Posted by: Nik Taylor

I spent most of last month wearing an intriguing watch that, its makers claim, can offer all kinds of health benefits thanks to the power of crystals. You can find out more about how it works in my original blog post, but the general gist is that those crystals are attuned to the frequency of the earth, and can therefore have positive effects on your sleep patterns, health and general wellbeing. The chap who demonstrated one to me said it had even cleared up his migraines.

So, having worn one for a few weeks, does it work? Well, in my entirely unscientific opinion (and despite my initial scepticism), I’d have to say a cautious ‘yes’. After wearing the watch for a few days, I was sure I could notice some kind of difference. I’m quite prepared to accept this could all be some kind of horological placebo effect, but I began to feel as though I was sleeping more deeply. Rather than tossing and turning, waiting to drift off, I was lights out almost as soon as my head touched the pillow.

There may also have been other benefits, though these are more difficult to pinpoint. The watch certainly got me noticed. It’s a chunky, twin-dial affair that weighs more than my mobile phone, so friends were quick to notice it and ask how it works. I have something of a reputation among those who know me for having a laid-back attitude, and so had plenty of comments about being a less-than-ideal subject for testing a relaxation aid.

Still, I can get as riled as any Victor Meldrew on occasion – never more so than when keeping goal for my local team. And it was there, on the football pitch, that I really started to think there might be more to this interesting oddity than just a few chunky crystals.

Having made a save that was, if I say so myself, rather special, I looked across in pity at the striker who’d made a flailing dive at the floor – then in disbelief at the ref who had, staggeringly, opted to give a penalty. But then something strange happened. I didn’t boil over. I didn’t remonstrate with the ref, or offer him a lift to Specsavers. Instead, I calmly got between the posts and prepared for the spot kick. Considering my usual behaviour on a football pitch, it was a minor miracle. And if wearing this watch can calm me down on the football field, there may really be something to it.

(The watch I tried (pictured) is a Philip Stein Chronograph Gunmetal Crystal & Chronograph Silver Dial – priced at £850. You can find more in the range at the Philip Stein website)