Tuesday, February 24, 2009

watches

(The horrifically named) Pimpin' Ain't Easy by TokyoFlash

The Tissot T-Touch

Anyone who knows me, knows I love watches. At last count I had about 28 different models ranging from the inexpensive to the moderately expensive. Sadly my fascination has no bounds and thus there are few commonalities that exist between most of them other than the fact that they can be worn on your wrist. Favorites? It depends upon my mood. Lately, I've been sporting my Alfex, the most expensive of my collection, for its clean lines, solid heft and class Valjoux jeweled self-winding mechanism. On the techno end of the spectrum, I presently favor my Tissot T-Touch, a watch that features touch screen access to compass, chronometer, thermometer, altimeter barometer and alarm functions. I'm also partial to my Swiss Army watch, a Calvin Klein branded watch and my Porsche Design watch (my first big investment in my collection). On the "playful" side of my collection, I have an led-arrayed watch from Japan called the "Pimpin' Ain't Easy" watch (yes, I know, I know, present-day Japanese culture is a peculiar thing - to the extent that it sometimes makes me cringe, but hey, it is in my DNA after all). It actually sports a total of 72 LEDs and lights up like a Christmas Tree. It takes a minute or two to figure out what time it is, but the fact that it flashes on in a pre-determined geometric pattern with such luminosity - well, in spite of its ugliness, I find it mesmerizing.

I've dramatically curtailed my consumption of watches over the years even though my philosophy used to be you can never have too many watches. I've concluded that watches hold a fascination for me because of their elegant utility and accessibility. They are right there on your wrist when you need them most. And now, with the advances of technology, you can take photos with them, access telephone numbers, schedule appointments, predict the weather, measure your heartbeat, time events, find true North and yes (with the accuracy of an atomic clock), even tell the time.

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