Only Serious Timepieces Need Apply

I recently had a watch stolen from my suitcase. (I'm pretty sure I know which organization of anti-Fourth Amendment criminals took it but that's another issue.) I bought this particular watch a year ago to celebrate a new job. I absolutely loved it. The two tone design (steel and rose gold), and the combination of a black leather strap and diamond face, made it extremely versatile. So after failing to recover it I went on the hunt for a replacement. This is what I discovered.

• This particular watch was only produced for a limited amount of time (no pun intended) and was no longer available.
• This watch was a Bulova analog chronograph which would hold it's value for, well, pretty much ever. Replacing the exact watch was a smart move since I'd only paid 1/4 of the retail price for it in the first place. (Classify this as "Never Pay Retail For... Watches.)
• The new digital Apple watch has just hit the market at some ridiculous price, thus I'm expecting the Apple II next-gen watch sometime next week. Digital watches are still of no interest to me. They never hold their value and frankly, never look good on. I'm old enough to remember the first ones and the snob appeal that came with them. Nothing has changed.
• My choices were limited if I wanted the features I valued in this model. Steel and rose gold with a leather strap is a combination not often found.

So I looked at other options, keeping in mind that summer is around the corner and maybe a lighter look would work just as well. 

After considering various "designer" brands, I came right back to the analog watchmakers I trusted: Bulova, Seiko, and yes, Timex. Don't get me wrong. Fossil and Michael Kors make some lovely watches. But by-and-large they charge the same prices for "crystals" as Bulova charges for actual diamonds. And I am just a girl after all. Given the choice, I'll take the diamonds all day, every day.

So I did buy a different watch. Another Bulova with a leather strap and diamonds. Found it for 1/3 of the retail price. Lovely watch but... just wasn't the "go with everything" piece I'd hoped for.

Long story short, I found one site online that had two of the original watches left. They were the demos. I didn't care. It's like having a good friend back in town.  And I learned something about watches. The classics keep their value for decades. Look on ebay and you'll see. Diamond Hamilton and Bulova watches from the early to mid 1900s STILL go for the same or more than these newer ones. Someday my son's wives will thank me.