Watch me now!

I look at my watch all the time.

It's basically an appendage. I got it years ago. At least 10 years ago, when a much nicer watch I was wearing popped apart when I snagged it on a keyboard tray. I didn't want that to happen again, so I got a sturdy looking Skagen with a stainless steel band and a rose face. The thing I was most excited about was that it had the date movement, too. Just the number, not the month or year or anything fancy.

I didn't want fancy. I wanted practical.

For these many years, it has been entirely practical. I've lost the occasional pin, had a battery or five replaced, and have beaten the stuffing out it. The scratched crystal and band are proof enough of that.

Over the past year, I've noticed that condensation has been collecting, like a small fogged window, on the interior of the crystal after washing dishes...usually at work. I asked a local watchmaker about it, and he said that the parts alone would cost more than the watch.

This week, the watch fell off of my couch and onto my hardwood living room floor. That fall dislodged the crystal. Apparently an insufficient seal caused the fog.

For the next hour after my watch fell apart, I searched online for a new one. I thought that it might be time to update my accessory wardrobe, even with my still uncertain job future. I saw watch after watch. If they had the right band, they had the wrong face. If they had the right face, they had fake diamonds on them. If they had the date function, they were too fancy.

Finally, I looked up the warranty information on the Skagen website. Turns out that all they cover is watch movements, the internal mechanisms. I called to find out how much it would be to fix my watch, and it turns out that it is only $45. That's it. For that price, they will put in a brand new crystal, clean and provide maintenance for the movements and replace the band! They'll even re-seal the watch if need be. I just have to write "refurbish" on the form I send in with my watch and check.

Look out world, my watch will be shiny and like new in 2-4 weeks. Couldn't ask for anything better to make my day.