set one's watch back

English

Verb

set one's watch back (third-person singular simple present sets one's watch back, present participle setting one's watch back, simple past and past participle set one's watch back)

1. (chiefly imperative, idiomatic) To ponder or experience a past time.
   • 1985, Amanda York, Stardust and Sand, Harlequin Books, →ISBN:

     Tony drove more slowly than usual , and Ginny felt the tension of the day slip away . He took her to a tiny café tucked away on a quiet street. “Set your watch back to 1932," Tony said as he pulled out a chair for her […]

   • 1985, Flying:

     Set your watch back to the Ice Age and […]

   • 2011, Bridget Brennan, Why She Buys: The New Strategy for Reaching the World's Most Powerful Consumers, Currency, →ISBN, page 106:

     ... representatives are women, which doesn't remotely reflect the diversity of the automotive customer base, and has the added side effect of making you feel like you have to set your watch back to 1972 when you step into a dealership.

   Set your watch back to 1773, as I explain what happened at the Boston Tea Party.

Usage notes

Usually used imperatively in the form of set your watch back.