cleaning difficult.
Affordable, Beater Watch
If you wear a watch to work at farms, you will basically put your watch on a hard life. You will expose your watch to shocks, water, and vibration daily.
No matter how solid and sturdy a watch is, eventually, it will give in to these tortures and cease to do its job well.
This is why you should consider getting a sturdy and affordable watch for farm work – a beater, essentially. If they break, you just discard them away and buy another cheap beater to take over.
Best Affordable Watches For Farm Hands
If you are going to wear a watch to work on farms and are in the market for a sturdy beater watch, we suggest the watches down here.
They are rugged, easy to clean, and affordable, with none over $100.
Casio W-217H-1AVCF
This is a great beater watch at the right price that you would not care too much about ‘punishing’ it.
It is small, quartz, and has a soft and waterproof case made of resin. The strap is also made of resin for waterproofing. The whole watch should be sturdy enough to handle farm work yet easy enough to clean.
Casio W-218H-1AVCF
If you want something less spartan and a chunkier presence on your wrist, this model should get the job done. It is not a G-shock, meaning it does not come with deep water resistance and shock absorbers, but it is much cheaper.
Which makes this a perfect beater. The watch is also in an all-resin case and strap for easy cleaning and perfect scratch and tear resistance.
Timex Ironman Essential 30
If you like a watch with a modern and minimal look, then this watch might work. The watch is also more oversized, which will fit a larger wrist just fine.
The watch has a smooth surface with a silicone casing and strap. The silicone strap extends and wraps the watch, giving it an all-silicone external surface. The watch is waterproof and easy to clean as a result.
This surface will also ensure the watch does not pick up scratches and knicks easily.
Armitron 40/8447
This watch is small and features an all-resin case for excellent scratch resistance. Quartz movement reduces the likelihood of shock, reducing timekeeping accuracy.
The strap is silicone, which is softer than resin. If you dislike the hardness of resin straps, then silicone straps would be a better choice for you. The overall smooth surface of the watch also helps with cleaning.
Casio G-Shock DW5600
Most G-Shock may have too many folds and crevices, making them prone to pick up dirt. This model is probably the one with the smoothest surface.
Comes with an entire resin case and strap for waterproofing and easy cleaning. It runs a quartz movement with shock-resistant technology, further protecting it. The digital screen is small and is surrounded by a resin bezel for protection.