Finally! Growing up as a guy pays off...

[windycissy]

We've all bemoaned how we missed out not growing up as little girls, all those wasted years not learning about clothes, ballet and makeup...well, last week my boyhood finally paid off: my pink watch stopped working, so I wore it to Target and asked the lady behind the jewelry counter to put in a new battery. She told me she could sell me one, but they wouldn't take responsibility for putting it in, I'd have to do that at home! Imagine her surprise when I asked her if she had any tools...she fumbled around in a drawer and found a box full of miniature screwdrivers, etc and looked on in amazement as the lady in the white skirt and sugar pink top coolly popped off the back of her watch, swapped out the battery and snapped it back together. Finally, growing up as a guy paid off!

[Veronica Nowakowski]

There's always good things from both.

[Sarah-RT]

Ha that is a fantastic story!

It sure does pay off! at least you will never get stuck at the side of the road with a flat tyre!

[JoanAz]

All the BIG BOX Stores do not replace batteries any more,
The reason is a Customer brought in a $40,000 YEP! Rolex for a battery and the Clerk Screwed up the Watch.
:daydreaming:

[sissystephanie]

I agree with Cissy, growing as a guy is valuable! But sometimes even those skills don't help!

The problem with replacing watch batteries is that many watches require a special tool to remove the back. I have 10 watches, including an expensive Rolex, and the backs are all different! BTW, 4 of the watches are mens, the rest are Stephanie's. Fortunately for me, there is a store close by called "It's About Time." They sell and repair all types of watches, along with replacing batteries.

[Christina Horton]

All the BIG BOX Stores do not replace batteries any more,
The reason is a Customer brought in a $40,000 YEP! Rolex for a battery and the Clerk Screwed up the Watch.
:daydreaming:

Sorry Kiddo but I have to point out that Rolex's have no Battery. They don't even have a whinder. The movement from you body , arm movement whind's the watch. At least all the Rolex's I have seen and heard about.

[StacyCD]

When I had a battery replaced at Target, the girl behind the counter 'seemed' competent. However, the next time I had the battery replaced, I had it done at a local jeweler. Since they were not busy at the time, he said he would do it right away. When he took the back off the watch he noticed the rubber gasket was all twisted and deformed--so it wasn't doing too much to help the water resistance of the watch. To make a long story short, the replacement gasket cost nearly what the watch cost and certainly much more than the battery! Lesson, at most places where the people are getting minimum wage, you probably get what you pay for.

[windycissy]

Sorry Kiddo but I have to point out that Rolex's have no Battery. They don't even have a whinder. The movement from you body , arm movement whind's the watch. At least all the Rolex's I have seen and heard about.

Actually you're mistaken, although most ROLEX watches are mechanical they came out with the OYSTERQUARTZ several years ago...of course my pink women's watch was hardly a ROLEX!

[Linda St. John]

Good story...but can you set the clock on my old VCR ??:love:

[Ralph]

All the BIG BOX Stores do not replace batteries any more,The reason is a Customer brought in a $40,000 YEP! Rolex for a battery and the Clerk Screwed up the Watch.

Sorry Kiddo but I have to point out that Rolex's have no Battery. They don't even have a whinder. The movement from you body , arm movement whind's the watch. At least all the Rolex's I have seen and heard about.

18 seconds of actually taking the time to check facts suggests you're both wrong. First off, you don't buy a $40,000 watch in a "big box store", and nobody who spends more on a watch than most people do on cars will just hand it over to the first minimum wage idiot available for service - any more than you'd take your $200,000 Jaguar to Wal-Mart for an oil change.

Second, the most expensive watch I could find online was a ladies watch for $35K... and it does indeed have a winder (not even going to ask what a "whinder" is, because I'm feeling charitable today - same reason I'm not going to lecture on how plurals do not require an apostrophe).

I realize there are self-winding watches (Wiki notes that "most" watches have an automatic winder), but I can't imagine how reliable that would be. What is the sense in a watch that requires arm movement to function properly? What if you're an overpaid executive who sits at his or her desk all day? You'd have a $35,000 bracelet that doesn't tell time because you don't move your arms that much. That said, the Wiki article also notes that self-winding watches do indeed have a manual winding crown for wearers who do not move their arms that much. In any case, I don't see any that require batteries. When I specifically included "battery" in my search terms, I just got a bunch more automatic watches that say "does not require a battery".

