Notes on Wu Watch (Ⅱ)

Wu

07

People's pursuit for the perfection of watches never stops.

At the beginning, that Zhongshan watch must have been used for a long time, and it is becoming more and more inaccurate. Sometimes a day may last two or three minutes, so you must pull out the "key" (that is, the watch handle, also known as the crown) every day and distribute your hands. Ask the watchmaker in the street, saying that it is necessary to oil and maintain, and to adjust the hairspring in the movement. I carefully watched the whole process of adjusting the hairspring on the spot and found it very simple. Later, the watch was obviously fast or slow, so I unscrewed the back cover myself, carefully moved the tiny movable lever, and controlled the hairspring with the sewing needle. After repeated debugging, it is really effective. At that time, I thought, how easy it is to make money by repairing watches.

My later shanghai table also had shortcomings. The protection of the glass surface is very annoying. At that time, it was basically plexiglass. If you touch or rub it a little, there will be obvious scratches on the surface, which is of course uncomfortable to look at. If it is not heavy, you can wipe it with a soft cloth dipped in toothpaste, which seems to be getting better; Obviously, you can let the watch repairer "polish", that is, press the glass surface of the watch on the edge of the soft wool wheel of that professional equipment, and turn it by hand, which will have a very "soft" polishing, and after a while, it will be able to remove scratches and increase brightness; If the scratch is too serious, you must replace the cover. In addition, it is not convenient to look at the time at night and in the dark. I've been thinking that it would be nice if the watch had "luminous" like Chairman Mao's badge, and it could be seen under the bed. "Winding" is also very troublesome. At that time, domestic mechanical watches were generally full of clockwork, which could run continuously for about 24 hours, but they often forgot "hard work" and were easy to make mistakes. Also, people who go to work often don't know what day it is, so I thought, can you also show the date and day of the week on your watch?

These problems seem to be solved overnight. 1993, the strict accountant of the school put on the double lion watch, which was very high-end and very popular at that time. It is imported from Japan, and it is fully automatic. It says that there are two clockworks in the movement, one is catching, the other is complementary, and the last time is enough to ensure that the clock machine keeps going, the hands keep going, it will glow, and it will display the calendar and the week. An ideal watch basically has all the indicators.

1995, after I used two simple electronic and mechanical "transition" watches and realized that "the first class is the first class", I bought a Citizen automatic mechanical watch, which was as famous as the Double Lion Watch at that time and also made in Japan.

This Citizen watch felt really good at that time: the square round black dial, the golden scale and the embellishment of the red logo made me feel elegant but not vulgar; And it is very convenient and fully automatic. As long as you hold it in your hand, it won't stop for any 24 hours. Walking is also accurate, and the speed of the first day will not exceed 15 seconds; It is still glowing, waking up in the middle of the night or watching a movie in the cinema. When it is a few minutes, you will know when you lift your wrist; It can also be waterproof, and there are no obstacles in washing and washing. Even if I go to the swimming pool or bathhouse, I haven't taken it off.

That watch has been worn for a year or two. Once, I took off my calendar and accidentally fell on the floor tile. The machine is intact, but one corner of the glass cover is a little broken. Although it doesn't affect walking, it always looks uncomfortable. Change the glass. At that time, I didn't know that I was going to a regular watch shop, so I casually found a booth for "finishing watches" on the street: a table with drawers, the front, side and top of which were surrounded by glass or transparent plastic films, showing a "semi-closed" state. People are very polite. Just change the glass cover and wait. Money is not expensive. I can go home and take a closer look. The dial inside the glass is actually infiltrated with glue and has obvious defects. Ask, answer "inevitable" and have to admit.

I gradually learned that repairing watches, especially brands, is best to go to the first-class regular shopping malls in Nanjing and Huai 'an, where there are specialized brand watch repair shops with professional technology, reliable quality and authentic price. What I am looking for is a small personal booth. If nothing else, the location of the booth alone is really not so good-it is almost "hiding" beside the public toilet next to a bank in the county. Without being pointed out and looking around, you can't find it at all, and you won't believe that place can be associated with sophisticated high-end "watches" at all. Look again, the watchmaker, together with his precious table and stool, seems to be curled up there. But on second thought, it is estimated that it is also to save the cost and trouble of obtaining a license. Making a living is still not easy.

