When I was around nine or ten it seems like we went to Santa Monica beach a lot. My dad loved to swim and body surf, so I did, too. Pretty soon I decided I needed a dive watch so I saved up my allowances and bought real a dive watch, or so I thought. Bear in mind this was about 1970. The first time I wore the watch in the waves of the blue Pacific the case was half-filled with water by the time we got out. 

Sigh.

I was in high school by the time I bought another watch, a Timex Ironman. I loved that watch and got me through college and beyond. Then there was another long dry spell.

It was in 1997 that I got interested in Swiss and German watches. At the time, retail on an Omega Seamaster Professional was $1750. I really wanted a white dial with the polished bezel so I found a watch pusher in Beverly Hills from whom I bought most of the watches I would buy new for the next decade or so. The deal was less 30. I loved those days.

Later, I started buying used Speedy Professionals. At the time, on the used market, they cost around $1000. The lowest price I ever got for one was $750. I also had an Omega X-33 (first gen) that I bought used with box and papers for $675. All it made me do was to want a second generation watch since I far preferred how it looked. The X-33 was and is a fantastic watch. If you get the chance, I highly recommend it, to paraphrase Ferris Bueller.

The weird thing is Omega cases of that era did not sit well on my wrist. I eventually I tried a Breitling SOP at my watch pusher’s store (Westime) and was surprised by how perfectly it sat on my wrist. I also enjoyed the slightly greater case thickness that made the watch sit up just a tad higher.

That black SOP was my go-to for the next decade. I paid $900 in a face to face in West Los Angeles. The only downside was that the bracelet didn’t have enough links to fit me without it being way too snug. So, I put a WTB ad up at TimeZone, not realizing how unlikely it was that I’d ever find a link donor. Then, and this was right before Christmas, a guy in Zürich popped up and offered to sell me two links. Right when I was ready to send him payment, he told me not to bother. He would send them to me free, even paying for postage. See? There are some really nice people in this hobby.

Other brands that have crossed my path have been Universal Geneve (back when I occasionally wore dress shirts), Fortis and Stowa during my pilot period and a lovely Longines two-register pilot watch that I unwisely sold to my brother. At least I can visit it when the spirit moves me. 

Suddenly, a few years back, pretty much all of my watches were gone, sold and traded away. All that remained were a couple micros, an Armida (recently sold) and a Deep Blue (still, in a drawer, I think). The last man standing is a dandy Seiko 7002 that’s for sale right here, right now. It is a great watch but is another case style that simply does not suit my wrist. I will hate to see it go even though I never wear it. Even though t’s for sale but I don’t really care if anyone buys it. I’d be Ok with it living on my bedside table so I can occasionally have a look at it for the rest of my days. Odd thing, I believe the 7002 is the only Seiko I have ever owned. Weird.

Yes, that brings me to the Casio G-Shock GW-M5610U-1b. Yes, it’s my first G-Shock. Who knows if it will be my last but I think it marks what I can only think of as a circular evolution when it comes to watches. When I was a kid, I was all about functionality. Later, when I had a few bucks I appreciated the quality and style of the Swiss houses. But, and I know this doesn’t apply to everyone, the hobby became less fun as the prices floated ever higher. 

And, of course, the cost effect goes well beyond watches. I was playing tennis the other day. My hitting partner had just been to SoFi Stadium. I asked him how it was, knowing it was likely a huge step up from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the Rose Bowl. He said it was fantastic but for the staggeringly high price of — everything. I asked him how much it cost to park. He said $100, for the cheap parking!

Today, the price of Swiss watches reminds me of $100 parking. Playing in the micro brand pool alleviated the sticker shock but the sense of sameness of the micro designs saps my interest. But I missed wearing a watch. When people would ask about me always wearing a watch, considering my phone gave the correct time I always had the same comeback. 

Well, my phone is in my pocket and my watch is on my wrist.

My G-Shock may well be the end of the circle for me. I can pretty much guarantee I will never buy another Swiss watch, certainly not a new one. And, sure, I might miss the pleasures of that experience but then again maybe I won’t. When I was in the process of deciding which G-Shock to buy I thought about insisting on sapphire. Then, I rethought things and decided to go as modest as I could while still getting the entirety of my functional demands (display size, case size, case thickness, solar and auto time set) and that drew me to the humble 5610. 

My G-Shock reminds me, a little, of the Timex Ironman that served me so well when I was in college. Owning watches has been a fun ride and one I still enjoy, even if the ride is so different than it used to be. Either that, or it’s almost exactly the same.