On Watches, Faucets, and Headaches

A year ago, I discovered that Underground Toys was producing a replica of the Doctor’s fobwatch from the “Human Nature”/”Family of Blood” two-parter of Doctor Who‘s third season.

While I sort of wanted one, it wasn’t high on my list of priorities. Unlike The Journal of Impossible Things, which I instantly wanted, and I’m now the proud owner of one.

I was given a fobwatch at work yesterday.

It’s plastic. It feels a little cheap. I’m worried about the hinge breaking with repeated use.

The watchface looks fabulous, though.

My major complaint? The sound chip.

The watch isn’t really usable because of it. Put the watch in your pocket, and chances are you’ll hit the button accidentally — and repeatedly.

I’m tempted to take the watch apart and disconnect the speaker.

I’ll make it useful yet!


My grandmother, of late, has been incapable of two things.

One, she can’t turn faucets off.

Two, she can’t close kitchen cabinets.

The cause for both, I’m sure, is the same — she forgets that she’s turned the water on. She forgets that she’s gone into the cabinet to look for something. She turns on the water, she opens the cabinet, and then turns to get something else — a plate, a bowl, a cup — and then whatever she was doing slips her mind.


I have a migraine. Joy.

Published by Allyn

A writer, editor, journalist, sometimes coder, occasional historian, and all-around scholar, Allyn Gibson is the writer for Diamond Comic Distributors' monthly PREVIEWS catalog, used by comic book shops and throughout the comics industry, and the editor for its monthly order forms. In his over ten years in the industry, Allyn has interviewed comics creators and pop culture celebrities, covered conventions, analyzed industry revenue trends, and written copy for comics, toys, and other pop culture merchandise. Allyn is also known for his short fiction (including the Star Trek story "Make-Believe,"the Doctor Who short story "The Spindle of Necessity," and the ReDeus story "The Ginger Kid"). Allyn has been blogging regularly with WordPress since 2004.

One thought on “On Watches, Faucets, and Headaches

  1. The watch certainly looks nice but it’s not the sort of thing I’d carry around everyday. I wish I could remember the site where some yahoo had made working replicas with quartz faces and metal housings. I remember the price being something like $300-400.

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