I have a love/hate relationship with time. On the one hand I waste a lot of it. On the other hand it is all we really have. It can hurt my head if I think about it too much.
What options do we have to measure time? A 12 hour clock or watch? A calendar? I don’t like these. I like the big picture; I like the long term. So I have two alternative timepieces to give me a different perspective. A 24 hour watch and an annual clock.
24 Hour Watch
24 Hour Watch
This is my 24 hour watch. I bought it my senior year of college for my birthday. It was made in the Soviet Union. I believe it has something to do with the Arctic. (As best as I could do in Google translate: полярные = Polar & сделано в cccp = Made in the USSR (I did know that CCCP is the USSR))
Having a 24 hour watch would be very useful do to the extreme lighting that the far north experiences. I think 24 hour watches are popular on the military as well (military time is 24 hours). I don’t see too many analog 24 hour watches so I really like this one. I often get people doing double takes and asking me about it when I wear it.
Annual Clock
An annual clock
This clock is called the Present. The white line is the winter solstice (in the Northern Hemisphere) and it takes a whole year to go around. (You can find out more about it here) I only bought it last December so I haven’t even seen it all the way around yet.
I am currently in my mid 20s so realistically I probably only have 50-60 times around the clock left. That always gets me thinking about where I am, where I want to go and what I want to accomplish before my time is up.
When was the last time you visited someone (like your parents or an old friend)? How long ago did you do a favorite activity (like going for a hike or a swim) How long ago was it on the clock? A quarter rotation, a half rotation, a whole rotation? If you only see someone or do something once a year how much do you really see them or do that over your whole life?
I like my alternative timepieces. They give me a different perspective and let me keep the big picture in mind. Do you have any non-standard watches or clocks?