Ever since I can remember, I’ve been the guy with two watches. Over the years, I’ve had plenty of friends and colleagues asking about it, and now, I figure, it’s time to put my answers in one place.
Many people wonder why someone would choose to wear two watches. The truth is, I don’t have a definitive answer. Instead I have a couple of different responses that I like to give. Recently, my go-to response has been “To tell time twice as fast!” Other times, you may get, “So I never forget which wrist I’m wearing my watch on.”
For while my usual response was a bit more elaborate: My Apple Watch, being internet-connected, is synced with time-keeping servers, so it always gives the exact time on Earth. My Casio, on the other hand, is a stand-alone device, keeping time on its own. So, if I ever find myself in a time-travel mishap, near a black hole, or entangled in some other mind-bending relativity event, I always know the actual time and my personal elapsed time.
On very rare occasions, I meet another double-wrister. There is a sort of camaraderie among the time-telling doubly-equipped. Their reasons are usually more practical than mine. Some say they do it to keep track of two different time zones, others mention fashion, or wanting to make an impression. Although it’s not a common practice, there’s even a term for wearing two watches - ‘Schwarzkopfing.’ Named after U.S. General Norman Schwarzkopf, who needed to track time both where he was stationed and in Washington.
I fully recognize the absurdity of wearing two watches without a practical reason. One day, a younger me put on two watches and that was that - it became who I am. My name is Jack, I have blue eyes, brown hair, and I wear two watches. I continue to do it because it is a subtle quality that people know me for.
One reason I created this website was to paint a fuller picture of who I am than what a single-page resume or a short bio might offer. If you’ve landed on my website and want to learn more about me, I invite you to explore my photos, resume, and other blog posts. They should give you a decent insight into the life of someone who lives every second, twice.