Episode 230: A Time for Music (National Watch Day)

There was a time when people carried time with them all the time. Whether it was on a wrist or attached to a chain, people had a watch, a device that had a face with marks for hours and seconds and three hands (hour, minute, second). Some watches were either mechanical (gears and winding knob) or electronic (quartz), and some included the day and month. Some were functional while others were stylish.

For this week’s episode, we’re celebrating National Watch Day, a day that brings awareness to the history and craft of watchmaking. Going back to the 16th century, watches kept time with a set of gears and springs and required periodic winding. The first wristwatches were made as special gifts for certain noblewomen. Normally worn as a status symbol, they later become a necessary item after the Second Boer War and then a popular men accessory after World War II. The introduction of quartz allowed wristwatches to explode, though it did cause traditional mechanical watches to retract and refocus themselves for luxury.

We’ve got tracks from video games that feature watches: a secret agent stopping a satellite weapon, a hard-boiled detective in 1940s Los Angeles, and a rebel fighting against the new dictator. Of course, we have covers and remixes along with these tracks.

Now it’s time to sit back and enjoy these tracks…

National Watch Day

Omega Seamaster

“The Not-So-Complete Guide of Video Game Watches” (Omega Forms)

Elgin Watch Company

Vacheron Constantin

“The History and Science Behind the Lindbergh Logines Hour Angle Watch”

Hamilton Khaki Field

Track Listing

Intro and BGM: “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?”, by Chicago (formerly Chicago Transit Authority)

“Facility” – [Goldeneye 007] – composed by Grant Kirkhope, Robin Beanland, Graeme Norgate

“Facility Theme Remix – Goldeneye 007 N64” – remixed by Ian Ferreira