What is a watch?
What is it exactly? To keep your wrist populated? Worn just because society said so? An apparatus to let you perceive and see time, accurately with a glance? An inanimate object powered either by a spring or a battery? A contraption that no one cares about anymore? Is it jewelry or an accessory; or a vessel for cherished memories and sentimental merits.
Yes; a vessel… for such things? How can it be? Of course, we, human beings, tend to value nonconscious things. We feel weak for things that shouldn’t deserve to be feeble with; as long as the mind walks the plains of life, it will appreciate anything it wishes to; such cherishment leads to admiration of certain things and such is a chemical defect and a weakness.
Books, musical instruments, shirts, gift boxes, toys, shoes, and yes, watches. As with other things, watches can carry substantial sentimental value. Most watch enthusiasts know it as such and most likely, one timepiece or even two or three might hold such sentimental value which money cannot even buy.
Is it absurd? Probably.
Is it normal? Definitely.
We can relive memories through things; the brain is a funny little organ. A scent will make you remember anything associated with it; the recollection, if it was strong, will make you reminisce like it only happened just a few minutes ago. Same goes for watches: with a glance, you will remember the memories you had with it.
Poetic, isn’t it? Kind of.
Factual? As solid as a hardened rock.
With this thought, it made me wonder and with the kick of @SCFYMB ‘s post, it made me ponder. What is the watch that might have tons of memories in my collection? Currently, I only have one in my disposal, as I am in the process of finding my childhood watches. I am fairly young albeit old enough to garner specific and odd memories. As such, I did with a watch.
A Swatch.
A fashion piece for some; a real watch for average people; and the brand which saved the Swiss watch industry for watch enthusiasts. Personally, it is a watch that saw through my teenage years: from the perception of my parents to give me a watch when I was 16 during our trip in a different country, wore it with pride because my parents love and thought about me, to my first heartbreak, moving up and flattening the tire once more in life; yes, the watch has some generic memories which, like any other human being, I will cherish more because I am included in those memories - the main character.
Although this watch, now, eats batteries like the cookie monster and is currently a non-runner, it will stay with me until the end. Just by glancing at my relatively old Swatch, I will always see the faces of my parents when they gave me this watch: happy and smiling, saying “Congratulations, Anak (my child)” and hugging them after.
As inanimate and nonliving as it could be, sentiments make it as sentient as people.
I am Pororo and I am a young watch enthusiast! I love watches and photography!
Nah. For me it's time telling man-jewellery. Bit more purposeful than a ring or a bangle.
Nah. For me it's time telling man-jewellery. Bit more purposeful than a ring or a bangle.
Using it to know time and carrying weight, is what I use it for.
Using it to know time and carrying weight, is what I use it for.
Carrying weight?
Carrying weight?
Memories.
Memories.
Ah. Emotional weight. 😀
Firstly thank you for mention :)
Secondly I have time pieces that have memories and others that just look pretty. For example my old casio AE1000 carries a lot of fond memories being the first watch I ever got (I was 11~2), from the first time I travelled with my friends to even going to university. Its been with me through thick and thin, not to mention my fascination being able to swim with it. Other pieces like my seagul 1963, orient 3 star and seiko persage carry some achievement in them. Whether be it graduating or turning 23 or finishing my hardest year in university. On the other hand I've bought multiple time pieces to act as accessory pieces to match with outfits and sometimes just to have a vibe. Hell I have a list of watches with quirky dials that I wanna get just to match with outfits I have. I believe watches can do both, being an accessory and a memory locked in solid form. They can be reminders of a past with every glance or complementary piece to your style. Whatever they may mean to you is valid as long as you're enjoying wearing it :)
Firstly thank you for mention :)
Secondly I have time pieces that have memories and others that just look pretty. For example my old casio AE1000 carries a lot of fond memories being the first watch I ever got (I was 11~2), from the first time I travelled with my friends to even going to university. Its been with me through thick and thin, not to mention my fascination being able to swim with it. Other pieces like my seagul 1963, orient 3 star and seiko persage carry some achievement in them. Whether be it graduating or turning 23 or finishing my hardest year in university. On the other hand I've bought multiple time pieces to act as accessory pieces to match with outfits and sometimes just to have a vibe. Hell I have a list of watches with quirky dials that I wanna get just to match with outfits I have. I believe watches can do both, being an accessory and a memory locked in solid form. They can be reminders of a past with every glance or complementary piece to your style. Whatever they may mean to you is valid as long as you're enjoying wearing it :)
Can be anything your mind wants it to be, each watch has their own purpose and quirks! Please, enjoy yours in good health, brother! Continue building memories with them :) As I will do with mine, we are within the same age range so rock on brother!
