I Couldn't Live Without My La Crosse Atomic Watch

I purchased my La Cross Technology atomic watch a couple of years ago and really can't live without it. The price, at the time, was only $49 but the best part is the technology. The watch is radio controlled, meaning its time is synchronized with a radio signal broadcast from Ft. Collins, Colorado. My watch receives that signal and automatically adjusts to it. This insures it keeps perfect time, to the billionth of a second!

Speaking of the technology, the watch contains an antenna and a tiny microprocessor. The antenna receives the signal from the United States Atomic Clock, sends it to the microprocessor that decodes it and sets the time display. After the first time you use it, it automatically seeks the signal from Colorado after midnight when there is much less radio interference. In my case, I had to set the watch on my windowsill to face the Western sky. The next morning it was fully synchronized to the official U.S. time.

You may wonder why I need something like this. Well, I am a nut case when it comes to punctuality. I just don't like being late for appointments. We have lots of timekeepers around the house and in our vehicles, but my watch is the most accurate. I also enjoy telling people who ask what time it is, "according to my atomic watch, it's..." If they've never heard of one before, it's the opportunity for me to tell them all about it. Lucky them!

I can't speak for the other brands, but I can tell you that the La Crosse watch is extremely durable. Not too long after I bought it, I was hit by a car while crossing a street. I went airborne and slammed onto the pavement with a jolt. My new glasses were destroyed, but the watch was still working fine with just some minor scratches on the finish. I still wear it as my lucky timepiece.

It was fairly new on the market when I bought it two years ago. I now plan on buying a newer version, as mine doesn't have a face that lights up. It's a feature I wish mine had. The newer watches on the market today also have automatic adjustment for the particular time zone you are in. Mine doesn't and I had to manually adjust it when I traveled from the East Coast to the West Coast recently. Another neat innovation is the solar powered atomic watch. Mine uses a lithium battery that has a life expectancy of about three years, so solar is the way to go.

When I bought my watch, La Crosse also included an atomic travel clock. It was a nice bonus and I've used it every time I stay overnight somewhere. It's much easier than trying to figure out how to set the wake-up time on those motel radio clocks.

If you do a Google search, you will find a huge selection of atomic watches and clocks. They are also putting this technology into a wide range of products. There are even analog display wall clocks with an old-fashion design. Some of the wristwatches incorporate the atomic watch technology into an elegant, analog display highly suitable for business and formal occasions.

A sampling of watchmakers offering atomic watches includes Stauer, Casio, Hammacher Schlemmer, Chase-Durer, Junghans and many others. If you are in need of a new watch, or just want to buy an inexpensive watch for sports and fun, be sure to get one that is radio controlled. You'll love it!