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Hello watch aficionados,

 I recently decided that my oversized black plastic lump of a Casio was not cool nor classy, especially when paired with a suit, or even smart casual (to be fair it keeps good time, it’s rugged and suits workmanlike activities - this is not me hacking on Casio)

Looking at the popular current batch of smart watches, they have all the charm of a printed circuit board wrapped in plastic, and need to be charged more often than my phone to boot!

 I decided that it’s time to go back to something that can’t be hacked, or spy on me and would look good when out to dinner. Not being sure if a mechanical watch would work for me; would it need to be winded all the time, would the time need to be reset every day? I decided I would try a cheap mechanical and try the concept on for size - so I purchased a Vostok Amphibia, thinking that I wouldn’t feel like I’d wasted too much money if it ended up residing at the back of my sock draw. Turns out it’s fantastic! I love the look, it actually keeps really good time on the wrist and it’s become my daily driver. 
 

With a significant birthday having recently passed I decided that I would get something from my birth year as a gift to myself. The Seiko Lord Matics appealed to me as an exemplar of ‘affordable class’ and I found two that really appealed, even better they were birth year and month!

 I’ve never gotten into jewellery at all and don’t even wear a wedding ring but I’ve discovered that mechanical watches are my thing for the gentleman about town. 
 

So now I begin the slow road of learning how to care and maintain them myself and, so far, that seems as enjoyable as wearing them. 
 

Derek

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