For me it was a couple of things. I lost a significant amount of weight (~80 pounds) - which allowed me to buy a new wardrobe of clothes that actually look good. I went overboard on that too. I have a very nice stainless steel Apple Watch with high-quality bands, but it lacks personality. So I grabbed a fairly basic green dial, Citizen Peyton, which complemented a couple of my styles. That got me into the rabbit hole. I like options, and my God does the watch world have those.
Next thing I know I have a few thousand dollars worth of watches. All of which were picked for purpose, style, and quality. Assuming I keep them, they will be nice heirlooms for my kids and grandkids. Meanwhile, I've thoroughly enjoyed the 'poetic' and detail-oriented nature of the hobby. Each watch I have has its own artistic and functional integrity.
So at first, it was fashion consciousness - but not 'fashion' watches. Then it became a reflection of my personality - sometimes conservative, sometimes unusual and quirky. Lastly, sometimes I just like a shiny thing to look at while gaining a deeper appreciation for the finer notes of craftsmanship. My problem is I tend to be impatient, have an impulsive personality and I like lots of options available to me. This combination gets me into trouble - so I am on a watch moratorium at the moment, while I enjoy what I have and learn to curb excess. Not easy, but no regrets (yet). Great article. Heartfelt and well-written.
For me it was a couple of things. I lost a significant amount of weight (~80 pounds) - which allowed me to buy a new wardrobe of clothes that actually look good. I went overboard on that too. I have a very nice stainless steel Apple Watch with high-quality bands, but it lacks personality. So I grabbed a fairly basic green dial, Citizen Peyton, which complemented a couple of my styles. That got me into the rabbit hole. I like options, and my God does the watch world have those.
Next thing I know I have a few thousand dollars worth of watches. All of which were picked for purpose, style, and quality. Assuming I keep them, they will be nice heirlooms for my kids and grandkids. Meanwhile, I've thoroughly enjoyed the 'poetic' and detail-oriented nature of the hobby. Each watch I have has its own artistic and functional integrity.
So at first, it was fashion consciousness - but not 'fashion' watches. Then it became a reflection of my personality - sometimes conservative, sometimes unusual and quirky. Lastly, sometimes I just like a shiny thing to look at while gaining a deeper appreciation for the finer notes of craftsmanship. My problem is I tend to be impatient, have an impulsive personality and I like lots of options available to me. This combination gets me into trouble - so I am on a watch moratorium at the moment, while I enjoy what I have and learn to curb excess. Not easy, but no regrets (yet). Great article. Heartfelt and well-written.
Thank you for your kind words at the end and your input.
The thought of handing down watches is cool for me. As you stated, each watch is - to put it succinctly - 'unique' and I agree with you.
This watch also saw my body changed as I lost more than 70 pounds as well - holds a lot of weight (no pun intended); like you, I went overboard with fashion too. We walked the same-ish paths in a way :)
Then reassemble it again... and wait, where is that bridge screw? 😂
Then reassemble it again... and wait, where is that bridge screw? 😂
P A I N
Heirloom from my Dad.
Heirloom from my Mom, designated to be given to my next future wife.
Given by my ex-in-laws.
Given by my brother for my birthday.
Given by my son for my birthday
High School Class 30th Anniversary Commemorative Watch
1st Watch I bought to start the hobby.
2nd Watch I bought to celebrate a successful 2021.
3rd Watch I bought to continue the hobby.
4th Watch I bought to celebrate a 2022 work goal achieved.
5th Watch I bought to mark my 55th birthday.
6th Watch I bought to commemorate a 2023 work goal achieved.
Shall I nonchalantly discard, or mindlessly throw these away, when they seemingly have lost their usefulness, or desirability, or both?
Do I see them as just small tools placed on a wrist for its utility, to just keep track of time, without any sort of personal attachment or purpose?
Is it simply just a watch? An accessory? A trinket or jewelry? A non-essential, non-important, obsolete, useless device unceremoniously replaced by a mobile phone?
To lose the anchor and lessons of one's memories, is one of the greatest tragedies a man or woman can ever face.
I like this. I think I’ll make a video on it.
I collect watches because stamps are boring. 🤔
Actually; society does not say to wear it. It is not as common as it was in 60s, 70s since we have time on our phones. Watch is a kind of passion, in many cases; only accessory a man will wear. It is not a necessity but something that we can wear and admire the engineering under the hood.
P A I N
Lost a slide spring the other day when reassembling a 4r36, I have looked for a couple days. She gone.
If it can go on a wrist but doesn't tell the time, it isn't a watch.
A watch for me is a piece of mechanical evolution. It is a piece of history and culture. It is a piece of art and fashion. It is more than anything else a time chest safekeeping my life memories and milestones ! The death of my dad and of my grandma! My wedding with my lovely wife and the birth of our daughter! Moving away from my home country and making a new home, family and friends in another one! A timepiece is so many things for many of us in this community.
