The Real Thing

About nine years ago, I bought a box of assorted jewelry at a yard sale for $4. I was always on the lookout for pieces to repurpose, and that box seemed full of potential. I brought it home and started unpacking it and found a man’s watch. When I turned it over, I realized it was a Tag Heuer - an expensive watch.  I'm not usually a watch person, but I liked that this one was big, solid and chunky and I liked how it felt on my wrist.  I wore it for years and then stopped when I went through a phase when I wore no jewelry at all.  

Fast forward to September 2026, I decided to start wearing it again and brought it in for a cleaning. In Spartanburg, there's a shop called Watch Works that focuses exclusively in selling and repairing high end timepieces. I told the owner about the watch and asked to have it cleaned.  He first looked at the front and saw it wasn't running so he began to shake it to get the gears moving.  When that didn't work, he turned it over and put on his loupe to take a closer look. 

After about 20 seconds, he removed the loupe and kindly said, "Ma'am, were you aware that this is not authentic?"  I explained how I acquired it and that I'd worn it for many years simply because I liked it. I wasn't ever interested in selling it or knowing the value; I just liked the watch. Out of curiosity, I asked how he could tell it was a reproduction and after a moment, he replied, "The best way I can explain it is this - when you've seen enough of the real thing, you notice a fake".  He showed me the back of the watch and pointed out the weight, explaining that the way it was attached revealed it was not an authentic Tag Heuer. I asked if he could repair it, but he said he couldn’t take it in because he had no idea what he might find once he got into the workings of it. He did tell me that it was a very well-crafted reproduction and it served me well for $4.00. Bless his kind heart

All weekend I kept thinking about the watch and what he said. I wasn't bothered that it wasn't real - I bought it for pennies and worn it for years, so how could I be upset about that? What stuck with me was his comment about "when you've seen enough of the real thing you notice a fake". 

Over the years, how many friends have I met that I believed were genuine, investing a lot of trust and faith in the relationship, only to discover later that they were not what they seemed?

It's not all their fault - I'm too trusting and often take too long to look at the workings.  But one thing I have found in the wisdom of years, is that I have gotten better at recognizing what's genuine and avoiding the fake. I have been blessed with true friends and I now know the real thing when I see it. 

I still wear the Tag Heur watch even if it doesn't keep time.  Like I said, I like the weight and the feeling of it on my wrist.  When I need to know what time it is, I'll check my phone.