3.9.15 Spring forward

Did you set your clocks and watches forward over the weekend?  I did - and I don't care about giving up and hour of sleep on Sunday morning. I'm just happy we are moving towards more hours of daylight, the promise of spring and bluebonnets.

As I've said before, I think of watches as functional jewelry and I love my Rebecca Minkoff Baby G.  However, because I only do it once every six months, I forget how to toggle between the standard and daylight savings settings, so I have to check the manual.

Daylight savings instructions for Casio Baby G

Resetting my watch made me think about my mom's mechanical everyday watch.  I remember seeing her wind it in the mornings as she got ready to leave for work.  She bought this beautiful white gold Tissot on a trip to Europe with my dad during the 1970s. Because it sat in the box with her other jewelry for several years, it was in need of cleaning and restoration when I decided I was ready to start wearing it.

Once again, I turned to the fine folks at Russell Korman Jewelers - they are a licensed Tissot dealer, and their watchmaker, Dennis Warner is terrific to work with.  Mechanical watches are truly works of art, and the folks who build and repair them are true craftsmen.

Mom's 1970s white gold Tissot

 
I got to know Dennis initially when he rebuilt a watch I planned to give my husband as a gift. My husband is not much of a jewelry person - but he loves watches.

1970s Omega Seamaster DeVille

As a teenager, my husband had received an 1970s Omega Seamaster when he earned his Eagle Scout.  It was stolen while he was in college - and he never really got over it. With the help of some wonderful folks on vintage watch blogs, I found a dealer who had the watch - although it was not in working order.  It was, however, in very good condition, except that it needed a new wristband - and Dennis helped me find one of those, too - from a person in Australia who sold "new old stock".

When I gave the fully restored watch to my husband - he was speechless - and I knew my gift was a success.  He wears it almost every day (even though over the course of our marriage I have given him a total of 7 watches).

I change my watches up a little more than my husband - and when I want a watch for a special occasion, when I just want a dressier watch, or if I just feel like having a little bit of Mom with me, I reach for her Tissot, wind it up and off I go.

Until next time.