December 19, 2005
Will cell phones replace watches? Time will tell
For more than a century, watches have been an indispensable part of American life; they have helped the masses report to work on time, they have become icons of status and style. But many young people consider them as obsolete as sundials. For them, cell phones are the new watches. [via The St Petersburg Times],
"Wristwatch sales for all companies have been flat nationwide since 2001, said Jim Katz, spokesman for Timex, which reportedly sells 30-million watches a year.
While Katz said there is "no indication" that cell phones are responsible for flat sales, he acknowledged the industry is closely monitoring the cell phone-watch phenomenon.
But ask 15-year-old Jaynee Rodgers why she doesn't wear a watch, and the reason is clear: "I don't see the need for one, because I've always got my cell."
She was sitting at a table last week outside a downtown St. Petersburg Starbucks with two friends who also carry cell phones and don't wear watches."
What would it take to get them to wear a watch?
"If they ran out of cell phones," said Steven Taaffe, 17, a senior at St. Petersburg High School.
Related articles:
-- Watchmakers cast nervous eye on mobile phone challenge
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