g-shock

by Brandt Krueger, Geek Dad since 2007

Much has been made about the geektitude of our current president, from his use (and correct pronunciation) of Superman lore, to his insistance on keeping his BlackBerry, to his ability to properly give the vulcan hand sign of “Live Long and Prosper.” So when I found out that there was a website where a mere mortal like myself could buy the President’s watch, I had to check it out. Needless to say, I was a looking for something a little more geeky than what I found.

I don’t know, I guess I figured the GeekDad in Chief would have something like an original Casio CA53W.

ca53w

You know, for tackling those pesky budgets and figuring out how to pay for universal healthcare without raising taxes.

Don’t get me wrong, the watch he wears is a nice watch and all. It has all your standard geeky dials and dates, but I can’t help but feel like he might be neglecting an important presidential accessory. And so I present to you,

The Top Five Watches the GeekDad in Chief should be Wearing:

5. LED Binary Watch

Basic, and self explanatory to even low-level geeks. Baffling to the non-geek.

4. Casio Telememo 150

Ok, so the calculator watch is still an option. I was surprised to see that Casio was still pumping out these babies, updated for the new century. And what does almost 30 years of calculator watch get you over the CA35? Semi-permanent EEPROM memory of 150 “pages” consisting of 8 letters and twelve numerals per page. Perfect for the POTUS to keep track of his schedule, and to be alerted he’s got an important “MEETIN” to go to (see photo).

3. Missile Command

When I ran across the title for this watch in my searches, I was really hoping it would look like this:
Missile Command Watch

No such luck. Apparently Atari didn’t cash in on the Missile Command franchise in the watch department. You gotta admit, though, that would have been pretty cool. Still would. Somebody get on that.

Anyway, even though it looks like this…

Chase Durer Missile Command Watch …this watch is still worth an honorable mention, and the President is, after all, the ultimate Missile Commander for our country.

2. 25th Aniversary G-Shock

The G-Shock is the gold standard for geek watches. Nobody’s sure why, as most of its functionality is based on athletic pursuits (something geeks are not generally known for). Nonetheless, the watch became so popular for so long, Casio released the 25th Anniversary edition in white and gold, perfect for those fancy White House dinner parties with foreign dignitaries.

1. Nixie Tube Watch

A favorite of “The Woz”, the Nixie Tube Watch is the perfect mix of geek chic and old school tech. Nothing says “I represent change!” better than a ridiculously over-sized vacuum tube watch. Press the button and the two digits flash the hours, minutes and seconds. I love the fact that the inventor has a detailed history on his site of how he developed it from breadboard to production. Click on the photo to check it out!