Switching jobs means reassessing lifestyle choices and accessories.

For the longest time I have given up wearing watches because the faces would get scratched, they are bulky and have a ton of useless features I never used and got in the way.

I am a danger to watches. I am clumsy which led to scratching the watch face on walls, ceilings, and seemingly any other rough surface I encountered.

However, the biggest cause of watch face destruction is my job as a computer technician. I always have my hands inside computers and other equipment. With sharp edges and tight spaces this meant certain doom for every previous watch I’ve owned.

I am still doing the same work but I am doing far less hardware support so I won’t be rooting around inside computers. There’s no cure for clumsiness but the change at work should help.

The other motivating cause to buy a watch was needing to better track what time I meet customers, make updates and close tickets. I need to know what time it was when I performed work and pulling a phone from my pocket or holster every time is cumbersome and a bother.

I started looking for watches on Amazon and was struck by how poorly men’s watches serve their purpose.

ugly watches from Amazon.com

Overall, the watches are big, bulky, try to pack as many features as possible into them and many put huge logos on them. The biggest mystery to me are the watches which obscure the time or scroll it across a tiny LED. What is the purpose of wearing a watch if not to tell time?

I made a wish list for my new watch. I wanted something:

  • Digital
  • Easy to read
  • Water resistant
  • Comfortable
  • Scratch Resistant
  • Would look nice enough to suit all occasions

I do not need a:

  • Timer
  • Stopwatch
  • Calculator
  • Calendar
  • Multiple Alarms
  • Timezone support
  • Heart monitor

You get the idea. I want a simple watch to read at a glance. I want the time. That’s it. I can figure out the day and date from my phone if needed. I just need the time in a big, clear display.

As I paged through pages upon pages of terrible looking watches on Amazon, I found the perfect watch and I jumped at the chance to have it on my wrist.

I chose Phosphor Unisex DH03 Digital Hour E-INK Curved Metal Band Watch.

I bought an E-Ink watch. The same material that powers Amazon’s Kindles and other electronic book readers is now powering the big, bold numbers on my wrist. I love the watch because it is crisp, clear and doesn’t have a lot of extra features. It’s a watch that does one thing well. It displays the time.

I prefer wearing it with the light on dark setting. It also has an inverted color scheme, and a partially analog display for some variety in life. It will even show me the date if I change the face to display that and only that. It has an alarm which I don’t use. It has two buttons, once to change mode and one to invert the color scheme.

I’ve had the watch for three weeks and it’s gotten a couple of minor scratches on the frame and wristband. The watch face, which has always been my biggest concern when watch shopping, is still pristine.

I love this watch and it is a true conversation starter. My co-workers were very interested in it because it looks so different. One co-worker bought the same watch with a different band. I have gotten as many compliments as I have “What kind of watch is that?” questions.

The watch was more expensive than the endless line of Timex Ironman watches I’ve owned in the past. However, the $145 I spent on this watch was worth it.

I have a great looking watch that fits my needs. I can see the time at a glance. It doesn’t have extra features that clutter the face.