Some time ago I bought a Timex from a local jeweler, but I soon became annoyed with it. I found it hard to reset the time, especially when the day of the month had to be reset on non-31 day months. I had had a previous Timex that was a bit easier to use, but it wore out.
I started lusting after an Apple watch because I thought, like my other devices, the calendar would be reset automagically at the end of the month and that it would always be synched with some time standard.
But $250 for just that feature seemed a bit steep. I wouldn’t use the exercise features, and I have an iPhone for listening to podcasts as I exercise. It would be nice to say, “Hey Siri, when is the bus coming.” The big drawback for me was that the Apple Watch had to be recharged every 18 hours in a special stand. Best Buy did have an ad for the Misfit Vapor that was about $200, and Misfit’s website had smart watches for less. But still…
I decided that I would visit our local Target store to look for some of the less “exciting” watches I bought years ago. I remember them having a watch counter with dozens and dozens of styles.
Well, the watch counter with its helpful, knowledgeable clerk is gone and has been replaced by a set of shelves in a narrow aisle. I saw some of the Seiko models that I had years ago. I think these were in the range of $50. But then I saw a familiar Casio among the Seiko watches. It was only $19.99. It had all the easy to use buttons to change the time, day, and month. As I stepped away from the shelf, I saw the next shelf to the right was filled with Casios. Many thanks of the person who left the Casio with the Seikos.
Once I got the Casio home, I found its most serious drawback: instructions that are very hard for seniors to read. I remedied this by visiting the Casio site and downloading the direction to a PDF file. I expanded the file to a comfortable viewing size and started in on the electronic playground. The only foreseeable problem is the band wearing out and a replacement being hard to find.
I also found out that it has a replaceable battery with a seven-year life. Also I can change the over-the-counter battery myself with a jeweler’s screwdriver, which I have. That certainly beats charging every night.
Showing posts with label Timex. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Timex. Show all posts
Monday, March 05, 2018
Sunday, January 08, 2017
More jobs that never returned
And they are not riding beneath the streets of Boston.
Film processors and film manufacturers.
Once upon a time, it was easy to get a job at Kodak in Rochester making film. Now it is hard to even find a place that sells film. The new jobs, but not many, are converting slides and photos to digital images.
Parking lot attendants
Parking meters on streets have been around for decades, but often parking lots had attendants who either parked your car or took your money when you left. At least on parking garage in Duluth is fully “automated”. You take your ticket when you enter, go to a machine to pay when you leave, and insert the ticket at the gate. Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport has more automated exit gates than attendant gates.
Longshoremen
One hundred years ago there were 40,000 longshoremen in New York Harbor. Now most of the work is done by less than 3,400 longshoremen in New Jersey operating cranes and straddle carriers. You have to read “Along New York Harbor, ‘On the Waterfront’ Endures” to get an idea how big some of these straddle carriers are. http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/06/nyregion/new-york-harbor-on-the-waterfront.html
Shoe shiners
How do you shine “athletic” shoes? It is rare to see a man wearing glossy dress shoes. If you wear glossy shoes you will either have to polish them yourself or go to a major airport. I know there is no shoe shine stand in the Duluth airport.
Movie ticket sellers, ushers, and projectionists
Once upon a time ushers found a seat for you, then they only took tickets, now there are hardly any neighborhood movie theaters. Until I was in high school, I could walk to a movie theatre. Then I had to go downtown to see a movie. Now there are only four movie theaters in Cleveland proper. Surprise, two neighborhood theaters that I had walked to still exist, but there is only one downtown theater.
Watchmakers
A well-crafted watch, even for middle-class people was a pride to wear. And if it had a problem, there were several watch repair shops in any major city. In Duluth, Google lists four watch repair shops. None are downtown and one is Batteries Plus. I think the last, and probably the others as well, offer only battery replacement. There are two downtown jewelers who sell watches and change batteries.
You can probably see ads for fine watches on sites like the New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/, but few of would consider them.
I think the reduction in watchmakers started with Timex. Just looked at my wrist: I have a Timex. $50 at a downtown jewelry store, after the buttons on my previous, more fancy Timex, became inoperative. Was there anyone to repair it for less than $50?
See also "No, the jobs never returned”.
Film processors and film manufacturers.
Once upon a time, it was easy to get a job at Kodak in Rochester making film. Now it is hard to even find a place that sells film. The new jobs, but not many, are converting slides and photos to digital images.
Parking lot attendants
Parking meters on streets have been around for decades, but often parking lots had attendants who either parked your car or took your money when you left. At least on parking garage in Duluth is fully “automated”. You take your ticket when you enter, go to a machine to pay when you leave, and insert the ticket at the gate. Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport has more automated exit gates than attendant gates.
Longshoremen
One hundred years ago there were 40,000 longshoremen in New York Harbor. Now most of the work is done by less than 3,400 longshoremen in New Jersey operating cranes and straddle carriers. You have to read “Along New York Harbor, ‘On the Waterfront’ Endures” to get an idea how big some of these straddle carriers are. http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/06/nyregion/new-york-harbor-on-the-waterfront.html
Shoe shiners
How do you shine “athletic” shoes? It is rare to see a man wearing glossy dress shoes. If you wear glossy shoes you will either have to polish them yourself or go to a major airport. I know there is no shoe shine stand in the Duluth airport.
Movie ticket sellers, ushers, and projectionists
Once upon a time ushers found a seat for you, then they only took tickets, now there are hardly any neighborhood movie theaters. Until I was in high school, I could walk to a movie theatre. Then I had to go downtown to see a movie. Now there are only four movie theaters in Cleveland proper. Surprise, two neighborhood theaters that I had walked to still exist, but there is only one downtown theater.
Watchmakers
A well-crafted watch, even for middle-class people was a pride to wear. And if it had a problem, there were several watch repair shops in any major city. In Duluth, Google lists four watch repair shops. None are downtown and one is Batteries Plus. I think the last, and probably the others as well, offer only battery replacement. There are two downtown jewelers who sell watches and change batteries.
You can probably see ads for fine watches on sites like the New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/, but few of would consider them.
I think the reduction in watchmakers started with Timex. Just looked at my wrist: I have a Timex. $50 at a downtown jewelry store, after the buttons on my previous, more fancy Timex, became inoperative. Was there anyone to repair it for less than $50?
See also "No, the jobs never returned”.
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