Larry Jaques wrote:

On Tue, 01 Mar 2005 21:23:12 GMT, the inscrutable Badger
spake:

Larry Jaques wrote:

Now where in HELL can I buy a nice, discreet Casio watch
with NO bold and colorful printing smeared all over it? I
like Casio's countdown timers and alarms far better than
Timex.

Me? I'm harder on watches than my body. I use stairs and
ladders exclusively, thanks. Ouch! Your story hurts just to
READ!

I usually damage the lens before 3 years are up. Finding a
nice plain watch nowadays is nearly impossible. Rats!

Back in the days when I was /really/ rough on watches - and had
managed to destroy five watches (a casio, a TI, a Bulova, a
Timex, and another that I can't remember) in a single month - I
went to a little jewelery store in Fayetteville, NC (Hatchers
Jewelery?) and told the owner that I wanted a watch that'd take a
/real/ lickin' and keep on tickin'.

He said he had just the watch. A bit pricey (almost $300!), but
carried an unconditional guarantee. I gave him half of that and
told him that I'd be back next payday with the other half to pick
up the watch. He surprised me by telling me to put the watch on
and that he expected to see me on payday...

It's on my wrist now. Since then it's survived horrific
ill-treatment - everything from really lousy parachute landings
to salt water sailing and diving to years of EMF in a lab - and I
don't think I've ever not worn it in the shop. I did once manage
to shred a stainless band; but that accident didn't damage the
case. With a "tune up" every ten or twelve years, it's stayed
accurate to within a second or two a day.

The manufacturer's current offerings have become IMHO /too/
pricey; but it might be worth looking for a /used/ plain vanilla
Rolex. It'll probably outlast the wearer.

....Oh yes, for anyone wondering - I did go back the next payday
with the other half of the payment.

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/solar.html