In Detective Conan, Conan still clings to his analog wristwatch in the digital age. It’s more than just a gadget. Analog watches symbolize naturalness and tradition, and they reflect our instinctive nostalgia and desire for relaxation in our digital-filled modern world. Wristwatches have gone beyond timekeeping to become a symbol of fashion and sentimentality.
In the famous Japanese detective manga Detective Conan, Conan always wears a wristwatch. Conan’s watch hides a tranquilizer gun, which he uses to silence the Mouri Kogorou and solve the mystery instead. The comic strip has been around for over 20 years, and it’s clear that the creators wanted to reflect the changing times, with cell phones becoming smartphones and so on. But there’s one thing that hasn’t changed over the years, and that’s Conan’s wristwatch. Sure, a wristwatch is essential for using a tranquilizer gun, but why didn’t Conan replace it with a new design or technology?
In fact, we see men wearing analog wristwatches all around us, not just in comics. From luxury watches to ordinary ones, a surprising number of people still prefer analog watches. In the 21st century, with smartwatches, digital watches, smartphones, and other more convenient gadgets, why do men still insist on wearing analog watches?
Wristwatches aren’t as old as you might think. In the Middle Ages, sundials and water clocks told the time, and knowing the time was the privilege of the few. Bells were rung to announce the time to the masses, or the passage of time was guessed by following the movement of sunlight. It wasn’t until the 19th century that the watches we wear today were miniaturized and made portable. Watches became increasingly popular, and the oldest known wristwatch on record was worn by Napoleon I’s empress, Josephine de Beauregarde.
By the 20th century, wristwatches were well established. Until then, pocket watches were common, and wristwatches were only used by people with specialized purposes. As production techniques improved, watches became more accessible to more people, and nowadays, anyone can wear a wristwatch.
However, with the advent of digital watches and smartwatches, analog watches seemed to fade into obscurity for a while, but they’re still going strong. What makes people stick with analog watches?
An analog watch isn’t just a machine; it’s a visual symbol of the passage of time. Analog is natural, traditional, and a way to “physically” feel the passage of time. Even in an age where digital devices make everything “numerical” and efficient, analog watches gently show the passage of time with the movement of the hour and minute hands. Even though they don’t tell the time instantly and accurately like digital watches, there’s something about their naturalness that attracts people to them.
The modern world is full of digital devices. Our smartphones, computers, and even cars are all digitized, and as a result, we 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 in our busy lives and watch the second hand of a watch slowly tick away, we rediscover the charm of analog watches. It’s like escaping the hustle and bustle of the city and finding the tranquility of nature.
Maybe that’s why Conan always sticks to analog watches. Times have changed, but Conan’s wristwatch has not. Just like the timelessness of analog watches, people use them to connect the past to the present, to bridge the gap between tradition and modernity.
Wristwatches are more than just timepieces. It is a fashion item, but it also reflects people’s emotions and tastes. Especially among men, watches are considered one of the most important accessories alongside cars. In this regard, it’s noteworthy that analog watches continue to remain so popular.
In an age where digital technology has taken over everything, people often don’t realize that they’re surrounded by digital, but when it comes to wristwatches, they often remain analog. Perhaps this is a way for humans to fill a certain sense of loss in a digitized world. Nostalgia for the timeless, and the desire for something simpler and more intuitive, is encapsulated in a small tool: the analog watch.
Conan’s continued wearing of an analog watch can be thought of as an extension of this trend. In the digital age, the analog watch may be a symbol of our instinctive longing and regret. Digital has brought us convenience, but at the same time, it feels like we’ve lost something important. Perhaps it’s to fill that sense of loss that people wear analog watches on their wrists.
In this way, the wristwatch is more than just a mechanical object, and it remains a timeless part of our lives.
