# About Time and When We Eat



## drifter (Feb 20, 2015)

Let me be serious a minute. Here’s an observation and a comment I want to share with you. It may be you have noticed what I am about to point out as most of you are further ahead of the curve than am I. 


Nevertheless, let me say first I have owned a number of pretty good watches in my time. No, I’m not talking about that Swiss watch we can see advertised in Gentleman’s Quarterly, or the expensive Rolex, but a watch an average Joe’s wife or girlfriend might buy for him. Many of these watches of the past kept good time. They were slim and tasteful in appearance, and wore well with whatever we chose to wear. But we’re talking about time pieces, that thing on your wrist you glanced at and immediately thought,  “I must hurry, I’m going to be late.”


Time pieces. There were many names slapped on these watches. Longines, Bulova; Heuer Chronograph; Omega; TagHueur; and many, many other names that time has made me forget. But you get the picture of the watches we wore in our early years. They all kept pretty good time and looked good. But here’s the point.


I now have a big, ugly watch I bought at Walmart. I took the band off it and threw it away and replaced it with a band I once wore on a favorite Seiko. None of these clunkers compare in looks with what we once wore, but most of them keep excellent time. We must have learned something about watch making in the last twenty years. 


The watch I have now and the one I had previously, lost because the leather band around my wrist had been strapped on a half dozen earlier watches I have wore in past years, until finally it wore thin and snapped at one of it’s connecting points. The watch and band fell away unnoticed. Over the long haul I have never worn a watch that kept better time than some of these cheap watches on the market today. 


The time on my TV and computer or my iPad has features that tell me the exact time necessary to format my life with the things that need doing, yet are no more accurate than the heavy hulk of metal currently laying on my desk. I don't wear it. It's an ugly rascal but I will give it this, it keeps accurate time. We used to pay good money for accuracy. The tasteful good looks that came with that accuracy were just thrown in for good measure. 


I no longer wear a watch but I don’t fault anyone for wearing the watch he or she wants, but time changes things and what we’re seeing today in time piece accuracy is nothing short of amazing. They're not as elegant as what we once bought at Zales, or the more upscale jeweler, but when they say it's twelve noon, you can be sure its time to eat.


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## Meanderer (Feb 20, 2015)

I have had my trusty old "outdoor"watch for some time now....not too reliable after dark.


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## Falcon (Feb 20, 2015)

MY "every day"  watch keeps time to the EXACT second and I never have to touch it. It is controlled by satellite somewhere in
Colorado. Some people call it an 'Atomic' watch.  This one came from the Stauer jewelry  company. (Google it) and it only cost  150 bucks.


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## Ameriscot (Feb 20, 2015)

None of my watches work. They need batteries.  When I am out I look at my phone when I want to know what time it is. 

Handsome watch Meanderer.


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## hollydolly (Feb 20, 2015)

LOL meanderer...

I love watches, I am quite petite so my watches are always small and delicate, big chunky watches would look ridiculous on me. I wear _expensive_ watches...as does my O/H...but for work I wear my trusty gold bracelet  timex.. which keeps excellent time.


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## SeaBreeze (Feb 20, 2015)

I don't wear watches anymore, unless we're out camping.  I have an old water-resistant Casio cheap watch.  I don't care to wear any jewelry, don't even wear my engagement ring, just my wedding band daily.  In the past I've mostly used brands like Timex, nothing fancy.


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## Lon (Feb 20, 2015)

63 years ago when I graduated from High School my dad gave me an Omega self winding watch which looked great and served me well hrough good times and bad. 30 years ago when he saw that I was still wearing the same watch he bought me another Omega. Now at age 80 I still have the two Omega's which will be going to my great grand sons when I croak. I now wear a $75.00 Seiko that I like quite well.


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## DoItMyself (Feb 20, 2015)

I still have the same Timex marlin that I bought new somewhere around 1958.  It's been cleaned several times and repaired a couple, but I've never had to replace a battery or band.  I'm sure it cost me less than $10 when I bought it, and I've spent about $70 in cleanings and repairs.  It's the only watch I've owned for the last 57 years.


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## AprilT (Feb 20, 2015)

My watches work perfectly keep excellent time, as long as I remember to change the batteries at least once every other year or or year possibly.


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## drifter (Feb 20, 2015)

You tell some amazing watch stories. That's quite a timepiece, Meanderer.  A casual glance would say that belongs in Smithsonian. 
My neighbor had one of those Atomic watches, Falcon. It was his work watch, too. He always said if you need to know the time, it's the only watch to have. 
I quite wearing a watch when I started using a cell phone, Ameriscot. I really thought cell phones would eventually replace both land lines and wrist watches.

Hollydolly, you'd think I loved watches as many as I have worn. I have been hard on watches. The first two (good) watches I owned I smashed them in the oil patch. 
Lon, that's an amazing story. I cannot imagine a watch hanging with me that long. 
No way, DoItMyself. We've heard that Timex takes a licking and keeps on ticking. But since 1958? That must be some kind of record.
That's what a watch is supposed to do, April, in my opinion. They just never worked out that way for me. I used to carry my watch in my right front pocket to keep from breaking it.

Seabreeze, I've had two watches I wore the longest, a Timex and a Seiko. I bought them from my neighbor, who had a tobacco shop. I'd stop by his business every once in a while to get a whiff of those good cigars and to buy three or four. He also handled watches, Timex first, then some others. I bought a timex first then one of the others. We knew each other a long time, forty-four years and every once in a while he'd offer to get me a carrying case with a handle on it for my watch.

Thanks everyone for your comments.


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## tnthomas (Feb 20, 2015)

I quit wearing watches about 10 years ago, they never seemed to last more than 6 months before I either destroyed then(by accident) or dying on their own.


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## drifter (Feb 23, 2015)

That's been my experience, TNT. When away from the house I use my cell phone when I want to know the time.


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## Ken N Tx (Feb 23, 2015)

drifter said:


> That's been my experience, TNT. When away from the house I use my cell phone when I want to know the time.


Ditto...I have not worn a watch since retiring in 2008!!


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## AZ Jim (Feb 23, 2015)

Mostly I don't wear a watch and when I do its a $10 ebay type.  I really don't keep track of time except when it's time to eat and then my stomach serves up the message, not a time piece.


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## Falcon (Feb 23, 2015)

I also have an Omega 'Speedmaster'  (chronometer)  which I use when flying.

It's the same as the astronauts are issued.  I don't wear it out often; don't want it to be 'hijacked'..


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## Cookie (Feb 23, 2015)

Although I have a collection of watches (wind-up and battery) I stopped wearing watches years ago and don't miss one at all as there are clocks everywhere. Don't wear jewelry anymore much either, just pierced earrings that I never take off.


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## drifter (Feb 23, 2015)

Nice watch, Falcon. Don't blame you for being careful with that one.


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## drifter (Feb 23, 2015)

Hi Cookie, I quit wearing a watch when I retired. All comments about watches and time remind of how indivegualistic we all are.


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