Later, there were more and more watch problems in Citizen. The most obvious thing is that there will be fog inside, especially in winter morning, when riding a bike or doing outdoor activities. I guess it is obviously caused by the temperature difference between the body temperature and the cold air outside, and it will take some time to eliminate the fog. The replaced cover seal must be unqualified. Irregular maintenance greatly weakens the waterproof performance of watches. After a long time, the movement must have humidity, and it is normal for the stroke error to become larger. In addition, I have soaked my watch in warm water many times before and after, which is actually a big taboo for wearing a watch. Later, I further learned that the so-called "waterproof" means that cold water and hot water are definitely not allowed, and it is impolite to watch for a long time.

Not long ago, when I was taking a bath in the bathroom, I saw an old man wearing a watch on Pei Biyu's arm, and I told him bluntly, "Watches can't enter hot water." The old man looked up at his wrist and said slowly, "My watch is 100,000 to 200,000, which doesn't matter ..." I also glanced at my watch, which was set with diamonds and gold, and had the logo of a crown. What a great Rolex! I don't know if the waterproof performance of high-end watches is very special, and I can't say much. At this time, the old man reminded me of three bowls of Song Wu who "wanted" to pass the post. I was like the shopkeeper of Jingyanggang Hotel, shaking my head in my heart: I mean well, whatever, don't regret if there is something wrong with my watch. ...

08

Due to improper use and poor maintenance, my citizens have become more and more deformed and useless.

Deciding to change the watch was an accidental opportunity. One day, a friend with good taste told me about the Tissot watch he was wearing. He said that the biggest feature of Swiss watches is the sapphire crystal mirror cover, which has high wear resistance, high smoothness and basically no scratches. Swiss watches can preserve their value ... He also said that his daughter who went to school in other places promised to let her father wear a watch of more than 10,000 like her classmates when she got paid at work. His phrase "watches over 10,000 yuan" gave me new ideas and plans for watches.

Of these two watches, especially the former, I prefer it. I landed in official website many times and found a formal publicity material book. I observed and pondered over and over again. Soon, the main features of this watch were deeply imprinted on my mind. I summarize its appearance characteristics as follows:

Flying wing hourglass, famous craftsmen are more elegant. 3850, I like it.

Edge disk, the best anti-reverse. Gemstone mirror, beautiful and flawless.

Very novel and good. The calendar is below. The back of the watch is transparent, and the movement can be observed.

It's marked on the hour, twelve digits. Slender and chic, with three blue needles.

Accurate minutes and seconds, every 5 strokes. Every minute counts.

Note: flying wing hourglass: Longines watch logo is flying wing, hourglass and letter Longines; 3850: refers to the dial with a diameter of 38.50 mm.

Inquiry, reservation for a long time, no suitable person can come back from overseas as soon as possible. Finally, I heard that members of the education department visited the United States, and a group of teachers from the county participated. But who will bring a watch? When teachers go abroad for the first time, they may buy imported watches with high cost performance, but there are restrictions in customs. It is said that one person can only take one. I am familiar with two of the teachers. One has already bought an imported watch, and the other is only going to buy an Apple iPad. What a coincidence! The rest is nothing: I specially printed the color pictures of the two watches, indicating the model code, the usual price and preferential price of the US dollar, and especially indicating the dial diameter (this is very important, it looks the same shape, and the size is often the difference between men and women). I also repeatedly told them the upper limit of the price, and also suggested some temporary "rush" purchase forms.

In America, two teachers really went to great trouble for my watch. First, I called to ask, what should I do if the price of a watch in a store is too expensive? He also said that Longines were out of stock, and he sent a message overseas for me to "instruct"; I met another similar one in a shop and asked me "Do you want it"; They are afraid of buying early, of encountering more favorable regrets, of buying late, and of "slipping over" the biggest ear of wheat ... When they finally "decided" the 4574.50.00 model with a particularly satisfactory price in the duty-free shop, it was even easier: the new watch was inconvenient to wear because the original strap was long and the surface was covered with a thick plastic film. Take the box with you when driving, getting on or off the plane, entering or leaving the hotel. 15 cm square-the new watch is also in it, and I dare not make any mistakes. I hope they will hold my finger back. When I met them, I was deeply moved by the words of Teacher Xue, "We were inseparable in those days." .

The new watch naturally has nothing to say. It actually looks more beautiful than the picture, and the price is very satisfactory. The original watchband is made of steel chain, which is too long for me. I have to take off some things. After learning the lesson, the watch and strap of "Jingui" can no longer be disassembled locally, so I went to Nanjing specially. I have long heard that there is a special international watch repair shop on the first floor of the central shopping mall. I explained my purpose and handed in a new watch. With the help of professional tools, the master adjusted the strap in a few minutes and charged 20 yuan. I put on my new watch carefully and asked with a little trepidation, "What's the quality of this watch?" In fact, it is to ask "Is it true?" The man smiled: "We never accept fake watches."

