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JUNK WATCHES, the LATEST FAD of youth
Trendy Chinese watches.---Photos: C.V. Subrahmanyam.
Not very long ago, sporting a designer label wristwatch was a big deal. Not any more, what with junk watches setting fashion circles ticking.It's the Chinese again, adding a whole new dimension to dressing as a new fashion accessory for the young Vizagites with their watches.The `made-in-China's have swamped the market from big shopping malls to casual wear outlets, all showcasing this stuff to go with "anything you wear of any colour, any design".
Many of these are blatant imitations of popular brand names, and only an expert eye could separate the fake from the original. Once on the wrist, the replicas - though unreliable as time-indicators - go hand in hand with Rolex or Rado.Says Manish Jain of "Spirits", a designer garment outlet at Dabagardens: "There is a rising demand for junk watches. There are several models to choose from, and new ones keep pouring in all the time. Teenagers pick up watches to suit their outfit and occasions, and stack a range of them in their wardrobe."
The beautifully designed watch box
Watches don't anymore seem to serve to know just the time, but to go with the dress sense. The watches are stylish, trendy and funky, the icing being that they come at throwaway prices, starting from as low as Rs.100 and going up to Rs.350 for the most imaginatively designed.
They also come in a mind-boggling range: tank models, sports, digital and chronograph watches. Many of them serve dual purpose. The `Devdas kada' is a watch craftily designed to look like a bangle, the `Gandhi watch', with a chain dangling from it, can be carried in the pocket, the ring watch to adorn the finger and the pendant watch for wearing round the neck.
Some models can be mistaken for bracelets, wristbands, key chains and even cigarette lighters. And there are models with detachable cases for being worn in different colours and patterns.The dials, the hands and even the straps of these watches are very innovatively crafted. While the dials depict a variety of scenery, 3-D pictures and cartoon characters, the hands, of radium, silver, gold and many more eye-catching shades, take on the shapes of tree branches, spears or knives. Flashy metal chains, denim and velvet fabric, leather, beads and even thin nylon strings make up the straps to render the watches one of the most happening fashion accessory.Says Vineet Jain, an MCA student, " I have eight watches and I wear a different one every day. It's fun wearing a different watch every time you step out. The best thing about it is that, it hardly costs anything."Sanghamitra, a fresh MBA graduate, who finds junk watches to be making good gifts for friends, says, "I have received four over the past one year adding to my own collection. Wearing the same designer label watch all the time is really boring, but junk watches lend a wide choice at a price much less than that of a single popular brand."No warranty on the working of these watches is offered, but the fashion-conscious people are not complaining.
SHAZEEL M. BASHA
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