Watches and guys

My first watch, the earliest that I could remember, was a Mickey Mouse watch. Mickey's hands were the hour and minute hands, and I wore it all the time. Then it was a steel Citizen digital watch that I wore for years before losing it on a beach during a hiking trip.

What is it about watches than makes men lust for them? Why are there magazines on watches?

Unlike women who have accessories to adorn themselves, men only had their watches. And men can only wear one on their arm. Well, if you're a rebel, you could wear two. But it is that single watch that men wear to differentiate themselves from the rest of the crowd. Why else would you find men wearing watches that were larger than their wrists. The larger, the shinier, the better.

Watches can be generally divided into two groups - Quartz and Automatic. I believe quartz watches are the majority because the mechanism is cheaper to produce and they keep accurate time. Automatic watches on the other hand have complex gears and springs that are powered by the movement of your arm, and aren't as accurate so you'll have to readjust the time occasionally. Naturally it didn't take long before the line between Quartz and Automatic watches are blurred and now there's a third group, the Kinetic watch, a Quartz watch powered by the movement of your arm.

It took me a long time before I appreciated the wristwatch. I prefer the Automatic watch because I admire the engineering behind the complex mechanism that allows the watch to be powered by my arm. There are no batteries yet it keeps time. That amazes me.
This watch is fine for normal situations. But a guy also needs a watch that can keep up with him when he's in the great outdoors. Able to be with him when he's scaling mountains, and fighting rapids.

When I'm in these situations, I wear my Swatch. Some may recognise this model because it's a gift from a HSBC promotion a few years ago. It's a surprisingly tough and reliable time piece that's survived freezing temperatures at Mount Kinabalu and the bumps and grazes from white water rafting.

So when a guy decides its time to get a new time piece, it's an important decision for him. It doesn't only keep time, it also defines him to society.