Watches have shaped history, from the pocket watches in the waistcoats of Western settlers to the Omegas on the wrists of the Apollo moon landers. Watches can be mechanical marvels that push the boundaries of technology and style. Watches tell a story, a time and place with people you care about, doing things you care about.
The watch someone wears can tell you a lot about them, from sentimental and scientific automatic enthusiasts like Mr. Luther, to fashionable and en vogue quartz users like Mrs. Luther, all the way to business-minded digital users like Mr. Ricitelli. Pawprint sat down with each of them to examine their timepieces and determine how their choice of chronometers connects to their personalities.
Many people know Christopher Luther is the vice principal of Morgan. What some people may not know is that he is a huge watch enthusiast. Anyone who has visited his office can tell by his collection of clocks. Due to his background in science, Mr Luther is very interested in the mechanism, saying, “Because I’m a science guy, the science of it is kind of interesting to me, you know, it’s a little machine.”
What he likes most, though, is the memories and the history. “I have a cool watch that I have had now for 30 years, and it’s my when I started teaching watch, which I think is cool.” Overall, the sentimental aspects of a timepiece are very important to him. He added, “That’s what I really like about clocks; they’re with you – through the birth of my sons, I was wearing it. You know, if you take a family photo, you can look in the background, and there’s a clock there, and those clocks and watches can literally last forever. Like, you could just keep fixing them.”
Mr Luther said that, especially with the current trend of planned obsolescence in tech and a rise in fast fashion, a beautifully complex machine that can be nearly endlessly repaired and last for generations is a true treasure. As Mr. Luther said, “Some of the clocks that I have are from the 1800s, and they still work. You can get them fixed, and it’s worth getting them fixed.” When asked about favorite brands and styles, Mr Luther said, “I like watches that you can wear anywhere. Sports watches, those are my favorite.”
Though not as much of a watch fanatic as her husband, Spanish teacher Laura Luther can also appreciate a good watch. Much like Mr. Luther, she especially appreciates the sentimental aspects of a timepiece. “The one I wore today, I got it after my sons were born. So it means a lot to me when I look down at it; I think of them.”
“ I have another one that’s silver that I wear quite frequently, and I actually wore yesterday, that my husband gave to me for my birthday before I had them. So on my 30th birthday, I got that watch. So those two watches mean a great deal to me.”
One thing about Mrs. Luther is that she wears two watches. When asked why, she responded, “I have an old school watch because I believe in classics, but I am really into fitness; I like to work out, so I have a Fitbit, which is digital.” She uses her Fitbit to track health data and exercise information, due to her enthusiasm for athletics, like boxing and running.
Students in her Spanish classes will also remember getting caught sleeping or looking at the clock, and having her take her watch off and set it in front of them. “ I had my head down on the desk, and she walked over and took off her watch. She placed it on the desk and said, “Porque estas cansada?” said sophomore Julianna Clados, Print Editor for the PawPrint.
Unlike the Luthers, Ryan Richitelli, an economics teacher, prefers a simpler, one-watch collection that reflects his efficient, no-nonsense approach to business and life, saying, “One watch. That’s it. Okay. That’s all I need. That’s all I want. I don’t want it to be expensive. I don’t want it to be cheap. I just want it to work. I just need to keep track of time.”
You can find him wearing a well-loved Timex Expedition digital version with a black rubber strap. He said he has had it for about 20 years and has replaced the band a few times. Although he had a more expensive Luminox watch in the past, he lost it while cliff diving and realized that an expensive watch did not fit his lifestyle. He said, “I can’t have nice things. I break ’em. So, this one’s great. You get some spray paint on it, you just scrape it off. You get scratched, I don’t cry about it. The band breaks, and it disappears, or it gets to the point where it smells like a sock; I just get a new one. So, yeah, I love this watch.” All in all, his choice of watch represents his simple business, get-it-done mentality.
So, whether a watch is all business, more beautiful and mechanically complex, or connected to memories with people you care about, timepieces can tell a lot about people. And, if you look a little closer, you can find out more about the things that make people tick.
