Time by Hand or by Digit?

I’ve been thinking lately about how we tell time — and how the tools we choose shape our relationship to it.

Most of us now live in a world of digital precision. Phones, computers, microwaves, and even toasters flash the hour down to the minute. But on my wrist, despite being a small slab of modernity, my Apple Watch displays time the old-fashioned way. I use the Metropolitan face, perhaps the most traditional of the analog options available. Simple hands circling the dial, no numbers, no clutter. Just time as a motion, as a rhythm.

I prefer analog time.

I like that it encourages estimation. With an analog face, I say things like “ten till” or “a quarter past” instead of 4:47 or 3:16. It’s a gentler, more human way to relate to time. The truth is, most of the time we don’t need to know the exact minute. We’re rarely operating on the kind of schedule that demands the kind of specificity a digital display encourages.

There’s also something about the sweep of the second hand that gives a sense of motion, of time as flow. Digital time feels chopped up, discrete. Analog feels like it’s happening.

I've talked with @ericvancewalton of the love of wristwatches before, so perhaps of anyone reading this, he might understand my points on this matter.

That same preference shows up in other areas of my life as well. I favor analog tools. As many of you know, I write with fountain pens, often drafting Hive posts longhand in my notebook before transferring them over to the computer. This isn't because I’m a luddite, but because I enjoy the experience. There’s feedback, drag, motion — something that feels more like writing than tapping a keyboard.

For additional old-school charm, I always write in cursive. This isn’t entirely for aesthetics — it’s simply that cursive is easier than print to write with a fountain pen (which is the opposite of how ballpoints behave, and one of the reasons cursive fell out of favor in the West. But I digress. I've written about this point many times, so go through my history if you are interested in the argument.)^[1]

To be fair, digital has its place. It’s fast, exact, and readable at a glance. When I need to set a timer or log time for a task, digital is hard to beat. But when it comes to my daily rhythm, I find analog more… humane.

How about you? Do you prefer analog or digital time? And do you find your preference reflects anything else about how you approach life?

1. Interestingly, text detection on modern Macs is so good that if I take a photo of my writing, it can almost perfectly transcribe what I wrote, despite it being cursive — and not expecially well-written cursive. This saves me a lot of time when moving my writing to computer! ↩