KOCHI: When I walked into Bell’s Books in Palo Alto, one of my favorite antiquarian bookstores, Faith Bell excitedly took me to a back room to show me the new collection of John Steinbeck she had acquired from a collector. There were many first editions and signed books, but she spent the most time talking about ‘The First Watch’, a letter that Steinbeck had written and was later published to just 60 copies.
After reading this letter written in typical Steinbeck humour, my mind started going back in time to all the wristwatches I owned and what it meant to me.
My generation grew up with wristwatches being an integral part of special occasions — gifts given or received, especially for graduations and weddings.
In my hometown in Kerala, a wristwatch was the single most important object that defined the status of the person. Wearing a Rolex meant that you had climbed the social ladder and officially become a High Network Individual (HNI)!
In the book The Man and His Watch, author Matt Hranek talks about 76 watches and the famous men who wore them, most of these wristwatches being Rolex.
Often in movies and books, wristwatches serve as more than mere timekeeping devices; they are symbols of character, markers of plot development, and vehicles for exploring themes of mortality, memory, and the passage of time.
From classic novels to contemporary literature, wristwatches have made their mark, weaving seamlessly into the fabric of storytelling, and enriching the reader’s experience.
Beyond their symbolic significance, wristwatches in literature also reflect broader cultural and social contexts. In Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, for instance, the arrival of a wristwatch in the fictional town of Macondo symbolises the intrusion of modernity and the erosion of traditional values.
As the Buendia family grapples with the changes brought about by industrialisation and globalisation, the wristwatch serves as a reminder of the inexorable march of progress and the loss of innocence.
One of the most iconic uses of wristwatches in literature is found in F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. In this timeless classic, the wristwatch worn by Gatsby symbolises both his obsession with time and his desire to recapture the past.
Gatsby’s lavish parties and extravagant lifestyle are all part of his elaborate scheme to win back Daisy Buchanan, his lost love.
His wristwatch becomes a tangible reminder of his relentless pursuit of the American Dream and the fleeting nature of time itself.
Similarly, in J D Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, protagonist Holden Caulfield’s wristwatch serves as a symbol of his alienation and disconnect from society.
Throughout the novel, Holden struggles to find meaning and purpose in a world that he sees as phony and superficial. His wristwatch becomes a source of comfort and stability in the midst of his existential crisis, reminding him of the passage of time and the inevitability of change.
In more contemporary literature, wristwatches continue to play a significant role in shaping characters and narratives. In Donna Tartt’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Goldfinch, protagonist Theo Decker inherits a valuable wristwatch from his deceased mother, which becomes a symbol of his fractured identity and search for belonging.
The watch serves as a link to Theo’s past and a source of solace in the midst of his tumultuous journey.
If you are a true fan of mechanical watches, a visit to the Patek Philipe Museum in Geneva is a must. Inaugurated in November 2001, this museum houses one of the world’s most important and prestigious horological collections.
It offers the chance to discover five centuries of horological heritage, as well as the significance for all the decorative arts associated with watchmaking — engraving, enameling, gem-setting, guilloché work, etc.
Watches, after all, are more than mere instruments that tell time; they encapsulate memories, mark milestones, and become cherished companions in life’s journey.