I found myself, as I sometimes do, gazing through a shop window here in Australia at a watch that I absolutely fell in love with. It was one of the new Omega Seamasters from the James Bond line. The moment I saw it, I felt as though I was in the presence of something truly spectacular. Over the course of a couple of weeks I kept coming back to the shop and staring at the watch through the window. I wasn't just admiring it, I was lusting after it - fantasizing about what it would look like on my wrist, how heavy it would feel, how nice to touch the dial.

Now, I make a modest living. I work hard for what amounts to an average salary here in my country. I love my job and it allows me to help the public every day. Well, when I finally got the courage to find out the price of the watch... we'll let's just say it's price amounts to about a third of my annual income. At my current stage in life, it's simply unaffordable. So I had to walk away and I haven't been back to the shop since.

When I found this community I felt as though I was back at that shop window, but magically, that Omega is now somehow within my reach. Firstly, I appreciate the wealth of knowledge that is available here for free. I've read through the newbie stickies and, although I feel somewhat overwhelmed by all the information, I hope to keep learning about what is available. I'm not after perfection by any means. I've always been a 'close enough' kind of guy. If sometime in the future I can walk away with something 'close enough' to that Omega, well.. I guess that's why some of us are here