As "I Love The '80s Week" draws to a close, I'm wearing my classic Timex Ironman Triathlon watch. This one I bought in the late '80s or early '90s specifically for bicycling. As I mentioned before, I could have probably bought a G-Shock for about the same price at the time, but the connection of the Timex to the Ironman Triathlon race made it a natural pick. When I was about 13 I got a mountain bike, but lack of mountains, trails or any other off-road areas meant I did a lot more road biking, so I purchased a road bike soon thereafter. Also, during that time period mountain biking was still gaining popularity while road biking was already huge, so it was easy to find on-road rides with clubs or groups. So yes, back to the watch, it has seen thousands of bike miles and excelled at being unobtrusive, durable and legible. The strap broke at some point and the watch was tossed in a drawer for a number of years, but a few years back I found an identical replacement strap and replaced the battery and it has worked great ever since. Recently, Timex issued a 20th Anniversary Edition celebrating 20 years of Ironman Triathlon models. I also have one of those and will probably be wearing it soon.
Ok, this is more like it. Real '80s style straight from the '80s. This Techno-Sphere model was part of the Color Tech collection and was released in 1985. I'm pretty sure it was my first Swatch, and as you can see, it has not lived a pampered life. If I recall correctly, I did like the Swatch Jelly Fish but it was a little too common and mundane for my tastes. I was definitely into the lime green and pink color schemes of the day, showing up on everything from freestyle bikes to skateboards to surfwear, so the Techno-Sphere was an easy choice for me. If you're not familiar with Swatches, well, read up a little. You'll find that they are surprisingly important in the history of wristwatches. Also, if you're a fan of modern Swiss watches, most likely you've heard of some of the brands owned by the Swatch Group. So back to my watch: I like it, but it hasn't really stood the test of time. I mean, it runs fine, and it looks ok (teenage abuse notwithstanding) but for me it will always be a nostalgic piece, definitely stuck in the late 1980s with very little relevance to my modern watch collecting habits (less so than even a vintage G-Shock I'd wager.) I suppose I should wear it once in a while, just for kicks, and to remind me of the days I could feed my still young watch obsession with $35 Swatches from the local mall.
My watch today is the final Alpha currently in my collection, but I'm bound to add more in the future. It is in the style of the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean. I do have a real Omega Planet Ocean, and I've had it for a couple of years, much longer than I've had this Alpha. This Alpha is not as nice as the Alpha Seamaster, so it's not really fair to compare it to the real thing. First off, I have the 45.5mm version and the Alpha replicates the 42mm version, but even keeping that in mind, the Alpha does feel flimsy compared to the real Planet Ocean. The case and bracelet quality is good, but they cheaped out on the clasp (the Alpha Seamaster had a much nicer clasp) and the case has a very plain back. One item that I think is a "flaw" on the Alpha is the white date wheel. All the Planet Oceans have black date wheels and they look much nicer behind the black dial, but I'm sure it's a standard Alpha wheel and it wouldn't be cost effective (cheap) to make a whole run of black ones for this single model. Also, the Alpha is rated for 3ATM water resistance, which puts it in the "splash proof" category, certainly not for prolonged water exposure, like, say, scuba diving, snorkeling or even in-pool lounging. So, I can see yourself scratching your head, "But Jason, if you already have the genuine article, why mess around with this cheap Chinese junk? And just how long is this post going to be? My attention span has its limits you know." Well, those are good questions. First off, because my Planet Ocean was so expensive, I really don't wear it that much. Unlike the rich people who have one, I would be absolutely sick if I damaged it not to mention considerably poorer if I had to send it into Omega for repair. Now, frankly, I don't think about it from that angle very often, but after wearing it for a week or two straight I start to feel like I'm tempting fate. And forget about taking it on vacation. To me, that's just asking for it to be stolen, lost or damaged. I certainly will have no such reservations with the Alpha. Second, while the Planet Ocean bracelet is very nice, some times we watch people like some variety so we change out bracelets for straps, in leather, rubber, canvas or nylon, or anything else that we think might enhance the look or put a new twist on a watch. Now, my understanding with the Planet Ocean is that changing from bracelet to strap and back is no walk in the park, due mainly to the tight tolerances and limited working space. There is a tool that makes reattachment of the bracelet easier, but it runs $100+ and I haven't yet bit that bullet. I did pick up the authentic Omega Planet Ocean 22mm rubber strap and buckle (which makes the watch look like this) for a couple hundred bucks, but haven't been brave enough to put it on yet. So, with that all out in the open, I'm sure you realize that not only is the Alpha probably easier to change the bracelet on, but I also don't care if I put a scratch or two on it in the process. I already have a leather strap with orange stitching that I'm dying to try out, and I'm sure there will be plenty of others. And if one suits the watch particularly well, maybe a similar strap will find its way onto the real Planet Ocean. As for your attention span, well, you can always just look at the pictures.
As "I Love The '80s Week" draws to a close, I'm wearing my classic Timex Ironman Triathlon watch. This one I bought in the late '80s or early '90s specifically for bicycling. As I mentioned before, I could have probably bought a G-Shock for about the same price at the time, but the connection of the Timex to the Ironman Triathlon race made it a natural pick. When I was about 13 I got a mountain bike, but lack of mountains, trails or any other off-road areas meant I did a lot more road biking, so I purchased a road bike soon thereafter. Also, during that time period mountain biking was still gaining popularity while road biking was already huge, so it was easy to find on-road rides with clubs or groups. So yes, back to the watch, it has seen thousands of bike miles and excelled at being unobtrusive, durable and legible. The strap broke at some point and the watch was tossed in a drawer for a number of years, but a few years back I found an identical replacement strap and replaced the battery and it has worked great ever since. Recently, Timex issued a 20th Anniversary Edition celebrating 20 years of Ironman Triathlon models. I also have one of those and will probably be wearing it soon.
