"What watch?" "Ten watch" "Such watch?"

Anyone who's watched (sorry) Casablanca more than a few times knows the lines in this blog's title. For the last few years, I've worn a Timex Indiglo Expedition watch for several reasons - it was cheap, it told me the day and date, it had an analog dial and a digital display, it kept time within a minute per month, and it had both glow bezels and a light-up switch. I ruined the first one on a rafting trip--water resistant isn't really what it's cracked up to be. The second one has served me well, up until this week when the battery died. I would have gone back to that big box store where a battery costs $4, except that I just did this a few months ago, so either the battery was defective or the watch is getting rusty innards. And how eco-friendly is that?

I have 2 watches now that would work with a fresh battery, plus one I'm wearing that was a gift from a vendor (i.e., also cheap) until its battery gives up. The dilemma is "what watch" to get next? Clearly, I'm tired of paying $5 or so for a battery that, while small, is a challenge to recycle. A few watches at the store proclaimed "long life battery" but I'm guessing I won't be handing them (the watches, I mean--the batteries should end up recycled into new ones) down to my grandchildren, should I ever have any.

What does the Internet tell me? Amazon showed me more choices than I need, as usual, but the standouts were a solar-powered model from Citizen ("Eco-Drive" - like a hybrid car dashboard clock) and self-winding models from Seiko ("Seiko 5 Automatic Mechanical self winding Date Day Stainless Steel Water Resistance Military Navy blue dial Men's Watch" - sounds very impressive). I'll visit brick/mortar stores so I don't end up with a handcuff version.

The main thing I disliked about the other stalled watch I have with a mechanical day/date display is resetting the day each month with under 31 days. Daylight savings time 1-hour shifts twice per year I can handle, but forget rolling the clock back another 5 times each year.

My son doesn't wear a watch, despite being given several as gifts; he says the time is on his cell phone, so why bother? Hmm.