Long before I could even drive, I fell for the rounded curves of the Infiniti J30. Back then the newest Japanese luxury brands were trying to earn their spot in the marketplace and you saw all manner of creative directions in their ads. I remember a lot of zen, nature imagery in the Infiniti advertising, but I also remember the analog clock, a throwback accessory that set them oddly apart from the digital timepieces in every other car.

After 9 years and 178,000 miles with my trusty (if not a bit boring) Volvo I finally bought a used G sedan. It has plenty of bells & whistles, but when I saw my very own analog clock, I felt like I’ve been waiting for this car since I was 16…

Thank you: to my mom for letting me endlessly test drive her G35x, to Dougie for convincing me to buy Japanese if I wanted something reliable (I still agree an A5 would have been fun!) and to Shane Hyland and Devan Infiniti of Fairfield who helped me conclude this painful summer shopping saga with a very pleasant buying experience.