How 'bout a nice watch for Christmas

Lookin' at the advertisements in the Wall Street Journal, and watches, expensive watches, outnumber whatever's second by at least 10 to 1. I thought well maybe I'm at the time in my life I could sport a little style on my wrist, so I pick one out and call the jeweler listed as a supplier (you don't buy these at Wal-Mart or Penney's).

I get put on hold to talk to their watch person who probably gets paid extra 'cause he has a (non-Cockney) British accent. I ask him about the accuracy of the watch I was interested in (one with these little micro-gas tubes on the hands and numbers that glow continuously for 25 years, cool), and he starts doin' the old double shuffle right away, and I think, loosing some of his accent. I wasn't impressed, it was "certified" to keep like +/- 4-6 seconds a day. And the price was $1000--bargain basement compared to a Rolex which starts at 5 times that and can go for up to $250,000+tax.....but it's certified too.

I asked if they made one with a quartz movement and he shifts the dee ess into high gear, starts talking about prestige, and emotion and style and stuff. IOW, no they didn't make them with quartz movements and apparently none of the high class ones do, he sniffs. I mention I could by a Timex for $20 that keeps time within a second a year. Not too ruffled, he counters that, well, accuracy isn't that important, and a lot of people set their watches 5 minutes ahead anyway so they won't be late. And besides, Hugh Grant wears one, and he's pretty good looking.

???

I think by now even he knows that he's not going to make a sale, so I ask him if he wears one. He says certainly. I ask if he's as good looking as Hugh Grant. He says he's better looking than Hugh Grant. I tell him I might have to come in a see for myself, but under my breath I tell him not to hold his.

I wonder about the next time I'm going to be making a time zone change and have to reset my scratched up Seiko. Maybe next Summer. Eh, what the hell. Scratches on a watch are like scars on people, they show character.

I've been heavily into video games since age seven and had practically every system. It all stopped this generation because I just couldn't merit paying THAT much for a video game console and the steep prices for the games for it.

People say that prodigal is a sin but I found that even my wasteful self had a limit.

When I hear about thousand dollar watches that screams someone has far too much money and wants to show it off to pick up superificial women.

I'm happy with a discounted Timex from Sears or K-Mart. I had one that lasted for a good decade and that is definitely good enough for me.

Ohhh, now, you didn't say that. Everybody knows that K-Mart sucks.

It was their clothing that wasn't all that great, back in the 70's, 80's and 90's it was good for a lot of other merchandise.

I did Sears for clothes. The clothes were cheap but still quality enough to pass. =D

Yeah, Hanes 32.
"Uh Oh, underwear on the highway!"

I'm actually very surprised by your stats that a watch outnumbers by what is second 10 to 1. I have read some articles that have stated the wrist watch is really declining in sales due to everyone always having a cell phone on them at all times. There just isn't much need for a watch anymore.

I have no use for one since my cellphone is always on me pretty much all the time.

I guess men still like them as a sign of "i've done well for myself and would like to show it" and buy the expensive pieces, but really most people have a cell or blackberry that has the time on it.

I was never picky about clothing but the stuff that K was selling in Florida seemed to be misprinted or mistiched clothing and none of it ever fit right.

They had good belts though.

Yeah your probably right. My son doesn't wear one, but he's all the time asking me what time it is cause his cell phone is somewhere else at the moment, and pulling your cellphone out just isn't as quick and easy. Call me old-fashioned I guess, or maybe just old. And since I carry my 45 in my manbag, my cell phone would get all banged up in there anyway.

Maybe that's why there are so many men's watch ads in the WSJ, large population of rich 'n older male readers (course I'm just a wannabe rich).