Style Timeout - The Tank Watch

As a new parent, you do not initially realize just how important the concept of time is to the proper development of your child.  Not only does time dictate feeding times and nap times, it will also let you know that, no matter what your son says, he has indeed been swinging on the monkey bars for 17 minutes straight.

That's why having a great watch is so important.  As a man, I know that the natural inclination is to gravitate towards the chunky watches with 32 dials, 14 time zones, and a laser beam.  While these achievements of chronological magnificence are, I'm sure, useful in certain situations, the harsh reality is that I am neither (a) a deep-sea diver nor (b) a secret agent.

Therefore, my personal choice in recent years has been the Tank watch.

To be specific, the "Tank" is actually the name of the style of watch created by the famous French watchmaker Louis Cartier in 1917.  The Cartier Tank, a watch inspired by the rectangular lines and precise proportions of the Allied Forces' tanks in World War I, was eventually perfected in 1919.  As a matter of fact, the steel band edition of the watch was designed to resemble the caterpillar tracks of its armored muse.

Now, obviously, although the Cartier version of the watch is gorgeous, I am in no position to pay close to $5,000 for a watch.  However, the tank style is produced by multiple watch manufacturers and is available in a wide range of prices.  The watch is subtle, graceful and classic and makes the difficult transition from "play-date outfit" to "formal evening wear" with ease.  I wear mine, literally, every single day.

Here is a picture of the version I own, with a leather band, crafted by Seiko:

Photo Courtesy of Amazon

As a parent, I understand that there are more pressing responsibilities than personal style; things like rent, food, and body wash. However, I do not subscribe to the belief that responsible parenting should happen at the expense of fashionable appearance. To me, the easiest solution is to find affordable, classic pieces that will endure both the test of time as well as withstand multiple hits from your son's toy hammer. 

A watch inspired by an armored tank passes both of these tests triumphantly.

A Letter to my Son's Immune System

Thanks for abandoning your post at 12:30am.  You suck.

Sincerely,

Mr. Cufflink

Easter Buds

I enjoy Easter Sunday because it serves as a reminder that the warmer spring and summer months are on their way.

Lil Sippy Cup loves Easter Sunday because he receives baskets full of toys and candy from his aunts and uncles.  And, as we all know, anything involving free games and sugar is automatically awesome in his book.

Happy Easter everyone.  Excuse me while I go and stop my son from doing forward rolls on the hardwood floor.

What I Learned Today (2)

Today, I learned that when I tell my son "Hey little dude, be careful with that" and he says "I will!" what he really means is "I'm totally going to spill this entire bag of chips on the bed!"

Lil Sippy Cup and the Bottle Caps

Lil Sippy Cup runs with a pretty tight crew.  I call them the Bottle Caps.

As the temperature continues to climb with the approaching summer months and, subsequently, as his play-date calendar becomes booked with appointments, I will begin introducing the various members of the squad.

Today's Bottle Caps: AJ (the muscle) and Jayden (the advisor).

AJ

Jayden

In spite of the fact that they are all toddlers (or, perhaps, because they are toddlers), they each have a brutally honest approach to personal communication, a deeply-seeded sense of loyalty, and a true appreciation of mud and potato chips.  They're also really good at sharing which, as I have come to learn, is the foundation of any successful human being.

If the true measure of a man is the company that he keeps, then Lil Sippy Cup is obviously on his way to becoming a pretty amazing man.