Dedicated to family : uncle-watch(s)

I keep reading about the 'uncle watch'...and it took a while to figure out what it meant, as it has a few contexts.
My first Omega is an uncle-watch. Not the bought from shady-seller-peddling-watch-of-dubious-origin-under-guise-of-being-his-uncle's, but rather a real uncle watch, a past member of my family. Actually, its a great-uncle-watch ...

This thread is dedicated to all of the great (and not so great) family members out there who left us their watches
(or however we came about them) : if they deserve it, take the time to think back and remember, tell us your/their story (good / bad / sad / crazy / hillarious / you choose) and post a pic please.

Naturally I'll go first.

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My uncle-watch is not that remarkable, nor is the story. I didn't really know him that well nor were we close. He was my gran's brother, so we visited him once in a blue moon. He and my granddad didn't get along anymore when I was born, but in the 40's and 50's during the party days I believe they were good friends and probably had quite a few pints together.

I remember him smelling strange in a cold-meat kinda way. Most likely he didn't bath often (in those days people didn't have showers, no idea why), he liked snuff, used handkerchiefs, walked with a weird shuffle and a walking stick, and had a hole in the side of his head where they had to remove something.

He wore those Peaky-Blinder-style caps...would have been wicked if he was a gangster...with a hole in the side of his head...peaky-blinder-cap...imagine. But alas he was not. We used to call him Gwalla-Gwalla 😀 Not that he knew...

He got this watch as a 25 year work anniversary gift. I found it in his cupboard after he passed whilst I was helping my gran do some cleanup. I was 17. And that is why I have kept this watch...not because of his memory, but because of the memory of my dear sweet gran. Naturally I didn't steal it, but gave it to her and expressed my interest. She just said 'my boy, I know you will look after it, so you can have it' and was she right. My gran knows me well.


(case-back reference : 1660163)

I wore this watch daily for about a decade ... through the times that put me where I am today ... but I haven't worn it for many years. Had it serviced 9 years ago, and its just been sitting there since. A pity. The worst thing about this watch is that I had all the papers! When I expatriated, some stuff went 'missing' (long story) 🙁 . Looks tiny on my wrist ... not really my style ... have toyed with the idea of selling it, but when I see it again the condition hits me, and perhaps one day my tastes change...

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I have a very special watch I feel deserves to go here...my granddads watch.

I spent the happier parts of my childhood at my gran/grandads house. Practically every school holiday. My gran is still the sweetest, best person I know. My granddad was a brilliant and wonderful man...could make anything with his hands...out of wood, steal, no matter what, he had the tools for it and he could build it/fix it. And he was even better with cars and engines. He always wore his watch when working... at the lathe, building cupboards, when welding, drilling stuff, etc. There was no babying his watch, especially seeing as he had it for most of his life. Just another tool. He did take it off when he had to work on car engines and get very greasy. Whenever I look at his watch I always remember that period of my life that I spent with them. I remember laughing a lot and being put first often, made a fuss over...and him taking the time to do things with/for me...he also had this way with me that I like...kind of good humored playful teasing...

Unfortunately, my grandad was also an alcoholic. He started tee-totaling long before I was born, and kept it that way for decades until the last few years of his life. And that's when he was not so wonderful, and grumpy as hell, and nobody could do anything right. He used to hide booze all over the place, and slink about the house and garden, garage, shed...was funny to see...but mostly sad. Anyhow, not tarnishing his memory...its what I remember...he was just a man, and none of us is more than that.


(case-back reference : 166001)

Pictures do the champagne dial no justice and can't really capture it...its domed similarly to how the pie-pan dials are domed (not faceted, but not a flat dial), and it reflects fantastically in the sun. He put every ding on this watch, and it was his fault (for taking it to a sloppy watchmaker I guess) that there are scratches on the outer perimeter of the dial between 7 and 8, and one of the 'T's is missing. Unfortunately over the last years it was kept in a very humid place. This reflects on the dial...mould spots. My Dads fault ... also because it took me many years to convince him to give it to me. Anyhow. Not the best strap, but the black leather strap that was on it looked worse. Not sure what strap to put on this watch ... the dial makes it look gold, but the case is not gold...its pretty cool. I love the applied metal logo and the serifs on the font ... and naturally the dial ... and the clean and simple design of it. I will never give this watch up...just wish I could revert the last 15 years worth of humidity from it.

Cheers.

E

Had a real character in the family. Not sure of his exact relation, distant cousin to mom or dad.
I only saw him once when I was very young, but my brothers talked about him a lot.

During WW2 he had been trapped in the Philipines and joined a guerilla band. After the war he was given a commission in military intelligence. In the 60's when i met him he was working for the CIA.
Always well dressed and ramrod straight.
He kept a small leather pouch strung around his neck with a small pair of pliers and filled with gold teeth he had pulled from Japanese, some probably while questioning them.
My eldest brother told of a local bully trying to test the old man at a bar. The old guy cold cocked him with one punch, laid him out on the bar and pulled two of his teeth to take the gold fillings.

Point her to this thread and let’s see what she says about her uncle (as well as shows us what she has to remember him by) 😉

I don t have any uncle watches but I did give my nephew a f300 constellation with blue waffle dial. It was not an expensive watch. I know he wears it everyday and if he is into watches then I will give him another one, maybe a speedmaster if he does well at university.
I intend to give one of my watches to his father, who will probably not have the opportunity to spend silly money on a watch for many years to come with three children and a mortgage to pay for.
Here is an image of the same watch I have given to my nephew (taken from the internet, not my watch)

I’m picturing a big-ish watch with applied-teeth-with-gold-filling-hour-markers...😀...cool story !

I'd forgotten to even mention his watch. I didn't get a good look at it but if I remember correctly it was gold with a two toned metal bracelet gold with black panels in the middle. he wore the watch on his right wrist or I wouldn't have noticed it. I'd never seen someone wear a watch on the right wrist before.