Telling Time

Recent movies, like Land of The Lost have refreshed public interest in the concept of time travel. I for one, would be happy if people I make appointments with, here in Egypt would at least be on time for meetings in this dimension and space.

Many years ago, when I worked in the manufacturing sector, we often gifted watches and alarm clocks to factory workers. While workers appreciated the gift, it also implied that they now had no reason to turn up late. (Given that the most common reason for arriving late was that they had overslept as they did not know what the time was)

I was gifted my first watch, by my parent when I was 8 years old. I used that same watch until I graduated high school. At this time an aunt gifted me another one. Yes, there was a generation, not so long ago, where watches were used for 10-20 years and more.

Now, there are kids watches like these: which are available so cheap, that I know many kids aged 6 and below who already have a collection of watches in various stages of disrepair.

There was a time when watches were like Jewellery. Carefully considered before buying, a long term investment and carefuly cared for.Sometimes watches had to be taken to jewellers for repair or for a battery to be replaced. So precious and delicate were its internal mechanisms. The trend still continues with diamond studded watches introduced by premium designers. Most big fashion labels, even lend their names to a watch line or two.

The watch is no longer a mechanism just to tell time. It has become an important fashion accessory.