No Apple today keeps the bill collector away

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Well, the watch counter with its helpful, knowledgeable clerk is gone and has been replaced by a set of shelves in a narrow aisle.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.