Time Bandit

I’m a list maker. Consequently, when I travel I very rarely forget anything important. However, who puts “wrist watch” on a travel list? Well, maybe some people even more anal, er, …lytic than I am might.

In late November when I arrived at JFK airport it “felt like” I had my watch on but it turns out the cuffs of my long-sleeved shirt was deluding my sense of touch. I didn’t really notice my lack of a timepiece until I went through security and went to divest myself of it. Well damn, thinks I, my watch must have fallen off somewhere between getting dressed at home and airport security. God forbid I just forgot to put it on, doncha know. I mean, how could I be that stupid, er, absent minded?

So while cruising around the Bay Area for nine days I kept my eyes peeled for a cheap Timex or Swatch to tide me over but I couldn’t make any spot decision. The upshot? I didn’t bother. I had my cellphone and my sis to keep me apprised of the hour, Pacific Standard Time.

After my return to Brooklyn I reunited with said forgotten watch (it was in my bowling ball bag, of all places) but not before I did some research on-line for an “every day” (meaning cheap) watch that I was cool with. It is important to be cool, you know, even after a certain age when compromise is usually the order of the day. Anyway, I stumbled across a site where you can design your own watch; that is, the various elements of the exterior. This involves choices of Case, Bezel, Dial, Hands, Strap and Crystal and each click gives you an illustration of the watch as you progress through the examples. I am such a sucker for that kind of “participatory” activity that I designed at least ten different watches before I settled on the perfect choices (to my taste) of every facet of the finished product. Then I stewed around for three or four weeks before deciding to go ahead and give it the go ahead (not all that cheap). This is my new watch. Happy New Year to me!

http://teno.com/Boccia-Titanium/Boccia-Watches/Boccia-Watch-Configurator