All of which is why I get all my watches from the $5 shelf at Wal-Mart and just throw them away when, not if, I break or lose them.

[Joni Marie Cruz]

Well, it is handy knowing things like how to change a flat or or put a new sparkplug in the lawnmower, but I'd still rather know how to style a wig and have been playing with makeup since I was nine.

Oh, and Sarah, honey, you mis-spelled "tire". Just thought I'd let you know.<g> Only teasing.

Hugs...Joni Mari

[DianneW]

$40,000 for a watch??? HOLY COW!! I thought I had spent a lot a couple of years ago for a new work watch,$9.95 at Wal-mart.Haven't worn it now in 5 mo. but it's still ticking, keeping perfect time on the orig. battery that came with it.

[KristiMartin]

Second, the most expensive watch I could find online was a ladies watch for $35K... and it does indeed have a winder (not even going to ask what a "whinder" is, because I'm feeling charitable today - same reason I'm not going to lecture on how plurals do not require an apostrophe).

Luxury brands such as Tissot, Rolex, Patek Phillipe and Girard-Perregaux can go into the 6 figures, and some Patek's are over $1 milion USD.

Top of the list on this page (The Watchery (http://www.thewatchery.com/m_watches.asp?Item+Type=Watch&Sort=Price%20%28Descending%29)) is a Girard for $360K.:eek:

As for the self-winding and sitting at a desk all day, my self-winding watch does just fine. It's not an expensive model by any means either.

[Jenny Beth]

Sorry Kiddo but I have to point out that Rolex's have no Battery. They don't even have a whinder. The movement from you body , arm movement whind's the watch. At least all the Rolex's I have seen and heard about.


Sorry Kiddo but my Rolex does have a winder. But then it's a cheap knock off so you could be right. :heehee:

[Stephanie Heplby]

Regarding tyres/tires, I would just like to point out that my wife is equally adept at changing them. Together, we can change a flat in under 10 minutes, even with a trunk/boot full of detritus burying the spare and the car parked on an incline. (Though we once nearly folded a jack in half in the back country.) Most of my 'masculine' friends, however, would not know what to do.

Take your CDing to the next level and destroy *all* the stereotypes. Society will be better off, as will the individuals in it.

:-)

[windycissy]

Regarding tyres/tires, I would just like to point out that my wife is equally adept at changing them. Together, we can change a flat in under 10 minutes, even with a trunk/boot full of detritus burying the spare and the car parked on an incline. (Though we once nearly folded a jack in half in the back country.) Most of my 'masculine' friends, however, would not know what to do.

Take your CDing to the next level and destroy *all* the stereotypes. Society will be better off, as will the individuals in it.

:-)

I'm ashamed to admit that if I got a flat tire wearing a dress and heels, I'd stand around for a while hoping some guy would take pity on me :heehee:

[Miranda09]

And, I'll bet you did it without even cracking a nail!!!!! :)

[Cheshire Gummi]

I was going to say something humorous that bordered on mean, but decided against it. Don't worry, it wasn't directed at anyone, I just didn't want to seem like I actually beat up children...

ANYHOW, I was raised as a boy, sure, but I have the same knowledge of mechanical engineering as a dog has of theoretical physics.

Maybe even less.

I know how my guitar works and everything like that, but, beyond that, I don't have a clue. Not really even sure how cars work, to be honest.

My best guess is that it has something to do with unicorns...

[Persephone]

Luxury brands such as Tissot, Rolex, Patek Phillipe and Girard-Perregaux can go into the 6 figures, and some Patek's are over $1 milion USD.

Top of the list on this page (The Watchery (http://www.thewatchery.com/m_watches.asp?Item+Type=Watch&Sort=Price%20%28Descending%29)) is a Girard for $360K.:eek:

As for the self-winding and sitting at a desk all day, my self-winding watch does just fine. It's not an expensive model by any means either.

:love:

[Sally2005]

Made the mistake once... the woman put a nice big scratch in the back of my expensive Seiko. Also, always got the ...sorry can't gaurantee the seal, but I'll take your $20. So there is no advantage to not doing it yourself for about $2.

There are some advantages to getting guy training as a kid... I'm teaching my daughter how to do stuff.

