Grange Blanche

June 02, 2006

comments 2

Last week I upgraded the WordPress software which I use to manage and administrate this website. A nice free Content Management System, in short CMS. Besides some fixed security issues, it also has a few new features for the administrator (me). One of them is an overview of the ‘Incoming Links’. This way I can check who is linking to one of my articles. After upgrading to WordPress version 2.02 (from version 1.2) I noticed that I was linked to by the Grange Blanche blog.

It seems to be the blog of Jean Marie. Once in a while, I am having a nice chat with him through Microsoft Messenger (MSN). The article he wrote (which contains the link to this site) is in French, so I used Babblefish to translate the whole thing into English.

Jean Marie stopped wearing a watch for a week. And immediately, he felt the freedom of having no questions anymore. Questions about which brand to wear, which type of bracelet (leather or a metal..), which type of movement.¬No more watch spotting in the streets and in movies, no more gazing at watches in windows etc etc. You get the picture.

My first thought was, ‘he is right’. About two years ago, during a holiday in France, I left my watch(es) in the safe and bought a sporty Swatch (Athene 2004 rubber band model) to keep me company at the campsite. In those 2 weeks, I didn’t miss my watch(es). The Swatch did the job perfectly. So it is nice to know that this watch addiction does not require any clinics to get ‘clean and watchless’ again. Just like that, cold turkey. Stop wearing one.

My second though however…¬ what exactly is the problem with this addiction? You can’t buy watches you can’t afford, or you must¬have¬been tricked by a¬jeweler with one of those evil finance constructions. So I don’t see much problems with this watch addiction, it is just a nice passion or ‘interest’.

Actually, those little choices you have to make in the morning when picking a watch (bracelet/strap, mechanical/quartz, handwound/automatic etc etc) are choices I make with great pleasure. Especially compared to decisions you have to make at work 🙂

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Grange Blanche

Thanks for the link, RJ!
Babelfish is a wonderfull translator because you get exactly the point.

This is that: the freedom of having no more morning choice to do. And in fact, I become quite “watch-bored” during past months.

Keep on your blog, it’s always interessant to read.
See you on MSN!

Hmmm, my knowledge of the French language is just about enough to read his blog, and my feeling is that Jean-Marie at Grange Blanche is someone who is able to see the downside of a lot of things very well.

If I should lose interest in watches, it would mean a loss to me (business wise as well indeed), not a feeling of freedom.

To me “questions about which brand to wear, which type of bracelet, which type of movement” are not a burden, but a gift or an opportunity.

“No more watch spotting in the streets and in movies, no more gazing at watches in windows” – ow, how boring life would be!

Cheers,

Gerard