My grandfather’s watch

I’ve always had a special fascination with watches. When I was a child, I used to save up to buy watches from the Chinese shop. I knew the watches wouldn’t last very long, but as I liked them so much (and couldn’t afford branded watches), whenever I went to the nearest town to where I lived (Ovar), I’d pop into a Chinese shop, hoping to find a nice watch.

Whenever I went to a fair and came across a claw machine where you put in a coin to try and grab a watch by moving a joystick, I’d pester my parents to give me a coin and go and try my luck. Admittedly, the odds weren’t in my favour, but one summer during my childhood I finally managed to win a watch in exchange for a 100-escudo coin. I remember being so happy, and very proud to show off my new plastic watch, with loads of buttons and timing features; I was over the moon. Until, one fateful day, I decided to put the watch in the water (I’d always dreamed of having a waterproof watch) and the watch never worked again. It was a very sad day, but I managed to get over the loss by focusing on the next watch I would buy with my mini savings.

My youth and watches

When I grew up a bit more and started my summer jobs, I always set aside some money to buy a watch. Back then I loved Swatch watches, and whenever I passed a shop that sold the brand, I’d stop to admire the watches in the window and make plans to buy that year’s hit model. Between the ages of 15 and 22, I spent a lot of money on watches. At university and amongst my friends, I was the one with the prettiest, most modern watches and the largest collection. I felt immensely proud whenever someone complimented one of my watches, and I was always making plans to buy a few more.

My favourite watch

My grandfather had a wind-up watch, which he always wore at the weekend. I remember sitting in his kitchen and watching him look at the clock hanging on the wall, wind it up, and set the time on his wristwatch. I thought those gestures were extraordinary. How was it possible for the watch to work perfectly, just by winding it, without ever running slow? This was a question I always asked myself whenever I saw him preparing the watch.

When I was 18 (2006), my grandfather passed away. It was the first time I had lost someone close to me, and it was the first time I felt a profound need not to forget a person. My grandfather David was the only grandfather I ever had; by the time I was born, my paternal grandparents had already passed away, as had my maternal grandmother. I only had that one grandfather, and perhaps that is why I felt the need never to forget him.

My passion for watches grew as I became an adult and had greater financial means to expand my watch collection. Although I kept buying new watches, I often thought about my grandfather’s watch and wondered if any of my uncles or aunts might want it. I lacked the courage to ask my relatives if I could keep the watch. One day, I decided to ask a relative about the watch and whether anyone wanted it. I was surprised to find out that no one was interested in the watch, that it had been put away, and that I could have it if I wanted to. I was so happy 😊

A few years ago, the watch was finally given to me, and since then it has become my favourite watch, with enormous sentimental value. Whenever I have something very important to do, that’s the watch I wear. Whenever I look at the watch, I remember my grandfather, and a smile comes to my face.

My grandfather’s watch

My grandfather’s watch is several decades old; the brand (Mayo) no longer exists. I think the watch dates from the 1960s or 1970s, but I’ve never been able to confirm that. None of my relatives know exactly when my grandfather bought the watch. When I ask my mother about it, she simply tells me that she always remembers my grandfather wearing that watch, and that he never had another one.

When I finally received the watch from my grandfather, the first thing I wanted to do was change the watch strap. The strap he had was very worn, and it didn’t do the watch justice either; the buckle was very rusty and stained, so replacing the strap was essential.

When I started looking for straps for that watch, I realised there wasn’t much choice. It was difficult to tell whether it would look good on the watch, and whether it would be easy to change. I therefore decided to put off changing the strap for a while.

However, as I needed to change the straps on other watches, and faced exactly the same difficulties, I decided (in 2018) to launch the NorteSpring project, whose main aim was to provide high-quality universal straps at a fair price, and to help our customers find the straps that best suit their watches and personal preferences. I wanted to find a solution for my own watches, and in doing so, help others who face the same challenge.

Nowadays, I feel that my grandfather’s watch is a real gem; whenever I think of a new collection of straps that would also go well with the watch, I immediately feel the urge to change the strap and give the watch a new lease of life.

To conclude (as this is already getting rather long)

Today I believe that a watch is an extension of our personality and personal style. I never wear a watch strap that I don’t like and that doesn’t reflect my identity.

Wearing the same watch strap day after day is incredibly boring, so I suggest you breathe new life into your watch by treating it to a new strap every now and then. With a simple strap change, today you can have a classic watch, tomorrow a sports watch, and another day a practical watch. Take a chance!

I hope I haven’t bored you too much with the story of my grandfather’s watch. I know there are so many similar stories out there, and that many of the watches fitted with a NorteSpring strap hold great emotional value for our customers. That’s why we know we have to rise to that challenge and provide the best straps for your watch.

Thank you for being on this journey with us. This is my grandfather’s watch: