I dunno...Maybe I
was being a little harsh with that
"Well...Bye!" crack. I'm sure there must be at least a couple-few regular working Jamokes like me up against the wall now as a result of Motus folding down its tent. For them I feel bad. But a new $40,000 motorcycle checks all the same boxes for me as a Rolex. My $11 Wallyworld watch does everything that "Oyster Perpetual" does and
more (
i.e., not merely time and date, it also tells me the day of the week in English, Spanish or French,
comme je le souhaite). It's waterproof to 100 feet--far deeper than me or my snorkel may ever want to stray, and it's accurate enough for that first manned mission to
Proxima Centauri. This particular Plain Jane model with date AND day with a "Japan Mov't" that one occasionally finds salted sparingly amongst the other less worthy but often "blingier" and "farklier" crap in the racks is just a good simple hard-wearing timepiece. It turns out, its Japanese movement is absolutely identical to the one used in some Seiko models costing at least ten times that. So there's that going for it. Sadly, you won't find them offered online. You'll just have to get in there and rummage through the Wallyword racks like the rest of us, Keanu--Your
Matrix money's no damned good here.
Truly, if you're looking for a cheap yet thoroughly decent stocking-stuffer for a favored nephew or niece...maybe one who's just off to college, interning somewhere, or simply hitting the workplace for the first time, to help them be wherever the hell they ought to be on time, then why not give them the "Gift of Anachronism?" Get the little bastard a
Big-Boy Analog Watch, so maybe he'll stop constantly bugging oldsters like me about what time it is. (Answer: "Time to get a watch, son. Now get off my fuckin' lawn.") Here's what to look for whilst also mulling over your adult diaper options:
That's basically it style-wise. They also sometimes have gold-plated versions with
maybe a nanomicron's worth of coating, but good old stainless steel's clearly the better bet for the long haul. Just look on the face for the date AND day of the week and the text "JAPAN MOV'T" down by the "6". That's your best buy right there.
As for treating yourself, go ahead and stuff that snooty glad-handing Rolex right back into the showcase. It won't help you when your phone's GPS craps out whilst you're on your Bullet somewhere in Amish Country miles from the nearest cell tower. Instead, for just about a Franklin you can splurge on one of those
Timex Intelligent Quartz Tide Temp Compass Watches. Like Enfields, they like a little fussing with and proper calibration from time to time, but it's real easy to do, and when you have to break out those charts or maps, at least you'll have some idea which way North is on a cloudy day or starless night without licking nearby tree moss or some other Eagle Scout shit. For those coastal or estuarial boaters amongst us, they're also handy for knowing how the tide's ebbing or flowing. For me, it certainly makes launching at or near high tide, when it's easiest, a lot less guesswork. I've got 'em in both black and white, and won't sail without one on: