Deputy Watch

Today I did a difficult and painful thing - I sent my beloved watch away in the post!

It needed to go. Not only were the batteries fading and the compass no longer working, but the strap had fallen to bits, so it was time to send it away to get fixed properly - new batteries, testing for water resistance to 100m (not that I go diving, but it's jolly useful to be able to wash one's watch under the tap when it gets grubby), and a new strap.

Last time the batteries needed changing (see the end of this blog post) a friend did it for me so I didn't have to be parted from the watch. However, this time it has gone off into the big wide world without me in order to get properly fixed up.

So, I needed a stand-in, and here it is. I'd rather go out without trousers than without a watch (yes, I'm that obsessed with the time) and the last substitute watch I had has conked out after spending several irritating months in my study beeping at 24 minutes past every hour.

This one feels very small, and has hands rather than digits, but hopefully it'll enable me to cope during the time my real watch is away. Fingers crossed!

The only really crazy thing about it is the word "Citron" on the face - I shall think of lemons every time I look at it!!!