W is for Watch

I found out the other day that some people no longer bother to wear a watch as there are other ways of knowing the time due to the increase in mobile phone use and the ubiquity of computers. Indeed, when I am sitting at my desk at work I look at my system clock rather than consult the accessory strapped to my right wrist. Yet I still wear a watch and feel odd without one, I know I am not alone in this feeling. Home is usually the place that I need it most but is the place where I will wear it least - it usually gets taken off when washing up or doing something messy, most times I forget to put it on. I need a watch most when I get stuck away in my craft cave for hours with no sense of time. Luckily Radio 4 is efficient at telling me the time, Radio 1 generally isn't.

My first watch was given to me by my grandparents it was a timex with a green plastic strap and my name engraved on the back. When I went to secondary school I had a smart digital watch (hmm can you tell what decade it was) which had a leather strap and not much function - it wasn't one of those bulky nerd type watches which were so typical of the era. I'm not sure what happened to that one but I know I still have my next watch a Swatch watch which were the cool things to have. I could tell the time from it despite many people asking the question "How can you tell the time with that?" - easy have 14 year old eyes. I still have it, it is slightly worn in its original box but the battery stopped some time ago.

After that I went through a period where I was quite good at losing watches or having them scratched, fortunately not a great deal of expenditure was involved in any purchase. One watch I am convinced I mistakenly threw away. My watches were so cheap that I generally bought a new one because it was cheaper than changing the battery. My current watch has a Velcro strap and is reasonably hardy. Its practical enough for me to be bothered to buying a new strap and changing the battery when required. Its reasonably convenient to do so only because there is a small cheap friendly shop in my home town which changes things then and there instead of having to go to the High Street chain of jewellers where a snotty clueless assistant will sneer about sending it away and charging the value of the watch to have it fixed. It is however, not the most glamorous of specimens so I bought a cheap charm bracelet one which is difficult to tell the time from but at least I have my right wrist comfort blanket.

W could also be for winning, wine, wilful, waffles