The pages of the New York Times this week have been thick with wrist watch ads. Cartier. Rolex. Movado. Tourneau. Omega. Asprey. Tag Heuer. Swiss Army. It's Father's Day Sunday. The message this week: Buy dad a wrist watch.

I have a lot of watches, including the Witenauer my father wore. I also have the pocket watch that belonged to my grandfather, my mother's father, Charles.

The first watch I ever owned was an Omega Seamaster DeVille. It was given to me by my Aunt Del and Uncle Ed on the day I graduated from high school. On May 29, 1970 ( I don't remember what time it was ) I purchased another Omega, a Chronostop. I bought it in a shop in Cambridge, England.

I still have those two Omegas, and I wear them often.

In June, 1984, I celebrated being promoted to creative director of the ad agency I was working for by buying a Rolex, a stainless steel Datejust with one of those classic Rolex oyster cases.

After leaving the ad business, I started working as a counselor on a psych unit. I never wore the Rolex there. A couple of years ago I decided I didn't want the Rolex anymore. Donna advertised it on E-Bay and sold it.

Soon after that happened I bought a Tag Heuer watch. A Formula 1.

I've had a lot of Casio watches, the ones that tell you the time, the date, how fast you're running, what your blood pressure is, how much you weigh and how much longer you have to live.

I made that last one up. Casio doesn't have a watch with that count down feature. Yet.