SWATCH THIS SPACE!

I was at the 30^th 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 21^st 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 …!