- It must be pleasant to the eyes
- It must have clear and visible dial
- It must be rugged and robust
- It must give me a peace of mind
- It must be super affordable
- It must be with rubber/resin bracelet
- The functions must be practical
- It must be light
- And finally, it must last a long time
So here are my watches in term of preference:
I have to say that my number one all time favorite is the Casio Tough Solar. When I wear the watch, it's like wearing an old jeans. It just fits in.
I also like the well defined analog dial. It is green, my favorite color. The Tough Solar battery had been going on for 7 years. It was considered cheap at the time I bought it in 2013 (RM260) and it is a truly get up and go watch.
The beauty of the Tough Solar lies in the 10 minutes preset timer. Very practical indeed:
- That is how long to cook a hard boiled egg
- That is how long to cool a hot drink
- It is an early alert for me to get ready for my morning exercise
- It is how long I need to withstand hunger pangs
- And it is would you believe, how long to fill Lizzie's cup on a daily basis
When I am in the CCC, I wear the Tough Solar as the second watch on my left hand.
It helps that it has hourly beep and 5 alarms. There is no snooze.
The only setback with the Tough Solar is that the date and the day is not on the same screen. Otherwise this is a perfect timepiece.
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Next on the list is the G-Shock Mudman. With the positive dial this is quickly gaining my favor just like the negative dial model that I had before except this is a better choice.
I like the black and red accent a lot. I would say that red on black is my most favorite color combination. It resonates a no nonsense attitude. Well suited for its purpose which is primarily as a sports watch.
Hence I set the time to 1 hour for my daily exercise and prior to this for my weekend tennis. One hour is also a perfect time for me to get things done like writing, reading and taking an afternoon nap.
The dial is very visible at a glance and I like the part where I see the day and date with just one look.
Everything about this watch is perfect. If not [] the digital look, this could easily be my number one. So it loses in terms of fitting in with my outdoor clothes.
Between the Tough Solar analog dial and the Mudman digital dial, I still prefer the former. It gives the feeling of a classic timepiece.
Nevertheless in term of practicality, the Mudman tops them all.
The Mudman could have been an ideal watch with an hourly beep. However, what it loses out it gains back with the snooze.
Note 27/10/19: My mistake. It has hourly beep. It is also a NASA Flight Certified Watch. So it is indeed an ideal watch.
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In the third place is the G-Shock Indulgence. I call it Indulgence because this is truly a vanity watch. The shining dial is so captivating. Although this is my most expensive G-Shock (RM343), it's not the most practical for sports. It is too vain to be roughened out.
The pleasure of owning the Indulgence is in the viewing. It also gives me the feeling of owning a luxury item with the glitters. I like the feeling. For a very reasonable price, the Indulgence makes me feel like a million buck.
Also, it gives the impression that it is stealth with the graphite look a[s] a flash of metal. Much like a Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk or a Lamborghini Veneno.
The best feature of the Indulgence is the ability to start the stopwatch with the press of a button.
The light is double illumination, which is quite practical.
The day and date is on the same screen. I also like the part where it has a second hand movement. That qualifies it as a horology in my book.
Although pleasing to the eyes, the negative display is certainly not to my liking. However for the watch to have its aesthetic look, the negative display is necessary.
I set the timer to be 1 hour. Therefore it is a backup timer to the Mudman.
It's not as practical as the Mudman but I bought the watch for a different purpose. I simply wanted a good looking analog that can display day and date at one go.
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Now, I don't own this watch yet. Thus it's only fair that it takes the fourth place. Personally I am not too hot about the rectangular design. I got this because of the historical significance. Also, this is to complete my collection as a watch collector.
What can I say, this watch got it all; legacy, affordability, functionality and popularity. I guess I have to get used to having a legend among the pros.
I look at the G-Shock Limited Edition as a superstar among heroes. With it's reputation as a collector's item, definitely I am a bit cautious to roughen it out.
It's strength will be the 24 hours timer. I will set it to 2 hours so that I can have double the duration to read, write and nap. Nowadays the new tennis slot is meant for 2 hours. So this will [m]e my long haul carrier.
I'm sure once I get it, I will enjoy owning it. It has all the ingredients to be a superstar. Certainly I will push it to it's limit like my other watches.
I expect the Limited Edition to take over the Mudman in tennis and since it doubles the timer, I do hope to make it as a daily beater especially as a watch to wear in the afternoon.
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Since I wear my watches in pairs, I plan to buy this Casio Tactical as its partner:
This cannot get any better at RM118. They will be the cheapest pair in my collection; my CITIZEN SOLDIER VARIATION.
I have not decided on which HDC-700 model yet:
This is a complete waste. It serves no purpose except to pair with the Limited Edition. I think I'll pass.
I say the Limited Edition is a class of its own. Beyond this point there is no more joy in adding another watch to the collection. The Limited Edition is the end all be all watch to close the chapter on my indulgence as promised.
I told you that it is very hard for me to let go of my indulgence for watches.
Whaddaheck, I'll buy this to pair with the Limited Edition. I never had a gold dial. I shall call it Casio Black Gold.
It will make a good pair since both have a touch of gold on the dial.
