The Awakening of My Watch Passion: From Flik Flak to Omega

As long as I can remember, I have always been a watch guy. Or, perhaps more accurately, a watch little boy!

Once I learned to read time on an analog clock, my parents gifted me a Swatch Flik Flak. To many, this might not sound particularly famous, but in Europe back then, it was quite the craze, and many children wore them. Even cooler versions included Batman motifs, and I remember desperately desiring that one!

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of visiting the Planet Swatch Museum with a collector friend I met on Quora. To my surprise, there was an extensive Flik Flak collection, with many watches on display, including the exact Flik Flak I wore 20 years ago!

As a kid, my fascination grew for watches with numerous features and buttons. One particularly memorable watch was from Casio, which could double as a TV remote control. It was primarily used in classrooms to turn on the TV!

As a teenager, I received some Swatch quartz watches from girlfriends with elegant designs. I was unfamiliar with mechanical watches at the time and was content with my quartz watches, which I enjoyed wearing a lot.

Gradually, my desire for something more luxurious and elegant drove me to explore mechanical watches. Its technical complexity was surprising, as mechanical movements appeared to be much more advanced than quartz watches, which were later produced.

From there, I delved into researching mechanical watches and learning as much as I could. By the time I turned 20, I had acquired my first mechanical watch: the iconic Omega Professional Speedmaster. This newfound passion led me to pursue a career in the watchmaking industry.

It has been almost seven years since I joined this industry and live surrounded by watches, but that’s a story for another time!