Pour vivre heureux vivons cachés - In praise of being boring
To live a happy life we must live a hidden one, that's the rough translation into English of a belief that despite originating from Seneca the younger in ancient Rome, is quintessentially French and was first put on writing in this form by Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian toward the end of the XVIII century.
Translated into XXI century watch context it means that I should be happy with a simple and plain watch that will not draw attention and here I have to admit that my San Martin SN021-G is probably the most boring looking watch that I own. Am I really happy? well...maybe.
First I have to admit that the "Almost Explorer" is truly boring. It's a simple 3 hands watch with a printed dial and even the polished bezel can't detract from the overall matte finish. The AR coating is OK but not exceptional, the finish of the case and bracelet is acceptable but not more than that, and the style is...well - it's boring to the point of being able to induce narcolepsy.
The conclusion is that no one is going to chop off my hand in order to snatch this watch. It's also exactly what I want to wear today.
Sometime I get tired of interesting, unusual or quircky watches and I just want to wear a highly legible watch with a simple layout. One that is not expensive and doesn't feel luxurious and the SM is just great for those occasion.
I'm a big fan of watches that are interesting because they are either unique, have interesting features, well designed or simply offer a great value for their price.
Perfect....
I've actually been considering getting one of those because of its simplicity.