The most lavish watch feature of all? Making time disappear
by Luke Benedictus · Australian Financial ReviewLuke BenedictusWatch editor
Sep 11, 2026 – 5.00am
We’ve all experienced this lamentable situation. You’re sitting there with a friend happily chatting away, when their attention is suddenly hijacked by their phone. The next moment, instead of enjoying your latest witticism or profound reflections on life, they’re scrolling away oblivious to your presence. During such moments, I often think wistfully about secret watches and why their inherent lessons are more relevant than ever today.
Secret watches were conceived in the 1920s to provide an inconspicuous way to keep track of the time in polite society. Back then, it was considered indelicate for a lady to look at her watch in the middle of a glamorous soirée, because it implied that she might be bored of her company or counting down the minutes until she could leave. Secret watches offered a solution. Disguised as pieces of jewellery, the watch dials were concealed, enabling a woman to glance discreetly at the time without causing possible offence.
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Luke BenedictusWatch editorLuke Benedictus is watch editor of The Australian Financial Review. He also writes about wellness.
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