Dear Rabbi Simon
Can you let me know if wristwatches are allowed? Do many Hassidic Jews wear them?
Many thanks
Shimon
Dear Shimon
Thank you for your question.
Wristwatches are certainly allowed and are widely worn by religious Jews, Hassidic and others. There is an outlying view that they should be avoided by men due to the possible association with women’s adornments (see Deut. 22:5). This view is endorsed by the late, great Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky (Benei Berak, Israel), as advanced by his uncle the Hazon Ish (d. 1953). However, I believe that he also acknowledges that this is a stringency and not forbidden by normative halakhah.
There are, however, grounds to avoid wearing a wristwatch on Shabbat in the absence of an eruv (enclosure which permits carrying), particularly in a busy urban area. While this is widely permitted, there are authorities who maintain that it is preferable to refrain from doing so.
Best wishes
Rabbi Rashi Simon