What watch were you wearing in grade school?
Crunch Nation, show me your watches from back in the day! Do you still wear any of them? How did the wearing experience influence your current collection?
I’ve recently located a box of my old watches from 2009-2014ish, purchased before I had any idea what I was doing. In my spare time, it’s been really fun to get them cleaned up and working again, and it got me thinking about what other had enjoyed in their youth. Does anyone else do this?
If you want to hear more about my discoveries, read on:
Growing up, my parents were very practical.
My dad always made sure I had a watch - a Timex Ironman. He wore the same. I think I had three of them in total - a couple got worn out, and another eventually lost its WR and turned into a mini swimming pool on my wrist.
Right around 2009 or so, I suddenly discovered the idea of fashion. My peers started to care about how they looked and what they wore, and I did the same. With this being solidly pre-Apple Watch times, it was all about fashion watches. I’d cruise online retailers looking for something cool at a bargain price.
Some of those finds, like my Timex Weekender Chrono and my Casio MQ24, have stood the test of time - I still wear them regularly!
Others fell by the wayside - usually cheaper, low-quality off-brand fashion watches.
From left to right:
1. Kenneth Cole “Unlisted”. It’s a quartz dinner plate. Build quality so terrible that it deserves its own post, with a disgustingly misaligned “12” on the dial. It makes me chuckle. But this was a gift from my mother in high school, delivered alongside matching cuff links and a tie clip, to ensure I looked “proper” for school dances. I revel in its unabashed s***iness.
2. Flūd…something. This one is definitely “a lot”. As a HS sophomore I thought this thing made me pretty cool. Delivered with three interchangeable NATO straps to show off the camo dial, it was almost illegible even in good lighting.
3. Naviforce pilot’s watch. Took a while to get the battery changed, as the screw-down caseback seems to have been glued on there with the force of Atlas himself. I really like the style of this one, and it’s actually quite a practical dial. Handset is a bit short, but I could definitely wear this one around as a daily. It is, once again, gigantic. How did I wear these as a kid with such dainty wrists?
4. Breda faux-diver. I love the white dial on this watch. The numeral font reminds me of the gauges on my family’s Volvo 850 GLT. The immovable plastic bezel built into the case is heinous, but I do commend myself for at least finding an appropriately sized, somewhat dressy watch.
5. Winner skeleton. This one is actually a mechanical manual wind! A birthday gift from some close friends of mine, paired with black leather racing gloves. They told me wearing them made me look like Ryan Gosling in the movie Drive, citing my passion for cars. I still cherish this as one of the most thoughtful gifts I’ve recieved, despite the silliness. Trust me, you won’t mistake me for Ryan Gosling. But I’d never part with this watch.
Thanks for reading all of that long rambling post. Show me what you got!
Car enthusiast who recently bridged interests into all things horological.
Fashion watches are hit or miss. Every now and then you'll find a dial that truly stands out and goes well with specific outfits or certain occasions. Or you end up with one that blends in with a lot of other styles with the added detriment of having a fashion label emblazoned on it. It's kind of a balancing act. That said, they are a good starting point for getting acquainted with that subjective sense we call "taste" and eventually finding what defines you. For example that Naviforce one has a very clean look to it and looks good in and of itself. The Skeleton one is pretty cool but will be up to the personal tastes of each person. All in all they seem like stylish options that were up to the tasks you put them through. And ofc they garner that sentimental value of accompanying us through some awesome years.
As for me I grew up when miniaturization was the name of the game so having a calculator that can fit on a wrist was novel AF. All the kids I knew wanted one. My dad brought home a no-name cheapie calculator watch that I adored but stopped working pretty quickly. Eventually I was gifted a proper Casio that I still wear to this day on occasion.
Fashion watches are hit or miss. Every now and then you'll find a dial that truly stands out and goes well with specific outfits or certain occasions. Or you end up with one that blends in with a lot of other styles with the added detriment of having a fashion label emblazoned on it. It's kind of a balancing act. That said, they are a good starting point for getting acquainted with that subjective sense we call "taste" and eventually finding what defines you. For example that Naviforce one has a very clean look to it and looks good in and of itself. The Skeleton one is pretty cool but will be up to the personal tastes of each person. All in all they seem like stylish options that were up to the tasks you put them through. And ofc they garner that sentimental value of accompanying us through some awesome years.
As for me I grew up when miniaturization was the name of the game so having a calculator that can fit on a wrist was novel AF. All the kids I knew wanted one. My dad brought home a no-name cheapie calculator watch that I adored but stopped working pretty quickly. Eventually I was gifted a proper Casio that I still wear to this day on occasion.
Love a Casio calc watch. I don’t own one, but my Casios are certainly the watches I’ve owned the longest that I still come back to, namely A168 and MQ24.
I think the fashion watch thing was good for experimentation at the time - developed styles and tastes for certain design elements, which I have enjoyed discovering again at higher points of quality (and price) with the brand heritage to go along with.
Cheers, and thanks for sharing!