Now I'm more in danger of getting burned on Ebay.
I currently own a classic silver Omega Seamaster purchased off the internet auction site. But I also got a fake Rolex that was more Ralgex than the Swiss classic.
The seller claimed he didn't kn
ow much about watches when he'd been questioned by other bidders, and I thought I'd nick it with a cheeky offer.
How wrong I was.
The hands just about went backwards, the gold paint was flaking and the logo had been printed by someone who had never seen the real thing.
But the Scottish FA presented me with a smart timepiece for my work at a Tennent's qualifying Cup-tie and I have an old Automatic Trooper that belonged to an uncle.
Another gave me a smart First World War Jaeger Le-Coultre pocket watch with a leather strap that resides in a small velvet bag.
It's not the intricate inner workings of watches that attract me – like most blokes, I just like watches.
They are, like cars and planes, a stylish piece of engineering and you can tell a lot about a man by his watch. Especially if they're wearing a dodgy fake Rolex.
Digital watches were all the craze when we were kids. Cheap mass-manufactured Japanese timepieces with calculators, lights and games were a must-have item at one time.
There was also a time when Swiss Swatches were popular.
They are now collectors items and worth a small fortune on Ebay.
Mind, so are the so-called Rolexes that you'd be better off buying from a shifty-looking Moroccan 'lucky-lucky' man on your holidays.
But you just can't help from convincing yourself that yes, you actually could do with a new watch.
And it still beats buying shoes!
