Monday, December 2, 2013

How Did I Start Collecting Vintage watches!?




How Did I start Collecting Vintage watches?
Well, when I was young, I lived in Kane Road, I was not supposed to have dinner every night…

If not, then my mother would bring me walking up across the road and there, at a small lane, we could see some of the rich families having dinner, a long table that we could see a few people taking their dishes, under the warm white cozy lighting, as what Chinese say “One soup and four dishes”
OMG, in my child’s days, we hardly had a “One Soup and Four dishes”… We used to have one or for better days additional one more dish, that was it…
That was all my days I could remember when I was in primary school as a kid.
Sooner later, when I was out for School, I was given 1.4 dollar a days, I spent 30 cents for Bus No. 13 from Kowloon City to Prince Edward Road where I studied in Queen Elizabeth Secondary school for the F1 and F.2 as our school was not completed yet, That was my glory days as when Friends of mine asked me where I was going, I said, “Queen Elizabeth School” Loud enough to let more passerby heard about it… In fact My school badges written : “Kwun Tong Government technical School” which I believed no one heard of…
Yes, I am the first year student of this school. I still could remember we had two students entered the University of HK… at that time… this was the University everyone was dreaming of. I had no luck …
I never took bus as I walked from Kowloon City to Mongkok twice a day in order to take the 30 Cents bus money, Our classmates used to eat Pork Chop noodle Shanghai Style that was $1.2, whilst I used to take Yeung Chun Noodle (pure noodle) as it was only 60 cents at that time…
I kept saving money to buy my toys, since than I could not feed my stomach by I was very happy as I had some of the wonderful toy I could dream of; the Hood, The Blue Devil, or later on the Yamato warships.
That was my days when I was young, until one day my father bought us a British made “Bush “  Black and white TV, I remembered my old man told me , it was HKD$1,100. That was quite a bit of money at that time, as we could possible buy a Rolex Date Just two tone Pink gold and steel with HKD$1,760 back in 1967.
Nowadays the kids are spoiled by their parents as it seems many of the people are living much better than that time we were 40 years ago. My daughter had just talked to me why I did not Change the Samsung Note III from II and she was in many cases, signaled me to buy a new house in a better environment, she Told ne somewhere is Kowloon Tong is very quiet and nice to stay… I was unable to tell as under this pay-cut hay days, I could possible sell my last kidney for paying the rent… how dares she could talk to me to change a new home!? She dare as there is no cost incur with it... but I have…
However, when I could recall, I feel that the time when I was young was so nice, simply because I was poor and I treasure everything I could afford to buy, since that I started a hobby to keep the best toys I had, and sooner the best Watch I could buy… That is what I always proud of and I still keep some of the Old Watch I bought, Like the First Rolex Orchid Watch for my mother… this watch has a special meaning to me. I gave to my mother, and later she gave it to my first wife, and sooner later after ten years, I gave it to my second wife… not long ago I returned to my mothers. And now my mother is quite old and she does not need a Rolex with some sands at the bezel, she gave it back to me…
That is why I started to have passion to collect old vintage watches as it always bring me a lot of Nostalgia and tenderly feeling about the good time I had …

HK Snob
Watch Fever 

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