3. Glashuette Original Lady Serenade | The Executive

The executive, a well-suited man in his early fifties, usually hates layovers.  But he deliberately chose a later return connection to Munich, so that he can spend a few more hours at the Zurich airport.   In fact, he even dressed up for it, in watch lover terms at least.  On his wrist today is one of his favorites, the Chronoswiss Kairos, which unfortunately doesn't get nearly enough wrist time.  For a watch lover, the Zurich airport is comparable to a giant candy store for children, but instead of sugary confections, it's filled with watch stores that cater to all watch collecting tastes and budgets.  That is what the executive has been looking forward to, as he rushed out of his first class seat and dashed out the plane to the shopping arcade.  His first stop, is a store called Hour Passion located on the second floor.  Hour Passion is his favorite, because it carries his favorite German brand, Glashuette Original.  He enters the store, passing a couple of Chinese customers buying Omegas and Rolexes with a carry-on full of cash.  He settles at the back of the store, where his favorites await.  It's a shame that German watches don't get as much attention as the Swiss he thinks, but that suits him fine, as he gets to have some peace and quiet to really enjoy trying on some new pieces.  His heart is set today, on trying a Glashuette Original Sixties with green dial, At almost 40mm in diameter without crown, it might be a bit too big for his slender wrist, but he just can't get over that gorgeous green dial, which reminds so much of his wife's emerald green eyes.  As a sales person makes her way to him, something else catches his attention from the display case, something smaller, probably a 36mm.  His heart pounds as he asks the sales person to see it, 'it's a Lady Serenade, Sir', as she sets the watch down in white gloves onto the velvet viewing pad, and asks, 'a special present for the Misses, Sir?' The executive smiles.  As he takes his Chronoswiss off, he catches the sales person glancing at it, which pleasingly affirms his watch decision for today.  He puts the Lady Serenade on, it must be a 36mm, because it fits his wrist just perfectly.   With a galvanized black dial, roman numerals, and a date window at 6, the Lady Serenade checks all his boxes.  And perhaps the sales person, who has gone to make him a coffee at his request, is right?  Surely, it would be more justifiable to spend over four-thousand euros on a watch on her than on himself?

But, is a watch like that suitable for a 12 year-old? Will she like it? What DOES she like now? He tries hard to think, but the executive is clueless as to what his daughter likes, his wife, who passed away two years ago took care of that. In fact, he hardly spent anytime home, having to fly all over the world on business.  He was being a good provider, he would tell himself.  And he's been working even harder since his wife's death, wanting to make even more money, to provide even more things for his daughter, leaving her in the care of the nanny.  Didn't his daughter once mentioned wanting to become a musical singer? The watch is called Lady Serenade, that can't be a coincidence, can it? A year before his wife became ill, for her birthday, her wish was for all three of them to go see the musical Evita at the Deutsches Theater together.  After the show, which he partially slept through, he remembers his daughter being so thrilled at the sight of a girl, about the same age as his daughter, singing a small solo, that she told his wife that she also wished to be on stage.  What would've become of that wish if his wife was still alive? Surely the life that he is providing her, the sacrifice he is making by working so hard, is worth more than chasing a silly dream? If he's honest though, who is he really working so hard for? Himself? And is he afraid to be at home, to be with his daughter? Are memories of his love for his wife too painful to bear, for his daughter's emerald green eyes remind him of his lost love? Most importantly, he asks himself, is it too late to change, before his favorite little girl grows up and falls in the arm of another man?