I say it proudly—I’m a Luddite. I hate modern technology. One of the many reasons I hate it is the death of the little niceties of life, graciousness and charm.
One of the most charming of the neglected niceties is wearing a beautiful wristwatch. No one, except myself, wears a watch today. They look at their cell phones to see the time.
Ever tried wearing a cell phone on your wrist?
Until fairly recently, a lady or a gentleman was known by their beautiful watch. Ah, those were the days. Watches were beautiful pieces of jewelry. They still are, but no one wears them.
I have a number of watches. Two have enormous sentimental value. One is a covered diamond watch that my father gave my mother for her birthday. Today I wear it with great pleasure.
The second is a pocket watch that belonged to my grandfather. When he came here from Russia, he brought it with him. I wear the watch on a velvet ribbon around my neck and the pocket chain around my wrist as a bracelet.
I also have a watch I bought myself in Switzerland and an absolutely beautiful gold one by Tissot that I just bought. It certainly is much more chic and stylish than a cell phone.
I’m sure people still have watches from the dear old days when they wore them. If someone is lucky enough, as I am, to have a pocket watch belonging to a father or grandfather, why not take it out and wear it around your neck on a long velvet ribbon?
I think if people started wearing watches again, they'd regain the pleasure they used to have of wearing something beautiful.
Miriam Silverberg is a freelance journalist and owner of Miriam Silverberg Associates, a boutique publicity firm in Manhattan. She may be reached at [email protected]
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