Watch the watch!

The Real McCoy, of course.

I have my own cruel way of being mean. Just as much as it boils inside to see a toddler running around in a designer branded jeans, tshirt and sneakers to match, it amuses me to see them wearing real watches! Yes, the ticking ones, not the fake stationary ornamental ones. The twisted mind in me sometimes jocularly tease these helpless souls (?really) by asking them the time! Invariably they would turn the face of the watch to me to read the time myself.

During my tour of duty in the border town of Kota Bharu, wearing branded watches was considered normal. Nobody would give a second look, be awed or second guess your watch. You see, genuine looking fakes are easily gotten for a song from a street peddler.

The same wearer would raise eyebrows and earn admirers just as he leaves to another town.

The latest craze among plebeians now is watch watching. Whenever a public figure is photographed with full view of his chronograph, the general public with the aid of cyber technology would go on a spree to identify and evaluate its price. They have also started a sort of 'top of the pop' chart of figurines and their prized possession.

Bristling Montbrillant-Datora

That certainly put them in catch 22 situation - deny the whole thing and allege that they are wearing fakes, denting their image or keep mum, indirectly admitting that they serve themselves only and acquired princely possessions way beyond their official affordability.

Perhaps they could they follow the way of an Indonesian general who literally steamrolled his prized collection of watches under a steam roller just to convince the public that his is fake, while his heart must have bled inside!