No watches in Trek?

[MarsWeeps]

One of the things I always wondered was how did people tell time in Star Trek? I know there was a chronometer at the helm/navigation console on the Enterprise but how did individuals tell time?

For example, if landing parties were supposed to report in every hour, how did they know when an hour went by? Or when the villain of the week gave Kirk "2 hours to comply or you will be destroyed."

Did they have timepieces implanted in their head?

I think ST:VI finally put a clock on the bridge but I always wondered why nobody ever wore a watch.

 

[BillJ]

Everybody had cellphones in their pockets!

 

[HIjol]

Everybody had Sulu's voice in their head, either counting down or counting up...

 

[Gov Kodos]

Time release underarm deodorant. They could tell time by the smell.

 

[KirkPicard]

Admiral Kirk and his wrist communicator/watch from TWOK.

 

[Commishsleer]

For example, if landing parties were supposed to report in every hour, how did they know when an hour went by? Or when the villain of the week gave Kirk "2 hours to comply or you will be destroyed."

I don't think the landing parties ever got a chance to report in before they got into trouble.

Besides they had their tricorders. which I assume held the ship time amongst other functions.

How nice of the enemy anyway to give execution time in Earth time.

 

[Nerys Myk]

One of the things I always wondered was how did people tell time in Star Trek? I know there was a chronometer at the helm/navigation console on the Enterprise but how did individuals tell time?

For example, if landing parties were supposed to report in every hour, how did they know when an hour went by? Or when the villain of the week gave Kirk "2 hours to comply or you will be destroyed."

Did they have timepieces implanted in their head?

I think ST:VI finally put a clock on the bridge but I always wondered why nobody ever wore a watch.

They have an app on their communicators. I haven't worn a watch in decades. My phone is my watch.

 

[MarsWeeps]

They have an app on their communicators. I haven't worn a watch in decades. My phone is my watch.

There was nothing in TOS to support that a communicator was also a watch.

People just KNEW what time it was. I suppose Roddenberry thought watches would be obsolete in the future for some reason.

 

[MarsWeeps]

Admiral Kirk and his wrist communicator/watch from TWOK.

One scene in a movie only makes it more of a mystery. If he had a watch here, how did he tell time in all the other episodes and movies?

 

[C.E. Evans]

I suppose Roddenberry thought watches would be obsolete in the future for some reason.

It is sort of becoming that way today with more and more people using their phones as clocks.

In Trek, there's probably a clock on every instrument panel or monitor screen somewhere. Tricorders could also serve that purpose in the field like today's phones increasingly are.

 

[Nerys Myk]

They have an app on their communicators. I haven't worn a watch in decades. My phone is my watch.

There was nothing in TOS to support that a communicator was also a watch.

People just KNEW what time it was. I suppose Roddenberry thought watches would be obsolete in the future for some reason.

There's also no evidence to support it doesn't. How many times do aliens give a landing party a time limit, as opposed to the crew on the bridge?

 

[Greg Cox]

Everybody had Sulu's voice in their head, either counting down or counting up...

Nah, it was Majel's voice . . .

 

[T'Girl]

Dr. Crusher was wearing a wrist watch in at least one episode.

Okay Gates forgot to take it off in her dressing room, but it's canon now that Crusher sometimes wears a watch.

 

[Push The Button]

Spock had a precision timepiece...in his head, apparently.

Kirk: Spock, how long has it been?
Spock: Eight hours, thirty-seven minutes.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Did the wristwatch in TWOK also function as a communicator? I recall them using handheld communicators in that one.

In any case, I wouldn't take Kirk's watch as an indicator that they're still common in that period. He's looking at the watch with his vintage reading glasses...TWOK established his love of antiques. He had antique clocks in his apartment, wearing an antique watch would go along with that.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Scotty has a nice wrist communicator in Star Trek and Into Darkness. I'm not sure if it tells the time though...

(watch when Kirk and Spock enter the transporter room to beam to the Narada in ST'09 for a good shot of it)

 

[Greg Cox]

I confess I've struggled with this when writing the books. When Kirk is leading a landing party and there's a specific deadline involved, how does he keep track of the time?

"We have exactly twenty minutes before the planet implodes. Rendezvous back at the shuttle in ten minutes. Let's synchronize our . . . never mind."

 

[Ro_Laren]

My cell phone could never replace my watch!

 

[Jonas Grumby]

^ Mine, neither.

I mean, it can, in a pinch. But there's no way digging a phone out of my pocket and opening the flip-top to check the time can compete with just glancing at my wrist.

 

[Greg Cox]

My cell phone could never replace my watch!

Ditto. I rely on my wristwatch and land lines. I almost never carry my cell phone, except when travelling out of town. And maybe you can check the time with my phone, but I wouldn't have a clue how to do that.

Truth be told, I know how to turn it on and make phone calls, but that's about it.