For the price, I like the specs very much:
Measuring unit: 1 second
Countdown range: 24 hours
Countdown start time setting range: 1 minute to 24 hours (1-minute increments and 1-hour increments)
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Here are the honorable mentions:
In terms of beauty, this is the fairest of them all. This is a Limited Edition number 0839/2500. I usually wear this as my showoff watch. In terms of practicality, the bracelet is the fastest to put on. So this can also be the grab and go watch for me.
I use this sparingly because it is truly a delicate piece of machinery. As much as possible I don't want to scratch it.
This is a solar watch. That's the best part of it. I would say the Seiko SNE 451 is a royalty among my watches. So regal is the watch, it is impractical for roughing out.
Everybody needs one fancy watch. For me this is it. However I don't get peace of mind wearing it. I am always too cautious. So I say I love the watch but it's not a beater.
Nevertheless it qualifies as my only bracelet watch and my formal function watch. I got to have at least one of those.
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At one time this Garmin 25 is my running watch. However there is an issue on the Bluetooth quality and I cannot sync with my phone. Nowadays I don't use it for running because I don't clock in the mileage.
I had another *[another] Garmin before this. Garmin is one of those highly priced unreliable product. The strap broke after 2 years.
* Very interesting Sarah. I knew that you are a runner all along.
So I guess if I am running far again, this might be useful since it has a GPS feature. But nowadays, I don't measure my run by the distance but by how long I run. In a way I under utilized it's true potential.
I still like it because it is unique and I like the large numbering. It is a perfect second pair watch to the Seiko SNE 107.
Nevertheless, this watch is a class on it's own. This probably the only watch I need to measure my distance. I will not upgrade to another Garmin considering I only run in loops at Bukit Kiara at best. However if this Garmin ever breaks, I will probably replace it with the Garmin 35. They are damn expensive just for me to clock in my mileage.
Since the time syncs well with the atomic clock, I use it as my morning alarm together with the phone that starts my day with Spotify. So I get song and buzzer sound starting at the same time.
For a while it was my daily beater. Unfortunately the Casio watches are better at it. I am still very fond of this watch. Lets hope the rechargeable battery can make it long enough.
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Although this is my least preferred watch, it is only fair that I am comparing it with the most practical watches in the world. As I said, between form and function, in my book function wins all the time.
There is one major flaw with the Seiko SNE 107; the watch is a bit small to my liking. Otherwise it is a damn well respected watch among Seiko fans.
I use it with 3 NATO straps; the James Bond, the Olive Green and the Black. It is a very good looking watch. For a long time I am extremely happy with the SNE 107. I still do.
With the SNE 107, it's like owning 3 watches:
Last place here doesn't mean the worst. It's just that the other watches are far superior in meeting the evaluation criteria.
I hope you can see why I am crazy about all my watches. They are the best value for money. That's why I don't mind spending on the Casio Black Gold. It completes the set. Otherwise I won't have my CITIZEN SOLDIER VARIATION.
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These are not just things to me. They are beings. When I say they are VARIATIONS, they really shape up my Meta Model.
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Epilogue: Although I spend the whole day reminiscing about the watches in my collection, I don't feel that I am wasting time at all. In any given situation, I do spend considerable amount of time appreciating other things the merchants flog in the internet. There is a tendency to yearn for more or more expensive things of the same nature. It is part of the consumerism mentality. We always want more; forgetting that we already got plenty to be grateful to start with.
As you can see, my indulgence are watches. What you don't see are other things I collect. Like the rest of the consumers out there, I tend to buy in excess. Books I don't finish reading, a collection of knives I forgot I have, clothes that are hanging in my closet too many to wear, shoes for every occasion, bags of various sizes piling up in my CCC and [] that is not enough I still surf the ne[x]t looking for newer, better and more expensive gadgets.
When is this going to end? Well, it ends with the completion of my watch collection. The minute I stop buying more or more expensive watches, the rest of the hedonic consumption stops.
Instead of more or more expensive, I am now aiming for less or less frequent. That includes food consumption which is the cause of my current discomfort and ailment. I finally realized that when I was having issues of weight and inflammation, the root cause of my deteriorating health condition is my inability to withstand hunger. I was unable to restraint myself.
At the same token, I realized that the source of my happiness is not about having more or more expensive stuff but rather my ability to live in gratitude and below my means. Less is more. The less I have the healthier and happier I am.
Hence this is where I draw the line. The purchase of the Casio Limited Edition and the Black Gold will be my farewell to the life of hedonic adaptation. I now look forward to a modest life of appreciating what I already have. For a start I put a cap to all future purchases UNLESS something need replacement albeit perfumes, earphones and cars even.
I will still buy things, I am not forgoing the material world and opting for asceticism. However rather than going for austerity I choose to be sensible with my spending. As I always remind myself - NO MONEY IS DESPAIRING. The only way to financial freedom is not in the earning but in the saving.
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Footnote: I really feel I should end my watch collection with the Limited Edition. That's what it is all about; a beginning of a new era. I don't need the Black Gold. It is an anticlimax after I decided that the Limited Edition is the perfect ending.
OK Sarah, no more watches and no more senseless buying...
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