journal features

replaced a strap on my beater watch

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

Toronto, 2017.02.15

I have a Casio MDV-106 that's been my beater watch since the spring of '14 or so. The plastic strap was becoming a bit stretched and loose, and I worried about losing the watch. So I've put a succession of new straps on it.

NATO

First, the NATO. I liked the look well enough, but it made the watch sit "high on the wrist" and there were gaps between my skin and the lugs that I didn't like.

NATO strap on Casio MDV-106

two-piece

So when the NATO strap began to wear, I replaced it with something similar but in two parts. This was quite an improvement, as it sat lower again, and also felt great on my wrist. However, the strap wore quite heavily, much faster than I expected, and it began to look pretty crap. I know it's just a beater, but ehhh.

two-part NATO strap on Casio MDV-106

the Barton strap

So I've now gone with a Barton strap.

It's not entirely long enough, despite being a "long" size, but it's certainly comfortable and I think it looks good.

rand()m quote

One day you will take a fork in the road, and you're going to have to make a decision about which direction you want to go. If you go one way, you can be somebody. You will have to make compromises and you will have to turn your back on your friends. But you will be a member of the club and you will get promoted and get good assignments. Or you can go the other way and you can do something [...] for yourself. If you decide to do something, you may not get promoted and get good assignments and you certainly will not be a favorite of your superiors. But you won't have to compromise yourself. To be somebody or to do something. In life there is often a roll call. That's when you have to make a decision. To be or to do.

—John Boyd, US Air Force