Did you know that you can still buy a wind-up watch? I remember when you couldn’t buy anything BUT a wind-up watch. It’s hard to effectively convey the amount of responsibility that you felt when you got your first watch.
First off, most of the watches had glass faces. Not only did this make them susceptible to getting scratched, it could also crack and /or shatter if you weren’t careful. And being a kid, you had to really be mindful of your arm now that it had a watch on it!
Next – you had to wind it! If you didn’t do this, it stopped running – and it did so by slowing down – so you would unknowingly be late because you forgot to wind your watch. It was VERY important to remember to wind it at least once a day!
Also – they weren’t cheap. If you got a watch as a gift, it was a gift of substance.
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| It was Similar to this... |
I remember that one of my first watches was a beautiful silver trimmed Timex with a deep burgundy face that made the black hands really pop. It had a genuine dark leather wristband to boot! I felt like a million bucks when I wore it and it helped me feel more confident, too.
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| el-cheap-o! |
I had some great watches growing up, but eventually the world advanced and cheap Casio watches with batteries that were small and lasted forever came in mass supply. And they were digital with LED crystal displays…and black plastic wristbands. Winding watches was a thing of the past, akin to if you are reading this on an IBM 286 with a 7" amber monitor.
And, I know I said that you can still buy them, but I would guess you have to look for them… does anyone have one?
Did you have a cool wind-up watch growing up?
– or – have you never even heard of such a thing?
– or – the big question – Do you even wear a watch? They definitely seem to be vanishing from the wrists of our youth now that phones have evolved…
7 comments:
I used to love playing with my father's watches back when I was growing up in the 70s. I remember he had a metal "twistelflex" band on one of them (not sure I spelled that right). I wish he still had it but I think it's long gone.
John M.
http://atticofthemind.blogspot.com/
Hi guys,
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Watchband
John: I remember those "twistelflex" ones - or whatever they were called. What I seem to remember the most is that they constantly caught the hair on my wrists and yanked it out whenever I moved! I guess to wear those you either develop a technique of moving that somehow avoids that, or you get used to naked wrists...
Watchband: Hey! Thanks for the shoutout from a retailer of what appear to be some really fine watchbands! I am under the impression that despite the propensity towards not wearing watches evident in a large portion of our youth, "real" businessmen and those who will continue operate in the corporate world of America will continue to wear watches. We can't all be Google casual days dressers... :)
I was looking through a drawer at my dad's house one day and found a humongous 70's or 80's style watch. Might as well wear a clock on your wrist.
I don't see too many young folks wearing watches anymore. And I always notice when someone's wearing a really classy watch.
I still have the Timex wind up watch that my grandma got me for my first holy communion in 1977. I saw it when I was looking through my keepsake box last week. My brother had a Casio watch like the one you mentioned in the 80's. He got it as a gift from a friend of the family and loved it. Great post.
I always over-wound watches and broke them. Give me a chance and I can break just about anything. I'm just that way.
old hippie here ;) if they were offering a free trip to hawaii, only catch is, "you have to wear a watch", i would just have to stay at the house :)
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