Wrist Watch

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Early this year I told myself – I wanted a wrist watch. For over a decade now, I haven’t owned a decent watch and there is a reason. Apart from the fact that you’re really never far away from a timepiece if you really need to tell time. The cell phone has it, the PC, billboards, microwave, the VCR/HDD Recorder, TV etc. etc. etc.

I’m actually wearing a wrist watch right now – just as I declared that I want it, I opened a junk mail (real snail mail – not email) and ‘lo and behold – Time Magazine gives out free watches with new subscriptions. Jeanne jokingly told me – there you go – wrist watch, and saves you hundreds of dollars. I said – why not, signed up and today I got the gift and wore it 🙂

Did I say I have a reason why I don’t own a good watch? Well – here’s the story I’ve been telling for a long time now – I might as well write it down.

My first wrist watch is called ‘RUFLEX’, my mother bought it from a traveling salesman – I was about 5 or 6 years old. It lasted about a week – so she returned it (or maybe bought another) and still called ‘RUFLEX’ – this time I took care of it and I think it lasted for about a year.

Then Uncle Ed came home to Baguio for a visit. He is a CPO in the U.S. Navy and, as far as I’m concern, the most generous person I know. We always love it when Uncle Ed is around – we get to try new things and get to buy new clothes even if it’s not Christmas. I don’t know what urged him to give me his Seiko watch – perhaps nakulitan sa akin sa kahihingi.

The Seiko Gold Automatic with 25 Jewels was the most expensive possession I had back then. I wore it everyday and it makes me feel special wearing it. I look after it and was with me for over 15 years. I graduated my Engineering degree wearing this watch.

The only problem with it is its band – the original band went really quick – so I had a string of cheap bands with this watch – fat leather, uncoordinated silver color bands, off color yellow – and at one point I even fashioned a series of safety pins (aspili). It is at this time when Uncle Ed once again was home. He was sporting a quartz Citizen Watch given as an anniversary gift to him by Aunt Del. There is no way anyone could ask this off him (arbor). But he took off his watch and offered that we exchange. He wanted to have mine serviced and a real band fitted in America. We are to exchange until the next time he will come back to the Philippines – whenever that may be. He said, anyone who could keep a watch for 15 years can certainly take care of his watch for a few years.

Unfortunately, my next few years will now be spent in Manila. Sad to say, but my trusting nature was served with a realization that I’m now living in a rather impersonal city. I left my Uncle Ed’s watch next to a sink in an office toilet as I took it off to wash my hands and forgot to put it back. It was only a few minutes when I realize but when I came back – it was gone. I didn’t show any emotions back then but I was very upset. All my friends started looking for it and was raised as an incident in the office. Suspicions were raised and it was turning ugly. Eventually I let go, knowing that who ever took it has now clammed up for fear of dismissal if it was ever found out.

Years later, Uncle Ed would once again come home. I was avoiding him – but he’s a father to me and I enjoy his company so I can’t really stay away. When we had our moment, we talked for a long time but the subject of the watch was not being brought up like the proverbial elephant-in-the-room. We will pause for a moment and go off tangent on another topic.

It was me who eventually brought it up – I asked if I could have my watch back. He gulped and stood uncomfortably – he said, I wish you never brought it up – I’m really sorry but I lost it. It must have dropped off my jacket on a fishing trip in Hawaii. I smiled and inside I was jumping for joy and very much relieved. Then it was his turn to ask – as I told him about my story – we hugged – both relieved that what we’ve been trying to avoid had actually canceled each other out.

Since then, I could not get myself to buy a good watch. I bought dozens of imitation watch in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Canada in some of my trips – but they all lasted no more than my first RUFLEX 🙂