The "cca"

I am (I have come to believe) a glamorous  industrialist trapped in a somewhat anonymous teacher / social worker's body.  Picture Gianni Agnnelli a little more unkempt and not as glamorous, wealthy, handsome or charismatic. But that does not mean I don't have dreams ; )

A perusal of Chrono24 will reveal a plethora of very expensive watches that do indeed offer the functions one would look for in perpetual and/or annual calendars, but the dials are so cluttered, and "blessed" with micro-sized indicators and teeny-weeny printing that you need to use your iPhone's camera with zoom to actually read your wonderful watch with all of the great features. And did I mention that they were really, really expensive?

Enter the calendario cent’anni, “cca” -

Courtesy of ochs und junior

Having a watch with great complications is, well, great! But it's no good if you can't read them. The designer of the ochs und junior calendario cent'anni, "cca" seems to have climbed into my brain and created the watch that I had always wanted - I just didn't know it yet. 

As mentioned at the top, I would like to think that I am far more dashing and cosmopolitan than I probably am. But one point I am unwilling to bend on is that I will not praise a watch as awesome if I can't even read it. And in that vein, it is as if ochs und junior had listened to every frustration I have ever experienced in trying to discern the actual functions of my "multifunction" watches and created something that would give me the watch that I always wanted. I mean really, what a nutty idea, a 100 year calendar watch that you can actually read! 

But apart from the simply functionality, I particularly love this white dial version not only for its readability, but for the wonderful contrast and interplay of the dial (white) indices (black) and indicators (mostly orange). It is beautiful in its simplicity. And as a reminder, simple is the opposite of dumb. Simple is genius, and simple is beautiful.

And while I realize that the cca is not an insignificant purchase, keep in mind that where we are now, is not where we will always be. I have that on very good authority from the current Secretary General of the United Nations -

Henki (much younger and thinner) teaching his class and the Prime Minister of Portugal - António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres in Vila do Conde, Portugal in 1995

Needless to say, we were both younger and more handsome back then ; )

Now I'm not saying my "dream watch" should be yours - a watch is a very, very personal thing. But what I am suggesting is that it's okay to dream about things, and to imagine what might be one day. I never would have thought a Northern Youth like myself would see the sun rise over Tokyo Bay, or glimpse the the midnight sun in Finland.  And I certainly never expected that the future Secretary General of the United Nations would walk into my classroom with his security detail (and me without a valid work permit), but it just goes to show that anything is possible.

It has been a long, long winter.  We are nearly out of the woods, and to quote one of my favorite professors from the University of Oregon - "we've been there and back."  But what I have come to believe more and more these past few weeks, is that anything is possible, good can overcome bad, and that you should always be open to dreaming - even if that dream is for a material item ; )

I wish you all a safe journey to the end of this particularly dark time, I wish Secretary Guterres 

God's Speed as he and his team work to hold us together and save us from ourselves.

I know that these are challenging and serious times, but take some time out to dream, to imagine, and you know what - it's okay, take time to enjoy your watches.

Where Worlds Converge

Okay, a bit about me -

Yes, I work as a consultant in the watch industry.  Yes, I write for a few magazines as a freelancer.  Yes, I am even responsible for this little blog.

But two days a week I get to do something really fun - I get to teach!

I would like to introduce you to the graduates of the North Shore Community Action Program Career Pathways in Banking and Customer Service Class for 2017 (I'm the not-so-attractive guy in the middle).  Essentially, a class designed to help recent arrivals to the US improve their language and job finding skills so that they can join the work force in fields that will hopefully lead to better paying, more stable careers.

This is an 8 month program, and I am very proud to say that four of the students have already been placed in new jobs!

Now it is very important to understand that programs like this are incredibly dependent upon support from grants and donations.  And therefore I would like to personally thank the very wonderful folks at Frederique Constant who very kindly donated a watch for the North Shore Community Action Program's annual gala fundraiser & auction!

Courtesy of North Shore Community Action Programs

The event went a long way to raise much needed funding for our programs and I personally appreciate the kind donation!

Courtesy of North Shore Community Action Programs

So here's to a very successful year in the books, and looking forward to next year.  After all, you never know who might wander into your classroom -

Vila do Conde, Portugal  1995/1996  António Guterres then Prime Minister of Portugal, currently the Secretary General of the United Nations - again, I am the not-so-attractive guy in the foreground on the left.