Yes, I’ve already published an article about these watch-themed cufflinks. But recently I opened that old piece – first published 5 December 2022 – and was genuinely shocked by the photo quality. To be fair, in 2022 that was the best I could manage (my other half shot them on her Samsung Galaxy). Things are a bit different now. I have the tools to do these wonderful little objects proper justice.
The new photos were taken with my beloved Fujifilm macro lens. The text below is largely unchanged.
One more thing – I don’t plan to go back and reshoot everything on the blog. But these cufflinks had other ideas. You know that face a cat makes when it wants a treat? The Puss in Boots scene from Shrek? That’s exactly how they were looking at me. So here we are.
How do you know you have the most amazing and downright best woman by your side? In my case, the answer is easy: she indulges my passion for all things watches (among other things). I’ve already written about the spectacular Roamer skeleton watch she bought me for my 30th birthday – the one that’s earned me countless compliments. And over the years, she’s gifted me an incredible collection of watch books that I genuinely treasure.
Then there are the watch-themed cufflinks. I own exactly one shirt with cufflink holes – a single white shirt – and I wore it, with those cufflinks, to our very first wedding together. Funnily enough, I still have these cufflinks, but that shirt is long gone. But how did these cufflinks come to exist in my life?
It starts with a trip to Kuldīga, a beautiful city in Latvia. We went for sightseeing and dinner at a highly recommended restaurant. I can’t recall what I ate – probably a burger, since at the time I was deep into exploring gourmet burgers of all kinds. We saw beautiful things, had a delicious dinner (if memory serves), drank coffee, and were heading back to my wife’s mother’s car when we happened to pass an interesting shop. Nothing special from the outside – just a simple crafts shop. We went in, and then we saw them.
Small pieces with watch movements inside. Cufflinks, rings, pendants, earrings. I tried on a ring for my little finger — it looked good, wasn’t heavy, and the price was right. I didn’t buy it. They had an online shop too, so I told myself I’d order it later. I never did.
Honestly, I can’t remember why she gifted them. At this point, I’m too ashamed to ask. My best theory: she wanted us to have something in common – me with cufflinks, her with earrings, and on the right occasion, matching accessories.
That occasion came. We got to wear our watch-themed pieces together. And we looked good. We looked good then, and we still do.
So – if this has sparked any interest in watch-themed cufflinks or other small accessories, the people behind them have an online shop. Do consider supporting these Latvian craftspeople.
Kind regards,
Olaaf
