The Case for Amazon.com

Lately I've been making the rounds, trying to find a band for an old wristwatch. This is turning into a Quest.

Used to be you could get these things at the local drug store. Not any more. Target had a few but not the size I needed. Walmart the same.

If you ask why I don't just buy them online—I'd kind of like to see what it really looks like before I buy it. Some things you can buy online because it doesn't realy matter, or you know that they all look the same. But watch straps vary in color, in thickness, the texture. Most online photos just don't tell you what you need to know, ya know?

So the next level was the traditional department stores. JCPenney—nyet. Sears had them, but you had to go down into the dungeon to the watch repair guy. This reminds me that Sears is now the most eccentric department store I've been to. To find this guy I had to go downstairs, around behind the back escalator to an almost hidden hallway where the photo studio and various other shoplets are.

The watch repair guy was nice but wanted to see the watch. I didn't bring it, and besides—I know the size. Just show me what you have in black and brown leather bands. You can't have that many, can you?

He couldn't do it. No band for you.

What they really want you to do (well, the repair guy supposedly wants me to keep my old one) is to buy a new watch. The price of watches is insanely low these days. I think watches are about the same price or lower now than they were when I was a kid. Used to be you could buy a $20 watch and it looked like crap. Now a $20 watch is beautiful. I saw a few that I thought were incredible.

But I've got more watches than I know what to do with now. I don't need another watch; I need a band for a watch I already own. And believe me, it's a nice watch. I wouldn't be going through this to put a band on an old Timex.

So now my choice is either a jeweler, which will be expensive (100% pelagic sealskin! On sale for $99!), or I just have to give up and get one from Amazon for $10 and hope for the best.

Guess which one I'll be doing?