Time.
Time is all that we have. Our moments matter because they are the only thing that we truly keep. Our memories are our existence and our days are limited. I wear my wristwatch constantly as a ticking reminder of the great equalizer. I love a good field watch because they are made to take a beating. This one here is made out of titanium with a sapphire crystal. As far as I am aware, those are the toughest materials for a proper wristwatch. It endures every day life and adventures alike. For me, that means it can traverse the jungle and withstand bush hogging in the heat of summer.
They say that you can tell a lot about a person by the watch that they wear. And I agree but refuse to play along entirely. Time pieces have an interesting history. Before digital technology and batteries, way before the apple watch, extreme craftsmanship was required to create mechanical precision, ticking along on our wrists. Like any craft, watchmakers made complicated pieces individually and by hand. Nothing was made to be disposable but rather to become heirlooms in due time. Perhaps this tradition of quality, made watches a tool and also a luxury. In my lifetime, brands like Rolex, Omega, and Patek Phillipe, while making incredible pieces, are namely status symbols. To me, high-end watches are the more compact equivalent of a Ferarri or Tesla; their emblems are little flags to tell others what you are about and what you have accomplished. Now this is where I prefer to deviate.
I love that my field watch has a sterile dial. My time piece is not boasting my financial status but rather quietly, ruggedly prepared for what I can do. I have worn watches up and down mountains and into burning buildings but that is nothing compared to the battles that similar wristwatches have faced. This unmarked field watch is in the tradition of U.S. Military’s A-11 watch. Through World War II, the Korean and the Vietnam wars, soldiers were issued similar field watches made to technical standards by a variety of manufacturers. These were tough tools, created not for individual expression or status but for perseverance toward larger purposes. Not to say that governmental standards are a high bar, but detracting from name-brand recognition and focusing on resilience and capability do align with my values.
Most importantly, my watch is an automatic. That means that my movements wind its mainspring. The tiny engine inside this titanium case is called a movement, which fits because my life and my actions allow it to keep time. If I don’t wear it, in a day or two, it will stop. The sweeping second hand betrays the harsh ticking of a quartz watch but an ear to the crystal will still let its speedy heartrate be heard. An automatic watch is a reminder that we are entwined with time. Our hearts beat together. Every decision that we make is measured in minutes and seconds. Time is life and our time matters.
My goal is not to be obsessed with watches but rather communicate the urgency that I live with. Again, time is life and time is precious. This doesn’t mean that every moment needs to be stimulation or forward progress but rather intention. I need to deliberately stop some moments to hear others, experience a setting or connect with those that I love. When those pauses end, I need to use my hands and my heart to create things that I care about. I need to build my life with focus. Time should be used to build beauty, art, growth, and memories alike. Stop scrolling and live your moments.
