What? This doesn’t look like a watch Laura would like: no bright colors, no day of the week, no flashy graphics. What was Laura thinking?! Before you judge this watch too harshly, you have to understand the gadget appeal of this watch. Heracles is an automatic watch, which means that it doesn’t require batteries and is powered by the movement of my hands while it’s on my wrist.

Here is a look at the back of the watch. It has a clear back so you can see the inner workings of the watch. It has 21 jewels, which help it keep time. That is the minimum of jewels you need for a good automatic watch. The half-circle metal piece twirls around the watch and powers it with my movements.

Over a year ago, my brother, Dan, got obsessed with automatic watches and I was unimpressed. They tended to cost more than a quartz watch. I LOVE gadget appeal, but not enough to pay an extra five hundred dollars. An extra fifty bucks, however, was completely within my range. When I found out Swatch had automatic watches, I immediately bought Heracles and have enjoyed it ever since.

This is my first automatic watch. I bought it at the Swatch store in Las Vegas two months ago. It came with a leather band (I still have it), but I wanted a metal band, so I bought one that day and the clerk at the store changed it for me. It keeps great time, but only if I wear it at least every other day.