by Garrison Frost

Driving up Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach the other day, I couldn't help but notice that the new Union Bank on the corner (OK, it's not all that new) has a working clock on the side. And while there is nothing otherwise remarkable about this modern beige structure, the fact that its designers opted to include a working clock on the side is an elegant nod to the stately concept of community buildings that once reigned in commercial building. Moreover, building a clock on the side of their bank was another contribution to my personal campaign to rid myself of the wristwatch.

Now, I like a good watch as much as the next guy. Some of the best designed personal accouterments have been wrist watches. I particularly like the heavy slap-of-metal designs for sale at local surf shops these days. Good functional design. However, my own liking of the watch aside, I can't justify wearing one.

In my drawer at home right now are no fewer than four watches that don't work. When the last one went out for good about seven months ago, I ventured out of the house unsure if I would arrive on time or know when to leave. I had allowed watches to govern my every action and now I was untethered. But, it turned out, there was nothing to fear. This is the secret that Timex and Casio and Rolex don't want you to know: you don't need a watch to know what time it is.

That's right, the time is in your car, on your computer, on the wall at work, on the wrist of the guy standing next to you, on that ATM or credit card receipt you got just a minute or so ago, on the cash register, on your Palm Pilot, on the telephone, on your cell phone – and thanks to the folks at Union Bank, it's on the wall of a giant frickin' building in the middle of town. Really, if you need a watch to know what time it is, you just are not aware of your surroundings. A wristwatch, frankly, is downright redundant. It's as useful as a bracelet, because that's what it really is: an ornament for your wrist. Don't even try to talk to me about functionality. If you don't need it, it's not functional.

And that's why I can't see myself buying a new one, ever. Sure, I may fix up one or two of the old ones in the drawer for special occasions. But really, it's not a big priority. I'm just fine without it.

(August 5, 2003)

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