Actually; society does not say to wear it. It is not as common as it was in 60s, 70s since we have time on our phones. Watch is a kind of passion, in many cases; only accessory a man will wear. It is not a necessity but something that we can wear and admire the engineering under the hood.
My mom tells me to wear a watch all the time when i was a kid... I blame her for giving a hand in pushing me into this hobby 😂
Nice to see an older Swatch (Irony Chrono?). I rarely post my older Swatch watches because it often feels like two different communities (whimisical vs "enthusiast") that frequently eye each other skeptically.
I've been to parts of the world where you can travel for days and not spot a single wrist watch and also metropolitan areas where a smart watch will outpace conventional timepieces 4x1.
If one is wearing a watch it's likely for reasons as varied and unique as the wearer and I'm all ears for their stories. Pre mobile phone I wore one simply to tell the time and now...well it's complicated.
I actually have no idea of this Swatch chrono... I just accepted it happily because it was from them :) Listening to another watch enthusiast raving about their watches with extreme passion, is a joy I have yet to experience so I am looking forward for it. Conventional watches will never go out in functionality :)
Lost a slide spring the other day when reassembling a 4r36, I have looked for a couple days. She gone.
Unless you have some magnetic bar, she gone. Must look for a donor movement now or find the part elsewhere.
A watch for me is a piece of mechanical evolution. It is a piece of history and culture. It is a piece of art and fashion. It is more than anything else a time chest safekeeping my life memories and milestones ! The death of my dad and of my grandma! My wedding with my lovely wife and the birth of our daughter! Moving away from my home country and making a new home, family and friends in another one! A timepiece is so many things for many of us in this community.
"A timepiece is so many things for many of us in this community"
Very well said; could mean anything, just like any hobby out there. What makes it unique is the inclusion of "you".
Unless you have some magnetic bar, she gone. Must look for a donor movement now or find the part elsewhere.
Haha it was a junk movement I was just practicing my assembly techniques on. I grade myself “room for improvement” lol
Heirloom from my Dad.
Heirloom from my Mom, designated to be given to my next future wife.
Given by my ex-in-laws.
Given by my brother for my birthday.
Given by my son for my birthday
High School Class 30th Anniversary Commemorative Watch
1st Watch I bought to start the hobby.
2nd Watch I bought to celebrate a successful 2021.
3rd Watch I bought to continue the hobby.
4th Watch I bought to celebrate a 2022 work goal achieved.
5th Watch I bought to mark my 55th birthday.
6th Watch I bought to commemorate a 2023 work goal achieved.
Shall I nonchalantly discard, or mindlessly throw these away, when they seemingly have lost their usefulness, or desirability, or both?
Do I see them as just small tools placed on a wrist for its utility, to just keep track of time, without any sort of personal attachment or purpose?
Is it simply just a watch? An accessory? A trinket or jewelry? A non-essential, non-important, obsolete, useless device unceremoniously replaced by a mobile phone?
To lose the anchor and lessons of one's memories, is one of the greatest tragedies a man or woman can ever face.
Reminds me of a passage of an old article I wrote during my highschool days:
"Avoidance and ignorance of the past renders trouble and tragedy ahead, where remembering can save a soul and yourself is a fortune for the future"
Haha it was a junk movement I was just practicing my assembly techniques on. I grade myself “room for improvement” lol
Aha! Got it! I will have these experiences once I get back into watchmaking and repairing. 🤝
My favorite anachronism.
And it makes no sense to carry around my slide rule And a bunch of pencils in a plastic shirt sleeve.
I actually have no idea of this Swatch chrono... I just accepted it happily because it was from them :) Listening to another watch enthusiast raving about their watches with extreme passion, is a joy I have yet to experience so I am looking forward for it. Conventional watches will never go out in functionality :)
Many of the Irony series chronos were metal and hold up well. My Irony chrono has lasted over 20 years though I finally wore out the leather strap. Batteries are super easy to replace and they have a nice wrist presence. Congrats ftom a Swatch fan boy on receiving a neat chrono.👍
"A timepiece is so many things for many of us in this community"
Very well said; could mean anything, just like any hobby out there. What makes it unique is the inclusion of "you".
…and what defines “you”
Many of the Irony series chronos were metal and hold up well. My Irony chrono has lasted over 20 years though I finally wore out the leather strap. Batteries are super easy to replace and they have a nice wrist presence. Congrats ftom a Swatch fan boy on receiving a neat chrono.👍
Oh! Thank you for this information! Sadly, my Swatch (i think) may have a problem with the movement already as it eats batteries like crazy. Last 2021, it ate up 3 batteries in a span of 1 year. Might go back to Swatch to get a free battery again.
My friend often gets tattoos, something I don't have.
They are similar in some ways except a watch can be removed.
When I buy a new watch I tell him "this is my version of a tattoo".