Minimalism for me: My watch collection

I own 5 watches. Just putting it out there. This may not sound very minimalist but I can’t imagine getting rid of even one of them.

I’ve decided to take the principles of minimalism and adapting how they apply to me as I want. This means I don’t strive for an absolute minimum of items (which I personally think is silly anyway and still shows an obsession with objects, just in the other extreme then). Instead minimalism for me is cutting out the things I don’t use or wear and making sure every item I do own has a story and a unique part to play in my life; be it functional or sentimental.

So while I only own 3 bras (but all well fitted) I do have 5 watches.

My watch collection has grown over the years. Most are pretty old and were gifted to me. I also wear a watch every day, everywhere. I like to match up my watch with my outfit or how I am feeling that day. In that aspect I guess I use them not only as functional items but also as accessories I can use to express myself.

Here is a break-down of my watches:

1.       Neon green with yellow trim Time Force

This is my oldest watch. I was gifted it by my grandmother when I turned 12. I even remember going to the jewelers and getting to pick out the model I liked myself. I was so proud of it and wore it pretty constantly for the next few years. When I was 18 I had to go back to the same store to have a few links added as the band was getting tight. I misplaced this watch for a year or two but found it again last year during my massive purge/re-organizing stint at the bottom of an old jewellery box. I was very happy to start wearing it again.

This is my happy, colourful watch. I wear it on days I need a pick me up and when I am feeling good. I also like to wear it when I am sporting brighter colours and I have a citron top that almost exactly matches the yellow of the watches trim so will often pair them. This watch makes me smile and I think part of that is because of all the things this watch reminds me of; it’s been part of my life for so long.

2.       Black face with silver link cK

Another gift from granny. This one I received as a graduation gift after university. I was 23 and we went to the same jewelers as where I got my Time Force piece. Again I got to pick it out, my grandmother pushing slightly into the more formal/classic looking pieces.

This is now my fancy, going out watch. I do not wear this watch every day and I do not wear it to work. I do wear this when I want to feel especially pretty. I can wear it with my black dress and then I am all set for a night out.

3.       Light blue plastic Casio

This is my most recent addition. It’s about a year and a half old now. This is also the only one on the list I bought myself. Me and DH have an English couple as friends and we always admired their matching Casio watches (she had one in pink and he in silver plastic). So when she said they could bring us back a set from the UK the next time they were there we jumped at the opportunity. I choose this light blue and DH his favourite colour orange.

I love how retro this watch feels. I like that it also harks back to a childhood time. It is also my only digital watch so I have used it to time things as well. This is the watch I wear to exams and most often at work. It is also the one I sometimes place by my bedside at night since it has a light-up screen if I want to check out how late it is.

4.       White with silver strap art deco Kangol

I own two Kangol watches. My aunt used to work for Kangol as one of the senior buyers and would often travel all over the world (she would often jet off to Japan which we thought was very exotic). When I was in my mid-teens (13-15years old) she would often bring us back samples. My sister and I loved it, we used to get make-up, watches and tonnes of hats, once or twice we even got a bag or a T-shirt. These two watches are still from that period.

This white one is my favourite watch to wear in the summer. It has a slightly art deco feel and has a date on it of 1934 (apparently the date of the original design). So while it is more recent then that it does have that old-time classic look. I am appreciating this watch more and more and I would say this is the one I wear most often.

5.       Large white face with black strap Kangol

This watch is old but feels brand new to me. Why? Though I received it when I was about 14 I never actually wore it. I always packed it away as I found the face too large and thought it looked out of proportion on my slim wrist. I did keep it though, through all these years. After last year’s purge it re-surfaced with my Time Force watch and I wasn’t sure what to do with it. I offered it as a gift to a friend or two but no-one seemed interested. I figured I would try and wear it for a bit and then donate it if I still didn’t like it. I have now been wearing this watch on and off for about a month. I am starting to like it. I like that it seems tougher then my other delicate watches. I wear it mostly paired with a black leather bracelet strap. I’ve decided to keep this watch now.

So that’s my collection. I like how all these watches are quite different from each other. It gives me the opportunity to select exactly which one suits my current mood/outfit best. They vary from playful to sophisticated and I like how all of them have some history or back story.