In all my married years, I’ve never spent a lot of money on myself. On my wife and kids and even the house, yes – plenty, but on me not really. I’m not complaining – far from it – I prefer to spend on them and have in the past put off offers to spend on myself, as we’re not rolling in spare cash and I felt guilty and would rather buy a good food processor or barbecue for the house than a new pair of soft Italian slip-ons for me. Also, I’m not normally covetous of material goods for their own sake – my cars are both pretty non-descript Japanese models (my Mazda 6 is leased for me by my employer as part of my package and my Mitsubishi Outlander is 2006 model 2nd hand – though this year I want to buy a new Honda Jazz or similar for my wife when she passes her test).

Until now.

For months, I’ve been looking longingly at one piece of stylish decadence in a particular mall shop window, until yesterday, when my wife, tired of me slobbering down the shop’s window every time, took me inside and for once, with a feeling of shameless abandon, we bought it at last !

Now, had I been in the UK and had a few bucks to burn, I might well have gone kilt-outfit hunting, but here in Oman, kilt-wearing opportunities are few and far between (Burns Night and Caley Ball night), so I’m not that hung up about it.

Now I know that there are many more expensive makes of the same thing that I bought yesterday, but yesterday I bought the materialistic love of my life. A Swiss Rado watch. It’s a sleek, slim, chic, all-black Sintra Jubilé model with curved (rather than flat) glass face that extends to the edges and looks like an infinity pool, the smoothly shaped bracelet band and rounded rectangular face meld together seamlessly and the band has a sheen rather than shine to it. There are no numerals or “ticks” on the dial, only four little diamonds at the main quarters and a little date window at the bottom. The whole effect looks like a black satinised bracelet, almost like black Siamese gold. I understand that the metallic parts are actually a scratch-resistant hi-tech ceramic. There are no chunky faces, bezels, bracelet links, buttons or posts to break its slim, smooth outline.

It cost RO 925 after 25% offered discount (about US$ 2,400), before the offer which ends 13 March it was RO 1,160 (about US$ 3,400). To some people that is minor but for me, spending that on a watch is a major life-decision !! Even now, though I’m happy as a pig in “clover” (self-censored for the mods), I still have a wee bit of guilt wondering if I’ve denied my kids something.

The Rado is far too good for me to wear, so I’ll keep it in its box in our bedroom and look at it now and again. – ONLY KIDDING !!! But it is for dressy occasions.

This now firmly puts me in the famed “fur coat an’ nae knickers” category ! I went and got that lovely expensive watch but meanwhile the spex I wear have a broken leg !!