Recently I was speaking with a local jeweller about wrist watches. I had dropped off my Citizen solar, perpetual date wrist watch under warranty because it had stopped working. He asked if I had another watch to wear while it was being fixed and I pointed to my aging Tag Heuer 1000 Professional, now 20 years old but still going strong.
I told him that it was now my gardening and golfing watch and that the trouble with good quality, expensive watches like Tag Heuer is that they last so long, you get sick of seeing them. Even Tag Heuer admits that you buy one of their watches to leave for your grandchildren.
The jeweller said that research had shown that most people who buy a watch of any kind get sick of it after about six years. He said then they buy another. But because the old ones still work, they don’t throw them out, so they end up with a collection of working watches they hardly ever wear.
I decided that for the rest of the years I need a wrist watch, I will buy good, but inexpensive watches, although I had intended buying a replacement Tag Heuer (in photo), well within my budget, to last me until I meet my fiery end. For the price of the new Tag Heuer I want, I could probably buy 10 other good Seiko watches and wouldn’t feel unhappy paying $150-$300 for a year or two of wear. I could also then have different watches for different occasions. You know, a Monday watch and a pub watch … or something like that.
While my Tag Heuer lasted 20 years with a couple of battery changes and clean outs, my Citizen solar lasted three years before shitting itself completely and needing replacement parts.
It reminded me a bit of being married. Some people get sick of being married to the same spouse year in and year out. For example, that sexy piece of crumpet Kim Kardashian only lasted 72 days and she got sick and tired of being married to the ridiculously tall, dawkish fellow whose name escapes me. Unlike me, she gave her spouse the flick. But I said I’d stay until one of us dies and I meant it, so I’m still married after 38 years, longer than most sentences for murder.
Every so often the idea of having a change crosses my mind, I see images of beautiful Asian and Ebony ladies. Then I think of the prospect of having a collection of ladies stacked in my cupboard that are still in good working condition, but not really wanted and I wake up and get on with whatever it is I was doing. I ask myself if it’s better to have an old, reliable watch that has lasted many years, or a slick, shiny new model that might toss it in in a year or two.
How many watches have you got? What are they and how long does it take for you to become sick of them?
Dark Horse
