I got my first watch when I was in Grade 3. At the time, the "in" things were the digital watches. I think the most popular were the Casios that had mostly rubberized or plastic bodies with rubber straps. The typical digital watch had a light (so unlike the analogue types) and 3 buttons for adjusting time and selecting features like the timer or alarm. Most digital watches were also water proof and at the time there were many that already indicated you could take them for a swim and take it to a certain level (50m, 100m). The more affordable analogues weren't as good as some would have moisture penetrate them and settling just in front of the dial to obscure your view of the time. The more pricey watches had calculators and these were immediately banned from schools because of the potential for mischief during math classes. Eventually, a solar watch was also released but at the time they were more for novelty considering they weren't as sensitive and as good as today's solar-powered watches. You'll find the latest generation of these digital watches in Casio's G-Shock line that are still quite popular and have "leveled-up" with data storage and even camera features!
Anyhow, my first watch (I am hesitant to call it a timepiece as the word evokes a more sophisticated or expensive item.) was an Alba and it was of stainless steel. It had the same features I mentioned earlier and was perfect for our swimming classes at school as it indicated water proof to 100m. I remember being excited about this and took my watch to the shower knowing it could withstand the water.
Through the years, I have had a few more watches including a couple of Seiko analogue watches. By the time, their water resistance were better and I was amazed at how thin the analogue quartz watches had become. Digital watches seem to be bulky and I guess the analogues were more elegant. My only complaint was that most of the leather straps seem not to last long and they didn't respond well to water or sweat so I couldn't take them for baths or swimming.
In 1996, I bought my first watch. This was a first generation Seiko Kinetic that had a power indicator. It is now with my younger brother and already had its capacitor changed after 5 years of use.
In 2001, I bought my second Kinetic, and one that I still use today as my "main" time piece. Yes, I consider it as a timepiece considering its price and more advanced features including Auto Relay, perpetual calendar, power-saving, and longer lasting capacitor. It is also my first titanium watch. The favored watch is now 10 years old as I remember purchasing it when I had a 3-month stint in Japan during the summer to autumn seasons of 2001.
Seiko Kinetic Auto Relay Titanium
In 2005, I happened upon a sale of watches at our favorite store in Okachimachi in the Ueno area of Tokyo. On a corner were stacked Swatch watches. I paid no attention at first and did some research when I returned to my hotel room. I was not familiar with Swatch models although they were the "in" thing back in high school and college. They were cheaper but were Swiss watches. Somehow, their being branded as Swiss made them desirable and the designs combined with their affordability meant they were competitive with their Japanese counterparts. My quick research revealed the watches were legit but were older, discontinued lines. But these were still brand new and were probably old stock that were being disposed off to clear inventory. No one suspected that one could get these at a bargain and, of all places, in Tokyo, Japan. The watches retailed for 1980 JPY net, which at the time was the equivalent of roughly 800 PhP! These were definitely steals as the newer models retailed for about 3,500 PhP. I quickly got a couple each for myself and the Clairvoyant - our first Swiss watches. Later, I would get a few more for my brother and friends in subsequent trips to Japan.
Swatch Chronograph Diver - with Velcro straps, is my preferred watch for expeditions to the beach. It has served me well in Palawan, Bohol, Sarangani and Batangas
Swatch Autoquartz - the company's version of Kinetic
Swatch commemorative pieces - the Clairvoyant wearing her St. Theresa's College piece and I wearing the University of the Philippines' Centennial watch.
No comments:
Post a Comment