Hi peeps,

hopefully you guys have some input on this topic.

My wife wears this beautiful mint Constellation, which I've scored this year.
It's from '72 with original box and papers.



I know a few folks who have bought a watch in the year of their child's birth to gift on the 18th birthday.
A friend of mine keeps a sealed "birth year" Rolex in the safe until his kids turn 18.

Has anyone here done similar?

I'm currently thinking about a watch for my newborn, though 2016 released watches do nothing for me.
So either I just buy any vintage with no relation at all, or maybe from the birth year of the mother, meaning 1989.

Does anyone have some recommendations or personal experiences to share?

Thanks
M

 

Until they can properly appreciate a fine watch, all that is gonna happen is that whatever they get at age 18 will get trashed or lost. I offered to get a watch for my kid upon his college graduation last June and he asked for a trip to Prague instead. Said he needs to earn a fine watch not have one handed to him. Of course now he wants to inherit my collection especially my 1675 so he's change his tune a bit.

 

2016 still offers the speed master

 

It's a girl.

 

My daughter will get a ALS Saxonia - just haven't bought it yet!! I have time, she's only 3 weeks old

 

Congrats mate!
Superb choice.

 

I've got two thoughts on this. For my 21st, my father and I spent ages visiting watch shops together until I finally found something I liked (coincidently an Omega Constellation) which he purchased for me. I remember fondly the time we spent hunting for the right piece.

My second thought, which is probably what I'd do if I have a child, is to buy something when they're born, wear it in good health, collect patina and hand it over at the appropriate time - probably 21 rather than 18 - so that it has something of a connection to you. I'd prefer this to handing over a NOS piece which hasn't the same personal connection.

Now given you have a daughter, perhaps buy something for your wife on the understanding it gets handed over thereby earning brownie points in the process?

Of course, there is a current trend for women to wear smaller gents pieces and I've seen plenty of women wearing Speedmasters, GMTs, Subs and the like. My fiancee has expressed a desire to own a Speedmaster Pro at somepoint - probably sick of hearing me nerding on about them!

 

Let's face it, it will take MUCH longer before the time arrives that these newborns are responsible enough to care for a nice mechanical watch. Each generation, the age of mental maturity goes back a year or two.

 

Like my "responsible" kid who spent Sunday "installing a performance computer in his Civic" ... I just paid my mechanic to remove it. He's learning an expensive lesson. He was lucky he didn't fry the electrical system.

 

2016 basel

black bay ?





2016 air king


blancpain 50 fathoms



zenith 20?



the amazing monza re edition by far the best


the primero skeleton


the globemaster?


you must like SoMETHING from 2016

this is what omega was doing in 1989 not really a "better year" for watches...

 

oh i just read this.... im sorry.. not have you have a baby girl of course it's just that... well its...

well then its either Shit.,...
(216 gucci collection)

....Or diamonds ....

Ladies' High-Mechanical: Girard-Perregaux, Cat's Eye Tourbillon with Gold Bridge
the winners of the 2016 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG)

 

But your wife wears a gents watch.....

 

Tell her you bought her a vintage watch in 2016, put it away and have it serviced the year you give it to her.

There have been a few nice three hand gold Omega watches for sale on the forum lately that have just sat there way too long. Gold or rose gold makes it special.

 

black bay 36mm on a woman wrist is amazing...

 

don't buy her anything tell her "your 18 now you have had your time but im ready for you to go away... i would like my life back, thank you.. dont expect anything as me and you mum are going to try to sneak into an 18 to 30s clubbing holiday... Bye!"

 

... get her a cutting edge smart watch.. im sure that will appreciate in the next 216 months
bwaha ha! HA!

 

I also have a 3 year old daughter and looking for a Speedy Pro to give to her later in life. I think you should get whatever watch you truly like and wear it because you like it. Not something for your wife to wear and give to her later in life. She can do that on her own with whatever she likes, perhaps a piece of jewelry and not a watch. This is something between you and your daughter. Your daughter will grow up and see how much you like your watch and when she's old enough and you give it to her she will cherish it because it's from her awesome dad. Now, for this to work, you truly will have to be an awesome dad for your daughter. This takes A LOT of sacrifice! She won't care how big, small, cheap, or expensive your watch is in the end.

 

Actually you should buy every birthday and christmas present EVERY single one, NOW. you would save money for that 18 to 30s.. Inflation and all that jazz.. innit..

even her cake.. and put that in the safe with the watch....

 

With all of the preservatives added in foods these days I bet you could probably still eat that cake after 30 years

 

I wonder if Zenith makes another model that says "PLAIN ORDINARY" on the dial.