I have some advice for all of you non-watch wearers.
Wear the vintage watch – even if it doesn’t work.
All of you watch wearers are probably gasping in horror right now.
Wear a watch that doesn’t work? What kind of nonsensical advice is this?
I actually tried to find statistics on how many people wear watches every day so that I would know how many of you were gasping in horror.
I know you come here for fact-based, bias-free reporting, after all.
Well, friends. The numbers were all across the board and then I got frustrated, so let me just sum up my observations on this very important topic. It seems like more people don’t wear a watch regularly than those that do. However, that could change in the future as there is growth in the smartwatch market among younger consumers.
You feel better knowing this very vague and possibly not accurate information, don’t you?
No need to thank me. That’s what I’m here for.
What might seem like nonsensical advice, to wear the vintage watch even if it doesn’t work, is really pretty logical.
Let me show you how I got there.
I own two vintage watches. They belonged to my mother.
I had one of them repaired. It was cost prohibitive to repair the other one.
I’m not a regular watch wearer, so that means even the watch that does work never gets wound and I can’t be bothered to fuss with it anytime I do want to wear it.
Instead, I treat the vintage watches like jewelry. A personal style statement.
To me they are unique, gorgeous bracelets that should be worn and not tucked away in a drawer and never used.
What’s the point of owning something beautiful if you’re just going to tuck it away in a case and never experience the joy of using it?
Unless you are running a museum, which I’m not, smartypants.
In addition, these watches are a connection to my mother.
Time has made its relentless push forward, but when I snap that delicate watch clasp around my wrist, I can imagine her doing the same exact thing. Time blurs for just an instant as if the past and present have collided.
Then I go on about my day wearing my fancy vintage watch that doesn’t work. I amuse myself considering what my response will be if someone ever asks, “Do you have the time?”
Truly, I don’t think anyone has ever asked me for the time while I’m wearing one of my vintage watches, but rest-assured I have prepared some cheeky responses and my entire life story just in case.
I’m idly keeping my eye out for other vintage watches to add to my collection. I know any I find won’t carrying sentimental value for me, but that’s okay.
Wearing a beautiful watch with a mysterious past will make me happy too.
I could not write a post about watches without including a quote from one of Handy Husband’s favorite authors, Douglas Adams.
“Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun. Orbiting this at a distance of roughly ninety-two million miles is an utterly insignificant little blue-green planet whose ape-descended life forms are so amazingly primitive that they still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea.”
– Douglas Adams (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
P.S. You can find vintage watches for sale on Etsy and eBay. This is a good way for me to gauge what the going price range is for certain items.
P.P.S. My 10-year-old took the photos for today’s post. I paid him in gummy bears.
Thanks for spending part of your day with me. Here are are some other posts you might enjoy!
How to make a scarf with a hidden zippered pocket
Living in Ireland: Life Without a Car
*affiliate links in this blog post*