the original wasn't a luxury item

The egg timer my sister gave me as a "replacement" certainly wasn't an expensive item. It's made of wood, but it's definitely cheap wood, and the finishing is rather non-existent. Had it not come from "home", it certainly wouldn't be much to write home about. The packaging, on the other hand, makes it seem quite high class: the black and white design is rather minimalist, the item is listed in three languages, and it bears a guarantee - as though there's much to guarantee about the workings of an egg timer. But perhaps precisely because it's not a luxury item, I find it easier to become attached to it. It fits quite logically into the general decor of our home.