When I got my first job back in the early 90s, I picked up a Timex Ironman with one of my first paychecks. I remember it being quite the purchase. As I think back on it, I remember the watch being only about $40 bucks. That doesn't sound like a lot, but back in 1994, I think that was close to half a week's pay.

I loved that watch. I wore it to work every day. The rigors of retail, stocking shelves, and unloading trucks took its toll on my cherished timepiece. I beat the hell out of that watch. I remember a lot of the text had rubbed off the buttons and the bezel. I remember at one point having to buy a new strap for it because the old one snapped. Yup, it was my daily beater for years.

That watch was so beat to crap that when I finally moved out of my parent's house, I think I threw it out during a mass-purge of stuff that I wasn't taking with me. Almost 20 years later and now that I'm back into watches again, I'm kicking myself for throwing it away.

I've been scouring eBay for months trying to find the same model from 1994 in mint condition. I take it that this was a beater watch for most people too. There's not a lot to choose from on eBay, and most (if not all) are really beat up. Most are scratched up, have the text missing from the buttons, or it's not on the original strap. I've seen only a handful that were in really nice condition, but the asking price was too high to justify the purchase.

I was patient, and just kept waiting; checking eBay weekly for any new posts. As luck would have it, I finally scored this gem for only $41 dollars. It's not mint, but it's in great condition.

I'm so glad to have it back in rotation. Ah, memories!