[dawnmarrie1961]

Windycissy,
Since when is knowing how to do stuff un-lady like? My daughter knows how to check the fluid levels on a car and how to change a tire. That doesn't make her any less of a woman. Kudos to you anyway. You knew how to change the battery in your watch . The person behind the counter was probably reluctant to do so for you because of store policy and liability issues if the watch was inadvertently damaged by her. Sorry to rain on you parade.

What is the obsession we seem to have with wanting to play the helpless victim or lady in distress? Just because you are wearing a dress? Change the darn tire yourself, Girl!!
On many roads down here in south Texas if you tried that you would be be stranded on the side of the road long into the wee hours of the morning. I've seen ladies on a busy highway , during rush hour,ending up having to push their own car into a gas station by themselves. No body stopped to lend a hand.Unless the lady was really hot looking!! It may be nice to "fantasize" that someone will come to the rescue but the "reality" is that there are no real gentlemen anymore. Just guys looking for a nice ass and good time.


Be Safe. Be smart.

Dawn Marrie

[vivianann]

I once changed a tire on my car in the eastern Utah desert while wearing a dress, I was able to pull off into a rest area when my tire was starting to separate. Every body needs to know how to change a tire, whether you are a man or a woman. I can also change my own watch batteries too.

[heatherdress]

nice story. There are a lot of other instances after which you can say it paid off growing up as a guy.

[jazmine]

I've been restoring my 70' Challenger. I don't know if this ability comes from my female side, or male side. But anyways, I find this is much easier then replacing most watch batteries. Replacing a watch battery sounds easy...but IT's NOT!

Right on windycissy!

[vivianann]

Wow Jasmine, I have restored many cars from the ground up, plus built a few customs. BTW, I am a mopar fan, I have a 69 Charger, would love to own a 70 Challenger or Cuda.

[Tina_N]

Oh, and Sarah, honey, you mis-spelled "tire". Just thought I'd let you know.<g> Only teasing.


Pssst -- Joni -- Sarah is from Ireland. That's the way they spell it over there.:doh:

I don't wear a watch anymore. I got tired of the band acting as an epilator. There was a constant indentation in the skin where the watch would sit, very noticable when I'd take the watch off for the night or when dressing.

I'm tethered to a cell phone anyway and it has a clock.

Works for me....

[TSchapes]

Luxury brands such as Tissot, Rolex, Patek Phillipe and Girard-Perregaux can go into the 6 figures, and some Patek's are over $1 milion USD.

Top of the list on this page (The Watchery (http://www.thewatchery.com/m_watches.asp?Item+Type=Watch&Sort=Price%20%28Descending%29)) is a Girard for $360K.:eek:

As for the self-winding and sitting at a desk all day, my self-winding watch does just fine. It's not an expensive model by any means either.

Thanks Kristi!

I have a Tissot and it's self-winding and I got it while in Swizterland. I'm all for facts and good English, but sheesh.

We have a small jeweler in the town next to us that replaces batteries for free. Doesn't matter what kind of watch. They usually have a donation box for a local that needs help on the counter which I donate too instead of paying for the battery.

But back to the thread! Yea!!!! Guy skills and tool skills - yes - come in handy. My wife calls them "Secret Guy Tools"! I pulled out my dad's Yankee screwdriver one time and she pointed at it and said, "What's That? Is that another one of those 'Secret Guy Tools?' " LOL

-Tracy

[windycissy]

And, I'll bet you did it without even cracking a nail!!!!! :)

Yep, although I've gotten very adept at fixing broken nails with Krazy Glue, the things we do!

[Deborah Jane]

Imagine her surprise when I asked her if she had any tools...she fumbled around in a drawer and found a box full of miniature screwdrivers, etc and looked on in amazement as the lady in the white skirt and sugar pink top coolly popped off the back of her watch, swapped out the battery and snapped it back together. Finally, growing up as a guy paid off!

OMG.....I saw Sheila change a watch battery yesterday.....Is she hiding something from me? :eek:

[Leslie Langford]

Well, it is handy knowing things like how to change a flat or or put a new sparkplug in the lawnmower, but I'd still rather know how to style a wig and have been playing with makeup since I was nine.

Oh, and Sarah, honey, you mis-spelled "tire". Just thought I'd let you know.<g> Only teasing.

Hugs...Joni Mari

That's because she keeps the spare in the boot of her saloon car and only checks the air pressure from time to time when she fills up her tank with petrol.

