I’d always secretly admired my cute little watch, with its even cuter metal strap. It actually lasted a long time, considering it was very inexpensive in the first place. But all good things seem to come to an end. Most folks change their watches before they’ve had them more than a couple of months, or at most, after a couple of years.
So I admit, it was a minor heartbreak when that dear little one, with a slim metal bracelet, finally refused to be eligible for any kind of fixing. |
“Good watch” he said, showing me one that was definitely bigger. “You will never need to do anything to it.” I must put a strap on it for you. You like this one?”
It was more a statement than a question. Then he completed the strap installation. I put it on. That was it. No fancy box. No ad literature.
The year was 2004. The watch was a Citizen. It has continued to valiantly keep time all these years. Every now and again it would be inadvertently soaked in a shower, or subjected to mud from the garden, but it always seemed to just keep its clear face and continue on its task of accurately keeping time.
He looked at it, then brought out a magnifying glass. He looked again, turned to me and said, “I can’t change this battery. I’m not allowed to. It is an eco-battery. I would have to send it away, and it would cost you at least $100 for a new one. That’s not including the labour!”
Hmm. Not gonna happen right now. I’d have to think on it. Could that estimate possibly be true?
At home again, I turned to my trusty Google. There it was, a 56 page manual all about Citizen watches!
It’s winter, remember? The manual notes that wearing long sleeves all the time can put the Citizen into crisis mode.
The cure? Put it under light for an hour or so, and it will revert to normal 1-second time keeping.
I placed the watch carefully on my end table in the living room. It almost seemed to be gasping as I removed it from under my long sleeved jacket!
Since that fateful day the Citizen has been treated to at least an occasional burst of light each day.
I can’t help wondering how many Citizens have needlessly expired over the years in bitter winters! I’m also hoping to hear of your experiences or observations in the comments section below!
New Zealand Flax
Any green parts you see here mean that new growth is taking place. I just hope it will return to its former glory.