Monday, May 10

THE Dashtronic Review

"That watch is much too nice to wear while working on this stuff."

So said a good friend and co-worker a couple weeks ago. I'd just received my very own Stauer Dashtronic watch, a present to myself after buying multitudes of stuff for Marilee; I wanted to get in on the action.

I'd just gotten her something from HSN or QVC - cannot remember which - and the total came to $100. Said I: "I guess it's time for me to get myself something for a hundred dollars."

Said she: "What?"

"THAT watch."

Reluctantly, she said OK. "Let's put it this way - do you want me to continue getting you stuff from HSN and QVC?"

Bob had made his point.

The Stauer Dashtronic is simplicity in action. Styled after the minimalistic dashboards of 1930's-era automobile dashboards, thus the name, it's not really fancy. It uses not a battery, but a mainspring. Yes, youngsters, it needs to be wound. And of not, it stops. It's not a drawback, mind you, but a traditional extra, in my humble opinion.

It is an analog watch, in the grandest style. And does just one thing: it tells time. There's no chronograph, there's no alarm. It doesn't know what day of the week it is. And while it has no battery, it also has no backlight. Similar to the workings of a Weather Rock, if it's too late to tell what time it is, it's probably after dark.

And it's also a wonderful conversation-starter.

I'd imagine some folks have noticed it on my wrist but didn't know what to say, or even ask. Where everyone's watch tends to look the same any more, this one stands out. Shiny in its stainless-steel top, the crystal is even rather minimal. Just large enough to see the hours and minutes; there's also no second hand.

But it really doesn't matter. I'd wanted an analog watch for some time, but could never settle on one I liked, and Marilee said she couldn't understand why I'd want one. After all, she said, I work on computers, so why wouldn't I want a digital watch?

It's the principle. Besides, consider the last time you asked someone what the time of day was. In the latter part of the hour. Did they say "three forty-five" or "a quarter-to-four"? I like the latter. With the Dashtronic, I can say the latter, too.

So I'm old. And remember a day when analog was all there was.

The Dashtronic gives you the best of both worlds - the minimal of a digital, and the time-honored stylishness of an analog.

So is it time you got one? Of course. Father's Day is just around the corner.

2 comments:

TRuC said...

hi bob, thanks for reviewing the watch! i just received mine from my wife after i mulled over wanting it since seeing it on in skymall of all places. i love it. i get so many compliments from all kinds of people.

one thing though, i'm confused about the watch and the winding. Initially, i understood it to be one you had to manually hand wind. now, after 4 days, no winding and reading reviews saying it self winds with kinetic movement spinning the disk in the back.

i guess i could wait and see if time will tell (ha, sorry, couldn't resist) but it doesn't seem to be slowing down or stopping.

thanks!

bob's bs said...

Hello there, glad you liked my review.

From what I gather from Stauer and other reviews, winding via the stem is something of a jump-start, otherwise it's self-winding. Back in the day, you either had to manually wind a watch or it was self-winding; never heard of it as "automatic."

One visitor to my blog had searched for "how to change the battery", not knowing merely moving one's wrist would keep it going. Must've been rather sedentary.

Anywho, glad you like your watch. I, too, have gotten many positive comments as well as interested stares.

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