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WISenheimer
- Posts: 311
- Joined: May 6th 2024, 8:36am
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Intro Outro
Hi guys. I was WIStful nee robatsu. Changed email in my profile and my account was automatically deactivated.
Wanted username WISenheimer, thought it was clever, but old age presbyopia struck again and a typo got past me.
Speaking of old age and watches, I got my first watch age 10 in 1969. Though a cheapo manual wind thingie, it .was a real big boy pants thing. I was enchanted by the lume, used to marvel at it in bed at night.
I needed a watch because I got a paper route and the far more desirable morning route because it had the Sunday paper. About twice as many as got the full week subscription. 30 vs 60. Plus you made more on each Sunday paper vs weekday/Saturday editions, 10 cents vs three cents.
The reason for more Sunday papers was the big full color comics section and one of the most popular strips then was Dick Tracy and a major prop was his watch.
It was essentially a smart watch and was as much a promise of the future as jet packs.
Still waiting on the jet packs but the Dick Tracy watches are here, common and cheap as dirt.
Mr. _recliner has made some comments how Seiko doesn’t even want to make watches, useless mechanical watches. My goal recently has been to put a ribbon on my watch interest that goes back to 1969 and I gotta say I have come to agree with our Aussie friend.
If you had told me or anyone else in 1969 that people would be eschewing essentially free Dick Tracy watches for mechanicals at thousands of dollars, it would be the craziest thing you ever heard.
But here we are.
What does this mean? Watches are now become jewelry. Period. Some minor, limited utility but jewelry front and center.
I have never been a jewelry guy. Only piece I ever had was some 80s gold chain a gf gave me which I never wore because I thought it fey.
Kinda hard to unsee this.
I am excited for solar sumo GMT to arrive, just to have a cordless battery free portable atomic clock around the house that I can take with me on occasion. Maybe keep the Seiko Slim Willie for old times sake.
As for old times. . .
My first true diver was Seiko’s and the worlds first quartz diver, the 7548-7000 released in 1978 as a JDM only model at first and cost as much an Omega Seamaster. I got mine, an orange dial 7548-700C in 1979 when stationed in Okinawa.
Really a great watch, wore it for years. Very durable and shock proof. On terminal leave in 1980 from USMC, riding home on motorcycle, I was struck by lightning.
Direct strike too while going 70 mph on freeway. I crashed and nearly died, bright light at end of tunnel, but managed to pull through. Was paralyzed from neck down for a while during which time top neurologist said no hope, find a home to live out your days. Turned out he was wrong thankfully.
Anyhow the Seiko was completely unfazed both from the physical impact but more remarkably from the electromagnetic effects of a direct lightning strike especially it being an electronic device.
Been fond of Seiko and especially their divers ever since. So that is my excuse for hanging on to a couole of anachronisms
p.s. Googled The Emperor Penguin. Piece of work to say the least, total bag of dicks. Worse than me.
Wanted username WISenheimer, thought it was clever, but old age presbyopia struck again and a typo got past me.
Speaking of old age and watches, I got my first watch age 10 in 1969. Though a cheapo manual wind thingie, it .was a real big boy pants thing. I was enchanted by the lume, used to marvel at it in bed at night.
I needed a watch because I got a paper route and the far more desirable morning route because it had the Sunday paper. About twice as many as got the full week subscription. 30 vs 60. Plus you made more on each Sunday paper vs weekday/Saturday editions, 10 cents vs three cents.
The reason for more Sunday papers was the big full color comics section and one of the most popular strips then was Dick Tracy and a major prop was his watch.
It was essentially a smart watch and was as much a promise of the future as jet packs.
Still waiting on the jet packs but the Dick Tracy watches are here, common and cheap as dirt.
Mr. _recliner has made some comments how Seiko doesn’t even want to make watches, useless mechanical watches. My goal recently has been to put a ribbon on my watch interest that goes back to 1969 and I gotta say I have come to agree with our Aussie friend.
If you had told me or anyone else in 1969 that people would be eschewing essentially free Dick Tracy watches for mechanicals at thousands of dollars, it would be the craziest thing you ever heard.
But here we are.
What does this mean? Watches are now become jewelry. Period. Some minor, limited utility but jewelry front and center.
I have never been a jewelry guy. Only piece I ever had was some 80s gold chain a gf gave me which I never wore because I thought it fey.
Kinda hard to unsee this.
I am excited for solar sumo GMT to arrive, just to have a cordless battery free portable atomic clock around the house that I can take with me on occasion. Maybe keep the Seiko Slim Willie for old times sake.
As for old times. . .
My first true diver was Seiko’s and the worlds first quartz diver, the 7548-7000 released in 1978 as a JDM only model at first and cost as much an Omega Seamaster. I got mine, an orange dial 7548-700C in 1979 when stationed in Okinawa.
Really a great watch, wore it for years. Very durable and shock proof. On terminal leave in 1980 from USMC, riding home on motorcycle, I was struck by lightning.
Direct strike too while going 70 mph on freeway. I crashed and nearly died, bright light at end of tunnel, but managed to pull through. Was paralyzed from neck down for a while during which time top neurologist said no hope, find a home to live out your days. Turned out he was wrong thankfully.
Anyhow the Seiko was completely unfazed both from the physical impact but more remarkably from the electromagnetic effects of a direct lightning strike especially it being an electronic device.
Been fond of Seiko and especially their divers ever since. So that is my excuse for hanging on to a couole of anachronisms
p.s. Googled The Emperor Penguin. Piece of work to say the least, total bag of dicks. Worse than me.
