If there is one thing that my over-the-top Southern grandmother has always stuck true to, it is that she prefers form over function almost every time. Layers of necklaces and bracelets when heading to play tennis? Lipstick reapplied between bites at lunch? Heels worn on a day touring a city? Yes, yes, and yes. 

Therefore, when the emergence of fitness-tracking watches came into the fold years ago, I already knew her opinion on the matter, especially when people chose to wear them even to occasions such as weddings and parties. To put it lightly, she was not a fan. 

Now, with the resurgence of traditional timepieces in 2025, I’m happy to see the pendulum swinging slightly back towards “form over function,” even if classic watches are still wholly functional in their own way. (Just not at tracking your steps.) 

Turns out, our mothers and grandmothers did know best. It’s time to add a real watch back into your accessories.

Looking Back on Women’s Timepieces

Women have been opting to wear timepieces for more than two centuries, whether it was strapped to a chain or brooch, or donned on the wrist. It started out, of course, as a functional way to tell the time. Then, it became a full-on fashion accessory that could be as simple or grand as desired. 

From high-end to affordable, watches have been a staple piece on many women’s wrists up until around the past two decades, when technology replaced the necessity and women’s fashion seemed to leave timepieces behind. However, until then, watches were both an everyday piece of jewelry—worn by many as often as their wedding rings—and also an investment that got a major return on cost-per-wear over time. Often, women would wear the same watch for years, so why did the younger generations ever stop?

Classic Watches Are Back 

The era of timepieces has been hinting at coming back for the past few years, mostly for fashionable reasons; but I feel that nostalgia and the idea of timeless style also has something to do with it. A watch has always been a very personal item, and it remains a steadfast wardrobe piece for years. My grandmother never stopped wearing her traditional watch, and it makes me feel more put-together to wear one in lieu of a tech-savvy alternative. 

While I can understand those who actually need to track their health via a fitness watch, or have goals that fitness watches help them track, it could be considered a compromise to also invest in a traditional watch to wear day-to-day—and reserving a fitness watch for monitoring workouts. 

Timepieces can last you years and repay you with their elegance, functionality, and nostalgia for your mother’s jewelry box. I’d say that is reason enough to consider retiring your fitness watch, at least sometimes.