I was at the 30th birthday party for Swatch last night.
Thanks to Simone, Dee and all the gang for their hospitality; good to meet up
with them, as ever ….
The occasion brought me back in time. I was among that first wave of
people to embrace the Swatch watch. Up to its arrival, watches were nice but
rather fuddy-duddy affairs, a bit like your winter coat, more of a necessity than something you had any great desire
to buy…
You got a ‘good watch’ for your 21st and, if you were lucky
you got another from a boyfriend with serious intentions (it was always seen as
the best indicator of an engagement ring to come!) As my husband and I had a
short engagement we skipped over the good watch stage and I remember my mother
broaching the subject of what watch I was going to wear on my wedding day with
trepidation. “Now, you’re not going to wear your little plastic watch to your
wedding, are you love?” she enquired, adding that she’d give me the loan of her
Omega (as if!) but unfortunately the bracelet was too big so she’d be wearing
that herself.
Can’t remember what I did wear on the day; whatever it was it didn’t
impact favourably on my dreadful time keeping i can tell you that much. I was late, as ever, for my
wedding! But I noticed in some photos I was looking at recently that my original
Swatch was still around a couple of years later when my first son arrived. I
loved that watch which offered a freedom other timepieces didn’t i.e. I didn’t
feel the need to ‘mind’ it, taking it off and on when within six feet of water,
detergents, nappies and all the other regular features in a young mum’s life.
Cue Swatch celebrating 30 years (where did they go?!!!) I’ve graduated
from the plastic but I’m still a Swatch fan. I love their white ceramic strap
version which is a brilliant addition to a summer wardrobe and the blue/grey
faced mid size model I bought last year is so easy to read.
And there you have it — the story of my life told by the Swatch on my
wrist; from practical plastic for a mum too busy to fuss to large faced versions
that I can read without resorting to glasses. Sad….
And, I’m still waiting for the Omega. Sadder …!
