15/05/2026
The luxury watch boutique was a shrine to status, where time was sold for the price of a mansion. Leo, a young influencer with a million-dollar smile and a rented suit, stood by the counter, filming a video. He noticed an old man sitting on a bench near the door, wearing a faded coat and holding a small, cracked pocket watch. Leo turned his camera toward the man. “Look at this, guys,” he whispered loudly. “Some people just don't know when to let go of junk. Hey, old timer, that thing probably stopped ticking when the dinosaurs died. Why don't you throw it away and get a real watch?” The boutique staff laughed, and Leo’s followers cheered in the comments. The old man, Arthur, didn't look up. He just rubbed the scratched glass of the watch. “It still keeps the only time that matters,” he said softly. Leo rolled his eyes, leaning back against a glass case. “Sure it does. Security, can we move this ‘relic’ out of the shot? It’s ruining the aesthetic of my luxury vlog.” As security approached, the back office door opened. The owner of the global watch brand—a man known for his cold, ruthless business sense—stepped out. He didn't look at Leo. He froze, staring at the old man on the bench. He walked over and knelt on the floor, shocking everyone. “Master Thorne?” he whispered, his voice trembling. “We thought you had retired to the mountains. It’s been twenty years.” He turned to Leo, his eyes burning with fury. “This ‘old man’ is the master horologist who designed every movement in this store. And that ‘cracked watch’ is the prototype for the first tourbillon ever made—it’s worth more than your entire life’s earnings.” Leo’s camera dropped. The influencer’s smile vanished as the owner ordered him out and banned him from every store worldwide. Arthur finally looked up, his quiet eyes meeting the owner’s. “The watch didn't stop, Elias. Some people just forgot how to listen to the heartbeat of the gears.”