And really, why can't all people drive on the proper side of the road - especially if it means having to shift gears with your left hand. What's up with that??!! :doh::D

[Leslie Langford]

We've all bemoaned how we missed out not growing up as little girls, all those wasted years not learning about clothes, ballet and makeup...well, last week my boyhood finally paid off: my pink watch stopped working, so I wore it to Target and asked the lady behind the jewelry counter to put in a new battery. She told me she could sell me one, but they wouldn't take responsibility for putting it in, I'd have to do that at home! Imagine her surprise when I asked her if she had any tools...she fumbled around in a drawer and found a box full of miniature screwdrivers, etc and looked on in amazement as the lady in the white skirt and sugar pink top coolly popped off the back of her watch, swapped out the battery and snapped it back together. Finally, growing up as a guy paid off!

...if you had really wanted to impress her, you could have offered to change her oil, clean out her eaves-troughs, and kill a couple of spiders for her :eek:

[Leslie Langford]

Thanks Kristi!

I have a Tissot and it's self-winding and I got it while in Swizterland. I'm all for facts and good English, but sheesh.

We have a small jeweler in the town next to us that replaces batteries for free. Doesn't matter what kind of watch. They usually have a donation box for a local that needs help on the counter which I donate too instead of paying for the battery.

But back to the thread! Yea!!!! Guy skills and tool skills - yes - come in handy. My wife calls them "Secret Guy Tools"! I pulled out my dad's Yankee screwdriver one time and she pointed at it and said, "What's That? Is that another one of those 'Secret Guy Tools?' " LOL

-Tracy

...just like - Oh, never mind...:D

[sheridan]

yes because as we all know girls/ women never learn any of these sort of skills. We all learn how to bake/clean. Way to enforce the female stereotype. You should get out more often and visit the real world where girls learn how to fix cars/ computers/ etc... Heck I am willing to put down good money that a girl built your little pink watch.

[JaytoJillian]

I cash in daily on man skills:

changing the spark plugs on both cars at home-- $600 saved

changing the oil and filter for both cars at home--$500(est.) a year saved

home brake job on my car-----------------------$400 saved

never ceasing to amaze my SO with my mechanical ability-- priceless

I know she's thinking, "he likes to dress as a woman--how'd he know how to do that?" LoL

[windycissy]

yes because as we all know girls/ women never learn any of these sort of skills. We all learn how to bake/clean. Way to enforce the female stereotype. You should get out more often and visit the real world where girls learn how to fix cars/ computers/ etc... Heck I am willing to put down good money that a girl built your little pink watch.

It's true what you say, like it always amuses me when the Xerox machine gets jammed in the office, the suits expect one of the secretaries to fix it...women seem to be much better at multi-tasking: "I can make a dress out of a feedbag and a man out of you!"

[Hope]

Luxury brands such as Tissot, Rolex, Patek Phillipe and Girard-Perregaux can go into the 6 figures, and some Patek's are over $1 milion USD.

Top of the list on this page (The Watchery (http://www.thewatchery.com/m_watches.asp?Item+Type=Watch&Sort=Price%20%28Descending%29)) is a Girard for $360K.:eek:

As for the self-winding and sitting at a desk all day, my self-winding watch does just fine. It's not an expensive model by any means either.

Yup.

And no one is taking one of those to Target for a new battery.

The reason why the big box stores refuse to change your battery isn't so much the liability issue (though that may be a small part of it) the reason they won't change your battery is because they want you to throw your old "dead" watch away and buy a new one.

[swiss_susan]

Sorry Kiddo but I have to point out that Rolex's have no Battery. They don't even have a whinder. The movement from you body , arm movement whind's the watch. At least all the Rolex's I have seen and heard about.

Ok when it comes to luxury watches ladies listen to the Swiss :)

Originally Rolex did not make watches but rather imported movements from Switzerland to the UK.

The first Automatic movement created by Rolex came from their factory in La Chaud-de-Fonds in 1931. A fun place to tour if you are ever here in the land of chocolate, cheese and watches.

Since they began to build their own watch movements they have a long history of, Automatic, Mechanical (requires winding), and Quartz models.

The only problem with Rolex is the look, they are just too damn flashy. There are many more quality watchmakers in switzerland who can deliver better quality coupled with a much more tasteful design.

Any who, just my 2 cents