I’ve managed to revive, in my own way, the watch my father wore when he passed away.
This Citizen Windsurfer D060 was passed down to me by my brother in my adolescence, who had inherited it from our father when he left us in 1989, when I was barely a year old. Since then, that watch became much more than just an object to me; it was the best watch in the world. Its alarm sound, resembling the chirp of a cricket, made it unique. Different from any digital watch of its time, with a sophisticated design that surrounded its display. I was told that my father had bought it in the United States, which made it even more exclusive and special.
One day, the glass on the watch broke, and trusting naively, I took it to a neighborhood jeweler. My ignorance led me to accept a terribly sloppy repair job. Even today, you can still see the glue marks, traces of that botched fix, but at least the watch kept working… until one day, during a school trip, I took it with me to the pool. Amidst the water, the alarm started ringing strangely, until it suddenly fell silent and the screen went black, leaving only remnants of what had once been a brilliant LCD.
I cried uncontrollably. I had ruined the only thing I had left of my father. Over the years, I’ve never been able to forgive myself for treating that watch like any other, when in truth, it was anything but ordinary. It wasn’t just a cheap Casio; it was a piece of history that had crossed generations.
More than 20 years later, in a simracing competition, I won a smartwatch, my very first smartwatch. When I discovered that it was possible to change and customize the watch faces, an idea immediately popped into my mind: why not create a replica of the watch that had been part of my most cherished memories? That way, I could pay tribute to my father in a way he never imagined. My background as a programmer led me to take action. After months of work, I finally brought my version of the watch to life on Android Wear OS, and with it, I closed a chapter in a story that had never stopped hurting.
Today, I’m proud to share with you two versions of this tribute. The first, a faithful replica of the original watch; and the second, an enhanced version, with battery indicator, step counter, and heart rate monitor.
Time never stops, but in a way, this watch is still with me.
100% Replica:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.windsurfer.replica
Enhanced Version:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.windsurfer.enhanced