And it was in this previous life that my wife and I, being of completely sound mind, decided it would be a good idea to leave our goodi-paying jobs in Japan and go sight unseen to Portugal. And to save money we were forced to take a series of flights on Korean Air from:
Tokyo to Seoul; Seoul to India; India to Cairo; and Cairo to Madrid. By the way, we were on the same airplane the entire way, and by the time we reached Madrid only three of the toilets were working.
From Madrid, we bought two one-way tickets to Porto, and our new home for the next year. We arrived on a Friday evening, and Saturday we set out to buy bedding, some groceries, etc. In one of the jewelry shop windows was a vintage Girard-Perregaux - just like this one. At the time, I could not begin to conceive of having another "expensive" (read: non-SWATCH) watch. I would visit it from time to time, the store front window acting as chaperone on these assignations. And for the rest of the year, there was longing.
A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon this (above) Girard-Perregaux hand-wound, sub second watch on Ebay. And yes, the seller was in Portugal! Granted Lisboa (Lisbon) is at the other end of the country, and as many northern Portuguese would tell you, almost an entire world away. But something tells me this might just be the same one - or at the very least a very close, family resemblance!
It arrived on Saturday, and it has been on my wrist since then. It is in good condition, and working flawlessly. My only goals are to replace the "replacement" crystal with something "truer" in fit, and find a Girard-Perregaux crown and 18 mm strap.
So for those of you always thinking that your dream has slipped away, like a stranger passing you in a crowded train station that you'll never meet - be patient. Some good things do take time!
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