I was hit by a wave of motivation on January 1st. Naturally, this came after the regret of only sleeping at 06:00 dissipated and after I managed to get my car keys out of my locked car. I’ve always been cynical of the whole “New Year, New Me” idea. Never have I seen it last more than two weeks. Most watch people say that they won’t buy any more watches in the upcoming year, which is a philosophy I am not in need for just yet. So that beggars the question, what are my new years resolutions?
Firstly, I want to move my collection upmarket. I’m not exactly sure of how this will work, but my plan is to sell the odd watch that collects dust and put that money aside for future purchases. I don’t know how to move upmarket, because I already have a few premium watches. Any more upmarket and I will be spending more than I should or would be comfortable with. (Be more concise, try, “I don’t have the slightest idea how I’ll be able to afford it often enough to avoid buying cheap fixer uppers to scratch the tinkering itch.” — Ed.)
This next resolution isn’t about watches. I want to finally put myself first. I love my family, yes, I really do, but damn it eighteen years has been long enough. I love them, but that doesn’t mean I want to spend most of my day in the same building as them. Firstly, this is because I place great value on independence and like my own company after a day of work or school. Secondly, this is because being in the same building as them inevitably ends up with me ironing other people’s shirts and being yelled at for things I didn’t do and have no control over. They’re also a bloody loud bunch. Try servicing a watch’s calendar works while someone scratches a steel chair across the tile floor and someone else plays music loud enough for the neighbours to groove along to. Finally having some space will allow me to focus on my passions and education, as well as allowing me to be more like myself than ever before. I’m letting myself have 2025; I’m not living this life for others.
Thirdly, I’m going to work on more watches. There is no ceiling to the skill of watchmaking and I’m far from a guru. I love learning new things and improving my skills. This will require investing in tools, which is something I am notoriously bad at doing. Watchmaking tools are always expensive, even if second hand. I can’t afford a set of new Bergeon screwdrivers for instance while studying. That money can stretch far and make my time slightly more pampered. The benefits would be minor over my old, but good set of French screwdrivers. I have more tools than I know how to use. A jacot lathe is a good candidate for my next tool purchase, but those are eye-wateringly expensive, plus not every watchmaker even uses them. Oils are probably what I should buy. Seeing as South Africa isn’t necessarily a hub for watchmaking, I will overpay no matter how I play my cards. Maybe there’s a watchmaker in Pretoria that knows where to buy these things. Funny, resolution number three literally boils down to “spend more money on oil.”
The fourth resolution is to learn Latin. I don’t know how this will benefit me, but I want to do it just to say I did. Servus canis or something. I’ll see how long this lasts before my motivation dries up. Maybe this impresses Greg.
To end at a round five, I want to lose weight and get jacked. I stopped going to the gym regularly to focus on my last year of school. I picked up five kilos, all of which have gone to my gut. I have a pair of nice brown trousers that were always a little tight on account of the fit, but now they effectively cut off circulation to everything below the belt. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to fit in them again, (if I gain any muscle in my thighs, they’ll probably be even tighter,) but I’ll at least try. Talking to a very pretty girl also helps, because I suddenly feel the urge not to look like a fat (yet classy) loser. Naturally, I will accomplish this by using Ozempic and chain smoking.
New year, same me, maybe with a fresh coat of paint on at best.
The Escapement Room 