My last watch-of-ten-years was written off recently, and I briefly contemplated the path you describe. But I ended up walking into a Swatch shop on Oxford St and (within 10 minutes) choosing a cheap watch that is legible, and small enough for my wrist. Old school!
Throughout my life I've worn watches, on and off. There's even a Mickey Mouse vintage piece (not working) in my jewelry box. As a child I was terribly excited by the watch that came with different colored bands. Swatches grabbed my attention for a while, and then Fossil. But the most emotional realization I've ever had in relation to the wearing of a watch came when I was around 18, and having dropped out of college, and being in-between in every possible way, the inexpensive simple watch I wore daily stopped working. My thought was: "why would I even need a watch? I don't have to be ANYWHERE." I was lost. And so I didn't replace it for quite a while, as if I'd given up, surrendered to the aimlessness of my new existence. Watches are not a big deal for me - and these days most people seem to use their cars and phones to take note of the time. But in that dark "time," my broken and un-replaced watch was a warning, a symptom, an accusation, and my naked wrist a symbol. I was an animal, wandering the dusky woods, separated from my pack. And animals don't wear watches. You could say I was free. It's just that I was a little...too free.... These days I wear a $20 black rubber watch from Amazon. I'm self-employed. It grounds me, but if I skip a day, it doesn't mean much.
Thanks for sharing that. Yes, a watch is a reminder of human obligations and shared measurements. My dogs don't need watches, because they know when it's dinner time, and that's all they need. And your $20 watch is likely more accurate than the most expensive Rolex, because it's quartz rather than mechanical!
Now this is what I call "timeless"!
Thanks, Mary! By the way, I picked up a copy of Who by Fire and am loving it. I’ll post about it some time this summer.
Oh, fab!
My last watch-of-ten-years was written off recently, and I briefly contemplated the path you describe. But I ended up walking into a Swatch shop on Oxford St and (within 10 minutes) choosing a cheap watch that is legible, and small enough for my wrist. Old school!
Well done!
Throughout my life I've worn watches, on and off. There's even a Mickey Mouse vintage piece (not working) in my jewelry box. As a child I was terribly excited by the watch that came with different colored bands. Swatches grabbed my attention for a while, and then Fossil. But the most emotional realization I've ever had in relation to the wearing of a watch came when I was around 18, and having dropped out of college, and being in-between in every possible way, the inexpensive simple watch I wore daily stopped working. My thought was: "why would I even need a watch? I don't have to be ANYWHERE." I was lost. And so I didn't replace it for quite a while, as if I'd given up, surrendered to the aimlessness of my new existence. Watches are not a big deal for me - and these days most people seem to use their cars and phones to take note of the time. But in that dark "time," my broken and un-replaced watch was a warning, a symptom, an accusation, and my naked wrist a symbol. I was an animal, wandering the dusky woods, separated from my pack. And animals don't wear watches. You could say I was free. It's just that I was a little...too free.... These days I wear a $20 black rubber watch from Amazon. I'm self-employed. It grounds me, but if I skip a day, it doesn't mean much.
Thanks for sharing that. Yes, a watch is a reminder of human obligations and shared measurements. My dogs don't need watches, because they know when it's dinner time, and that's all they need. And your $20 watch is likely more accurate than the most expensive Rolex, because it's quartz rather than mechanical!
This is all so true. But I personally find that credit card limit does cancel out the vast majority of the limitless options.
Same!