The month was November, the year 1970, when I wandered into a drug store and happened upon the new December issue of Popular Science in the magazine rack. The cover photo took my breath away -- an assortment of complicated watches, staring back at me. The cover story: "Those Wild Watches with the Built-In Brains." I bought the magazine, took it home, and plunged into the article, devouring the various descriptions of these watches that did so much more than simply tell the time. I had just started high school then. It was a time before the advent of personal computers, smart phones, i-this and i-that. For that matter, even pocket calculators were only just starting to make an appearance. So, in that era, these watches seemed nothing short of miraculous to me -- sophisticated tools that one could strap to the wrist, and an endless source of fascination.
Truth be told, in thinking back on it, that article really gave birth to my interest in watches, and it probably explains why I have always been drawn to watches that do a bit more than simply tell the time. That Christmas saw the appearance of my first "serious" watch -- a Clebar chronograph. I just couldn't take my eyes off of it -- I felt like a million bucks, knowing that one of these special watches was now on my own wrist. I was on Cloud 9.
Incredibly, all these years later, I have been able to time travel back to that magazine rack, thanks to The Google. Thought I'd share a virtual copy here, for anyone who might care to take a peek...
