The watch repair concessionaire at Sears was offering a three-dollar off sale on new batteries this week, so I thought I’d go take advantage of it. This involved finding all the watches which need them, of course, and I suddenly realized how many I have. A Longines bought in 1984 in Lucerne, a Bulova Accutron bought on Kwajalein in 1977, two Seikos (one gold, one silver) bought who knows when, and a Timex bought by my parents as a gift (mostly because it has a Zuni watchband similar to these) back in the early 1990s. Why do I need all these?
Anyway, I start taking them down to the watch shop, and I learn that the Longines stem is broken and has allowed water to seep in, causing an estimated $160 worth of damage to the interior. I then learn that the Timex (my second-favorite) has plastic innards and would cost about $60 to repair. Fortunately, the Accutron is still functional with its new battery. It, however, has a big 1/4-inch thick case and weighs about six ounces; I damn near broke my wrist while rolling up my car window this afternoon.
Next step? See if the silver Seiko can be re-energized with a battery and then put on to the watchband formerly on the Timex.