Simple gifts

A couple of years ago, when I was working at the crazy school where I had the insane dress code, one of my best buddy colleagues showed up to work wearing a beautiful watch, of a kind I'd never seen before. If I remember correctly, the watch itself was simple, but the strap was wrapped around her wrist a few times and some charms were hanging off it. Although I've worn the same watch since I was eighteen (the simple steel one you see in most of my photos - most recently), I was immediately drawn to the unique style of my friend's watch. I asked her the brand and she told me and I promptly forgot about it.

Fast forward to January or February of this year, while home during maternity leave, I'm on my husband's iPad incessantly (while I nurse Baby Boots) and I stumble across this website. I immediately recognize both the style and the name from my colleague of about two years ago (how could I forget a simple name like 'La Mer'?! Aren't I supposed to be a French teacher?! By the way, I'll be teaching some French this year). I browsed through the entire collection and fell deeply, madly in love with the wrap styles and the ones with the charms and the studs and everything. I can't link to all the watches I love, so I just urge you to go to the site and browse. I'll wait.

Okay?

So anyways, I've always been a one-watch kind of girl, but in late 2010, my godmother gave me a gorgeous Esprit watch which I wear every once in a while and I have no problem alternating it with my usual steel, despite the concerns I wrote about back then. For the past months, I've kind of wanted a new watch that would fit me a little better: I love the white one, but not for every day. I've had the steel Fossil since Christmas of 1999 and I'm a teensy bit over it. However, the idea of even dropping a little bit of money on such an unnecessary purchase gave me pause - I have two perfectly good watches, not to mention a cell phone; I barely wear a watch during my downtime with Baby Boots; what's the point?!

So anyways, yesterday I read my daily e-mail from Gilt Groupe and wouldn't you know it ... La Mer watches were on sale! Bam. Done.

When I get back to the States, I will be the proud owner/wearer of this:

source

Choosing a color was difficult. I dithered between pinks, purples, greys, chained models, and black. I asked my husband for help. In the end, he liked this one the best, as the color jumped out at him as something very "me." I liked the fact that the watch face was round, as I tend to prefer that shape over square/rectangular. And, as you can attest, I love teal/turquoise-y notes, so I think this watch will be perfect for punching an outfit up. Also, before I became a full-time teacher, I always wore bracelets, but I find them uncomfortable now because of writing on blackboards (or, in the case of my school, whiteboards) and grading and computers and whatnot [and, as I always wear a watch, having them on my left hand was unacceptable]; now, with this funky watch, I'll still have some wrist decoration! 

I'm very excited. 

From the age of 18 till now (almost, gulp, 31), I've obviously gone from considering watches utilitarian only to also decorative. What side of the fence do you fall on?