“My First”
Experiencing your "first" of anything is both exhilarating and nauseating. You've replayed this inner monologue of how you think events will transpire. You are almost afraid to take the first step. You contrived this quintessential story with no regrets or hesitations. Rainbows and unicorns, as some would say. However, any tiny derailment from your contrived story could spell disaster. Thankfully, I had excellent friends who took the leap of faith for me.
From 2021 to 2023, I lived in Hawaii with a loving group of friends. During this time on the island, these friends introduced me to the world of watches. I admired their collections for some time. I saw what they considered unique and enticing. I held everything from a gleeful Snoopy Holiday Timex to the colossal Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea. Naturally, I desired to start my peculiar collection.
I spent countless months walking through the pristine watch boutiques of downtown Honolulu; I hesitated with every step. Self-diagnosed with anxiety, I worried that I was overthinking this entire timepiece experience. I told myself, "the next store, I will find something I love." And so, the stores passed me by, days turned into weeks, and...well, you know how the adage goes. Between the salt-stained air, piercing sun rays, and the ocean breeze brushing past my naked wrist, I could not find the watch I would call my "first."
This journey lasted well over six months. At one point, my confidant in this endeavor and neighbor contemplated strangling me the next time I dragged him out of his apartment, across Waimanu Street, and back into the same boutiques we visited countless times, just for me to hesitate. I could see it in his gait and the slouch of his shoulders. He was, yet again, disappointed that a once impulsive and irresponsible adult aired on the side of caution.
My time on the island of Oahu was coming to an end in the summer of 2023. In classic fashion, I invited my closest friends on the island to an elegant dinner a few weeks before my departure. One of those friends was Andrew, my partner in Leather & Lume. After our waiter provided us with our evening libations, mine being pink and delicious, Andrew could no longer contain his excitement. He presented me with a strange metallic geometry that shimmered in the low candlelight of the restaurant. Puzzled, it took me a second to realize the burden my friends lifted. The grueling task of picking out the perfect watch evaporated. In an instant, the nausea and stress melted away as I picked up the dense polished metal.
The Tissot PRX Powermatic 80, with its deep ocean blue waffle dial and stainless-steel bracelet, will forever be my "first."
By Emiliano Concha-Toro
