STORY KANNAN CHANDRAN Multi-tasking time machines.
Let’s face it, by the time you get past your 40s, and you need to fish for your reading glasses just to see the time, that fancy watch on your wrist isn’t there to tell time. No matter how accurate it may be, losing a mere two seconds in the next thousand years, it’ll still be a guessing game for you as numbers blur and the 10-minute hands obscure the 10-hour hands on your ten or so different watch faces.
In that foggy face of despair, you lean over to your partner and under the pretext of whispering something romantic in her ear, ask her rather sheepishly for the time.
Not surprising then, that watches with faces and numbers to rival Big Ben have grown in popularity. Chronoswiss, for one, makes some hefty timepieces that could almost enable a blind man to read the time.
While the simple watch can just tell the time, it’s a far more versatile instrument.
It’s a piece of jewellery most of the time. Especially for men, who have so few things to accessorise with -– pens, watches, a few rings, some chains if you’re a rapper, sharp clothes, snazzy shoes, a hat to look out of place in, a fast car. I mean, that’s about it, isn’t it? Not much to go on. So, why not a nice watch? Or a few, to really give yourself a versatile wardrobe?
Besides telling time, of course, watches have that wonderful ability to break ice. Especially if it’s diamond encrusted. Just think of the impact a Gerald Genta would have at a party. Not only is it tough for anyone to steal the time on one of its jumping hour pieces on your wrist, you’ll have all your guests’ children wanting to be your friend just because you’ve got a Mickey Mouse watch. You may feel goofy letting them paw at your tens of thousands of dollars’ investment, but if their parents are as influential as you think they are, it’s best to cringe and bear it.
Speaking of baring it, you may want to check out Antoine Preziuso’s risqué Hours of Love timepieces with the karma sutra poses on your wrist. At the wrong sort of party, you’ll find your wrist being slapped by horrified guests. Then again, you might find yourself being led by the wrists…
And don’t lose your way just because you’ve suddenly become starry eyed. Watches can come equipped with compasses to help guide you to true North.
Then again, maybe you might want one with an in-built camera, to catch every piece of the action. With digital photography inbuilt into increasingly smaller containers, why not have one strapped onto your wrist? After all, digital cameras have clocks on them, so it only seems fair.
If you are the sort who must be precise and accurate all the time, you may be compelled to strap on one of Breitling’s watches with the slide rule on the bezel. The Navitimer has a great slide rule that will do all the tough sums for you, provided you can see the tiny digits.
Breitling also has the Emergency watch that allows you to send out an SOS. Be careful how you handle it though. Once you’ve activated the signal, you’d better be in trouble, or else, you’ll wind up in trouble with the authorities and Breitling, who will confiscate your watch and probably banish you to walking around with a sun dial.
And as technology continues to evolve in leaps and bounds, who knows when a Dick Tracy walkie-talkie-TV watch may be something to get turned on by. But then, make sure your eyes are up to reading those sub-titles. Oh, and the time. S
