New Moonwatch - store or wear?

My first "luxury" watch was a Gucci when I was 17. My dad and I were on a vacation in Los Angeles, and we were driving around Beverly Hills. We parked on Rodeo Drive right out in front of the Gucci store. We walked in and he bought me a $500 watch and then we walked to a restaurant to have lunch. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I thought it was the greatest watch ever. I still have it. It makes me laugh now. Especially the idea of it being a $500 watch back in the 1990s (stainless steel, quartz, really nothing special but a Gucci logo and a "Swiss Made" mark; the model was 9000M). Just pulled it out of the drawer, and it still fits! Well, it cuts off the circulation in my arm, but I was able to get the clasp to close.

The point is, it wasn't really about the watch at all, even though as a kid I probably thought it was mostly about the watch.

Stop doing preacher curls with your MWO book...your wrist and forearm size will decrease and your Gucci 9000M will fit fabulously again. 👍

You gotta wear it to give it some character, and then pass it on!

Since this is not the only speedy you intend to pass on, then go for it. Store it.

Okay... that's just what a watchmaker told me... he said that oils used to resinify when the watch isn't running for a long time. And that nowadays oils don't.
😕

Well, in your words it all makes perfectly sense 😀

One thing to think about is what your son will think about the watch when he finally receives it.

The fact that you kept it pristine for all these years to give to him, would that make the watch so precious that he wouldn't even enjoy it? At that point, what's the purpose of the watch? He won't even wear it. At that point it may be better to get him something else that may be of better use.

I just got my first Moonwatch and I'm stoked to wear it and also give it to my son when he graduates high school as a going to college gift. That's 17 years away, but at least he will know that this watch is durable and been through many memories together. Hopefully he can pass it to his child too.

Or I'll just keep it, because I love this watch so much and just buy him an Apple watch 2663738383836627272838.

😀

Congrats!!!
I would wear with care.

This is so interesting to read. I think I am also for the "wear" so that you can have memories and then gift later.
If you bought it intending on it to be his, personally i believe it will mean more if he can remember you wearing it and the memories you had while you were with him
otherwise, i personally would enjoy a watch that you and him went to buy specifically for him, of his choosing.

Well who knows his interest in watches at 21. I wanted to buy my 14 year old son a mechanical watch as his first nice watch and he wanted (and got) an Apple Watch 3 instead 😲

wear with care
wearing will make this watch special to your family and your son

uh oh... kids these days

Until you said that you already have other Speedies to wear, I was going to say definitely wear it until you give it to him because it will have much more meaning to him after having associated with you for his entire life. Since you have your own, I'd suggest storing it and never mentioning it to him until it's time to give it to him. If you mention it, it's likely to become a source of anxiety in between your telling him and giving it to him and it might make every birthday a disappointment until then.

Whenever you decide to give it to him, maybe use this thread as the card, either by printing it out now so the paper shows the wear or by copying and saving it digitally now and printing it out in 20 years. Read the thread and goof on Mad Dog a bit together, and then let him decide between the new one and the one on your wrist. I wouldn't necessarily wait until he's 21, but I definitely wouldn't choose the right age now, either. Give it to him whenever you think he's responsible enough to anticipate risks and in conjunction with some meaningful event, whether high school graduation, college graduation, or something else like that.

Also understand that there's a big difference between being mature enough to take care of it when it's under his control and being mature and experienced enough to account for foreseeable risks attributable to circumstance and other people. I'm speaking from experience on this one, having lost my first two nice watches at 14 (JLC 2-subdial chrono) and at 16 or 17 (Longines 3-subdial chrono). The JLC wasn't my fault because the bracelet failed under a jacket; but I left the Longines in an open school gym locker when I went to take a piss, not realizing that anybody in my presence who'd ever noticed my watch had a perfect opportunity to grab it. Even the JLC could have been lost much earlier because I'd let a girl in my class wear it for a while. Depending on the kid, even 21 might be too soon.

Another one for wearing it. I personally don't think any contemporary piece will have vintage collector's value in the future as we see today for pieces from a time when a watch was something you acutally needed.

So if its going to have any value for him, it will be as his dad`s watch, not as a Speedmaster.

Like @FreelanceWriter , I'd keep it unused and not tell him about it. You decide if/when to give him a watch and whether it's the unworn one or one of your worn Speedies. If you see him coming to appreciate watches, you'll have another opportunity to gift him a 2nd Speedy for another of his milestones and, in doing so, both the NOS and "worn by Dad" scenarios get covered.

No question you should wear it every day. The watch will mean so much more to your son when it comes with all the memories of you two and you wearing that watch. Have him try it on, and wind it over the years, passing that on will have so much more gravity. Memories are priceless. A NOS speedmaster is not. Wishing you the best!