The beginning..
(The past 40 years)
Pain, hardship, disappointment and many other negative feelings are felt when it comes to watches. Perhaps, that is why, a watch, any watch would not be on any of my wrist for two consecutive days. They are cumbersome, they are bulky and they feel like a lesion on my body. Then how is it, I really cannot explain this, that since the last month, I have purchased 5 Casio g-shocks and am looking for another hundred by trolling the web?
I remembered, my first watch. It was a Garuda. My late mother brought me to a small watch shop, and while both she and he discuss as to what is good, in terms of value for money, I was looking at the mickey mouse watches. I was looking at the hands, more specifically and wondered if the Mickey will dislocate his shoulders should the hands go around? I guess he did not. That must explain why he did not get hurt in those television shows.
The actual beginning...
(April 2013)
My nephew wanted a watch. I know about this as his grandmother, my mother-in-law, told me during one of those precious family dinners that I enjoyed tremendously. Great, I thought. I can save up and get a great watch, maybe a Patek, maybe a Rolex or a smart looking Citizen. At the very least, a Swatch. All Swiss made... all automatics. And I can get them for somebody who likes watches!
My nephew, casually, mentioned that he wanted a g-shock.
Aghast and a-shocked that my nephew has gone the mainstream route in looking for vindication in his existence, I had an uncle-nephew talk. Not that I am against Casio, but I am against non-individuality. I am against letting any of my kin, whether by law or by blood, follow the mainstream in dictating one's individuality. As corny and as confusing as that may sound, I don't think another Levi's revolution is good for the society's morality. I mentioned another watch, a Seiko and ask him, my perennial favourite question when I want somebody to see things my way, "why not?" He looked at the picture on the macbook, and said "Ok." Great, job's done. No cheap plasticky watch in the family. He shall have one and that is the end of it. I can buy him when his birthday rolled in in July. All this lasted for the next 45 minutes on the trip back home. It lasted until I switched on my Macbook and google g-shock. O-M-G!!!
This is still the beginning...
They were like candy on the open shelves. They are like, easy pickings. There are not that expensive. For a working adult, one can easily afford a different one every other month at least. They are so colourful! There are reds, yellows, greys, blues, and many different shades of blue, and greens. And do not, never, ever, discount the appeal of those oranges... They look so good, good enough to eat. Did I mentioned that there are whites too... And those straps, those resin straps. SO soft, so malleable. Dare I likened to a baby's bottom? Yes! I do! And for those who are picky, some models comes in leather straps, some comes in canvas with metal hoops... Hoopy!
I broke into cold sweat every night with images of whites, red, greens, and blues swirling around in my head. They are like sheeps but instead of putting me to sleep, they want me to switch my Macbook on.
Instead of waiting for my nephew to choose his Seiko. I chose a G-Shock for him. My very first, technically its his, but I am wearing it now, so for "now" it is on my wrist, ergo, its mine. Its white with blue accent. It has analogue hands and digital numbers that change every second. And it fits nicely on my wrist. I actually wore this to sleep. I bought it and wore it for ten minutes before my son asked for it. That lasted for 18 hours before my nephew decided that he got to have that. The straw that broke the camel back? That was the one. I went back after a dinner that I did not like all that much, g-shockless...
And then I google g-shock again and I came across this website. Watchspree. Rows and rows of g-shocks, deliciously photographed. All waiting to be picked like ripe oranges from its branches. But those delicious oranges did not get to me. Wary of websites I hardly knew, I enquire from friends. Some said the prices are reasonable, while others say that I can get it cheaper. "The Bencoolen" was the answer. And so I went.
Its a dingy not that modern but brightly lit shopping center, with only one floor for shopping while the rest are office space. There are 5 shops where watches are sold and that, my friends, are 5 watch shops too many. And when I did ask as to how did my friend know about this place, his reply was, he gets his watches from there. "Watches?" How may you may ask? The last time I checked with him, he said he had about twenty or more. Oh wow! He must have a garden with all those g-shocks tree growing in his 5 room HDB flat. I must have influence another friend too. Because this other friend, bought 3 more in a space of about a month which makes his collection a good round, even, lucky number 8! And then it occured to me, it hit me like a shock resistance g-shock hit my head. Everybody, that I know had one or more than one! I knew there and then I have to catch up. And so I did.
The continuation of the the beginning...
I bought a black one. It has rose gold hands. I figured, if I want to start a collection, I should have something unique in every single one. And so I chose a black one and what is unique about this one is its rose golden hands. I like it so much that I emailed the website checking for availability. I bought it, even when they had not put it up yet. It was one of my most expensive purchase yet! But I really love the rose golden hands. It was so hard to justify the purchase, but was soooooo easy to click on the mouse. And what a joy to have it delivered. Trembling were my hands when I tore open the cardboard box like a hungry wolf emptied of sheeps to eat. It was a sight to behold. It was so comfortable to wear, it was too delicious to eat. It is now, with my nephew. My quest for uniqueness continues. It almost ended when I saw the yellow one.
It was unmistakable yellow. It has yellow hands and they are so legible. I can easily tell the time as yellow contrast heavily against black. I believe Allah S.W.T has lead me to this yellow for a reason. And whatever the reason, I bought it. The straps are a glossy yellow. It shines like I have never seen anything shine like it before. Living things in the animal kingdom are now afraid of me as I an, in their eyes, poisonous. Ah! The influence of power. That is until my wife saw my collections and wave the many white envelopes and said, "real men pay the credit card bills on time". I cried.
Is this the end?
I really do not think so. I have only 5 at the moment, and there are so many others. If I am not wrong, a collection becomes a collections when you have at least a dozen or two. But it goes without saying, wants are infinite, needs are not. And I NEED the square one...
"Why not?' Said my wife.
Sob.
