Life by Watches
I have nine wrist watches. Yes, I am a baby-boomer living in a consumeristic society. I only wear one watch at a time and since I have a favourite the other eight bide their time in my bed-side table patiently waiting their turn to prove their worth, wrap themselves around my wrist and see the light of day.
One, a gold Bulava, was a gift from my wife on our second anniversary. I cherish it and assume it is the real deal, while the other eight are knock-offs from Kuwait, China, Singapore, Oman, Thailand and other places I have visited.
I am thinking of watches today because today I lost an hour when the battery died on my Gucci from Oman and I had to replace it on my wrist with my self-winding Patek Philippe from Bangkok even though it says Geneve on the face of the watch. A real Patek recently sold at auction for 11 million American dollars. It had 33 functions.
Although I have a couple of fine fake Rolex watches in my collection with all the bells and whistles, and I speak almost in a literal sense, as some of these watches, in addition to telling time, are the equivalent to a Smart Phone with what they can do in terms of providing dates, phases of the moon, stop watch and timer capabilities and even compass directional points. One claims to be water proof to 25 m a claim I have not had the opportunity to prove. They are magnificent in design and function.
In my vanity for multiple watches, my weakness, my indulgence, a little luxury even though they are illegal in the technical sense, I prefer simplicity in my vanity. Women have their purses and shoes, men can take solace in their watches. I also have my father’s gold pocket watch and chain, given to me after his death. It no longer works but reminds me of him and of simpler times when technology was basic, our needs small.
This Christmas past my daughter received a $20 thousand diamond incrusted Rolex for Christmas, obviously not a knock off. She doesn’t like it. I don’t believe she wears it. She prefers her designer purses and shoes which are more in the category of art. They have no practical worldly function that I can ascertain other than adornments.
My son-in-law has a collection of watches equal to mine in size, but his are all "the real deal". He has them on display in his bedroom like African game trophies. They are gaudy, heavy and expensive. They show wealth and status.
For me, give me simple, my favourite watch, well it just tells the time. It can do nothing else. It doesn't even have a second hand.
In vanity there can be simplicity.
