Master of Horology

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If I had my own episode on My Strange Addiction, it would be on watches. Why am I obsessed with small clocks that you wear on your wrists? No idea. I don't even use my watch for telling time; most of the time, I just end up pulling out my phone to check the time. At this point, I'm convinced watches are just jewelry that people call "tools" to make themselves feel better. But what even got me into watches?

Well, my downward spiral into the world of watches started at the beginning of this year. My family and I went to India for vacation over Christmas break, and we decided to go on a shopping spree at the unique stores that the streets of India offered. When we were wandering the streets, I suddenly spotted a store that sold Titan watches, a big Indian brand. I entered the store, and after browsing the shelves indecisively for about an hour, I walked out wearing a minimalistic looking dial that seemed perfect. 


Fast forward a few months and I'm sitting on my laptop, a little deeper down the rabbit hole. I was surfing the web and fantasizing about what other watches I could own, and boom. I stumbled upon the best place ever -- r/watches. This was a Reddit community of a bunch of other watch hobbyists like myself! I found solace in the thought that there were also others who looked forward to wasting money on watches. And for the first time in my watch collecting journey, I felt like I belonged somewhere. 


All this time, people around me were telling me to stop wasting time browsing online and looking at pictures of watches. While they were probably right to some extent, being a part of a larger community that shares the same outlook and values as you can be a great feeling. I got introduced to new perspectives and opinions that intrigued me. Not only do other people understand what you're talking about, but you can also learn so much when you're a part of something like that. My understanding of everything watch related -- from specs to price to models to complications -- increased exponentially after spending some time on that subreddit. 

My growth as a watch connoisseur showed me the importance of finding your group of people: not only does it make your journey as a person more nuanced, it also makes it more enjoyable.
Location: 73FMXW8Q+38

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