Do you wear your nicer watches when doing physical activity or wear a beater?

My "nicer" watches are tool watches, so they get worn pretty much anywhere and everywhere.

If I encounter a situation where the watch, or strap is likely to get damaged, I just take my watch off. If I'm operating a jackhammer, or ground compactor, I don't need a watch on my wrist... Even if I wore one I wouldn't be able to read it.

I don't subject my nicer watches (everything I own cost less than $400) to conditions where they might be damaged enough to have to be replaced because I can't afford to replace them.

I might tailor what I wear to what I expect to encounter. (Field vs some type of timing bezel) Or use one with a specific function for an activity, ie a Protrek/G-Shock for a workout vs an automatic.

But for general use throughout the day, whatever is on my wrist gets worn in that moment, for that activity. Whether that moment is yard work, cleaning the kitchen, range work, golf, workouts, etc. If I'm traveling sometimes I only go with one watch for fun. Doing a ruck or hard PT sesh with an automatic feels fun in its own way. Plus if I really needed a timer or something my phone's right there.

Don't own any luxury brands. But I have worn everything from an EB Holton, Lorier Neptune, or Orient Mako Gen I to a $40 Casio doing all kinds of tool-ish activities for work and play.

Depends on the activity but wearing a watch might actually be dangerous.

I wear a garmin fitness tracker, which has now got a few marks on it

This varies greatly - but in general if it's any of sort strenuous high G-force activity or includes vibrations (like golfing, even though I don't golf, I do swing a bat every now and then, and I also ride motorcycles) I'd never wear a watch in those scenarios other than say, my Casio Triple Sensor or my G-Shock. Even then, I'd likely spare the Triple Sensor as it's too rare nowadays (early 2000s full titanium case and bracelet)

I don't work out with any of my watches - but if I had to wear something, I'd say my Apple watch but purely for fitness tracking.

But again, this is all subjective - it really depends on the person, the watch/es they may own, their disposable income, the sentimental value and rarity (and therefore the possibility of ever being able to replace something that's basically 1 of 1 to THEM) etc. etc. you get the idea 😀

My Willard & quartz Aqua Terra are my "beaters", the Seiko for owt physical and the Omega for the vibrations on my Triumph 1200.

I normally don't wear a watch while performing activities where it could get caught, such as automotive repairs mentioned above. Otherwise my G-Shock for running, hiking, kayaking, etc.

I really don't think there is a need to bang up your nicer watches unnecessarily.

Beater waterproof quartz watch on a Velcro strap. So comfortable and light - and no tears and low bucks if it gets a terminal knock.

After buying the Hirsch James i don’t fear of destroying the watch or the band doing my normal daily tasks like washing the dishes, walking the dog etc, so wearing my Murph is not an issue 😎

I work around a lot of heavy machinery and bump my wrist against it often. So like Mr. Rodgers, I change my watch of the day to my casio at the start of my day and back to the watch of my choice at the end.

I have 4 watches (of my 7-watch collection) that I consider "sports" watches, i.e., watches that I can wear while doing outdoor activities. The other 3 watches are what I consider to be dress watches. (Dress: Marc Ecko "Oz", Stuhrling Raceway, and Tissot Classic Dream.)

The 4 sports watches are: Invicta Sub-Aqua, Invicta Grand Diver, Casio Duro, and Casio SGW-100. I would hesitate to call them "beaters," because the term implies that I don't care if they get beat up. Quite the opposite. Even while performing "rugged" tasks outdoors, I try to be careful with my watches. Yes, they can take a beating, but why beat them up on purpose?

As it stands, I have been spending the last few weekends trying to clean out my super-cluttered garage, so that we can move into our new house in May. Out of the 4 cleaning sessions so far, I've worn the Sub-Aqua twice, and the Duro once. On the session where I was wearing the Duro, I actually found the Casio SGW-100 in the contents of a box I was sorting through. By the following weekend, when the next session came around, I had a battery in the SGW-100, so I wore it for that (the most recent) garage session. And I am happy to report that none of my watches suffered even the slightest scratch during all that shifting, lifting, boxing, sorting, cleaning, loading, sweeping, and organizing. 😎

I exclusively where my vintage omega constellation when I’m clean the house or the car!

Beater or an apple watch

Digitals are the only ones that will survive hammering and shovel digging.

I have “work watches” but I wear all my watches to work. If I anticipate a rough work day, I’ll wear one of those work watches.

Any time there is a near certainty of damage, I take the watch off.