My passion for watches began around the age of 6 when I first saw a watch that seemed magical to me. It had 7 melodies, an alarm, a stopwatch, and would beep every hour. Truly advanced technology for me at the time! It belonged to my brother, but before long, he gave it to me. One of the melodies was “Oh! Susanna” by Stephen Foster, but unfortunately, I no longer remember the other six. If I had to guess, I’d say it was a Casio, as they popularized melody watches. However, the truth is I don’t remember exactly. It certainly wasn’t a Casio—most likely a cheap Chinese knockoff—but it was fascinating for a kid like me. That watch is no longer part of my life—just like many other watches that have been lost over time, without me even realizing when or how. As I write these lines, a photo from my first grade comes to mind. In it, I’m wearing a watch that’s clearly visible. Still, I don’t think it’s the melody watch I remember. On the watch in the photo, I had stuck two flags cut out from an atlas. Besides my passion for watches, I also had a fascination with maps. What can I say? Childhood quirks and passions of a kid who grew up without the internet—because it didn’t exist! Otherwise, I’ve always been told I have a talent for writing, probably because I’m not good at math at all.