The quality of this watch is really unknown. It's been almost ten years, and it hasn't been oiled once, but it's accurate. Although there is a small error now, experts say it is still within the allowable range. There are few scratches on the appearance, especially the surface glass is as clean as new. I passed by the brand counter on several business trips and consulted the clerk by the way, which is also my good protection. Really, if I usually do manual work, especially when my arm vibrates, I will take off my watch and support it separately with a folded soft cloth instead of my arm. Try not to let the strap and the watch back together to avoid scratching, and then put it in the middle of the table or in a drawer to be as safe as possible. Occasionally, objects that may have magnets, such as speakers or mahjong machine, will leave far away to prevent the watch from being magnetized and affecting walking; Some coats I wear, such as jackets, have metal buttons at the cuffs. The one on the inside of the left cuff will definitely rub the watch, so I found a plaster and cut it round, a little bigger than the button, a bit like an old pot-mending handle, and stuck it on the button. In this way, there are no obstacles and concerns when wearing a watch.

Clock, according to its habit, you protect it carefully and handle it carefully, it will serve you accurately and set you off beautifully. This thing is really humanized.

09

A watch can be used as a compass at some time. I once extracted from the newspaper and recommended the "watch orientation method" to my friends: when the sun is outside, put the watch (it must be a pointer) flat and let the hour hand point to the vertical direction of the sun at this time, thus forming an angle with "12 point". The bisector of this angle corresponds to the north-south direction, which is perpendicular to it, and of course it is the east-west direction, which is very reliable. My notes were made in the 1980s. Once, a good friend who worked in a foreign country specifically asked me to tell him again in a letter, saying, "I forgot what I said before."

Indeed, with the development of the times, the shape, function and influence of many clocks and watches are basically changing with each passing day.

Since the 1990s, domestic watches have mushroomed, and Rossini, Fiyta and Polaris are household names, accompanied by CCTV prime-time advertisement "* * * watches tell you the time on time".

However, the functions and quality of these watches are not as good as those of Japanese watches that flooded into the China market at that time, and the prices are not much different. No wonder the news broadcast at eight o'clock in the evening and the advertisement of countdown before TV series have gradually become the advertisements of Maotai, Wuliangye and safflower lang.

Not long ago, I heard from a friend who likes photography and clocks that the domestic seagull watch is very good now, and it can be compared with Swiss watches in many aspects. This is indeed a blessing. Yes, each country has its own strengths. Countries recognize the gap, learn from each other and catch up with each other by strength. This is the normal way of diplomacy and trade. Prejudice, unwarranted suppression and unilateral boycott are all unpopular hegemonic acts.

Some world sports events, including the world-famous Vienna New Year Concert, are sponsored by internationally renowned watches and clocks. Think about it, too. How decent and appropriate it is to let brand watches sponsor car rally or any ball game. If you put a famous cigarette billboard in the stadium, what scandal is it?

We hope our watches can proudly say "Made in China" anywhere in the world, just like Huawei's mobile phones. We hope that more domestic watches can also become overseas brand ambassadors of China enterprises.

Today, when the highly popular and intelligent mobile phone is rarely used to answer and make calls, the watch seems to have "lost" some timing functions. For many people who wear watches, watches have become pure accessories. In every family, the clock used to be an important ornament. Especially in the 1980s and 1990s, more and more people will see swinging wall clocks, precise and quiet quartz clocks and desk clocks carved with dragons and painted with phoenixes on the walls or counters at home.

Clocks and watches once played a particularly important role in production, labor, daily life and other fields, and were the hopes and thoughts of many people. Today, it is still listening silently, witnessing the master's efforts to create the future and realize the ideal in the rhythm of time.

At that time, Chairman Mao said to students studying in China at Moscow University: "You young people are full of vigor and vitality, and you are in a prosperous period, like the sun at eight or nine o'clock in the morning. Hope is pinned on you. " This famous saying gives time and clocks a new symbolic meaning. Later, in some places, especially in schools, it was once popular to embed huge clocks in teaching buildings-huge clocks are not real, but fixed in shape, and the hour hand always points between 8 o'clock and 9 o'clock, which is a deep and intuitive hope for students.

Yes, time flies, the sun and the moon fly, towards hope, for ideals, not only young people, all people with lofty ideals should seize the day and live up to their youth.

end

Author brief introduction Wu, born in September in Shangwan Brigade 1963, Licheng Commune, Jinhu County, Jiangsu Province. Now she is a China researcher at Jinhu County Teacher Development Center.