Over the past two weeks I have had quite a bit of time to self-reflect and have discovered why I love watches.

Earlier this month I was shocked by the loss of my father to a heart attack. He was a no frills man with a hard work ethic and appreciation for fine craftsmanship. Being a skilled furniture maker and collector of antique hand tools, he always noticed quality.

While going through his safe tonight I came upon a few pocket watches that he wore everyday for 15+ years.

The two on the right were his and the two on the left he gave to me for birthdays when I was younger.

Finding these made it clear that there is some quality about a watch that makes them the perfect memento and keepsake. For me, it is this intangible aspect and the level of skilled craftsmanship and detail (not unlike fine furniture) that I appreciate.

This one has been seen here before, given to my father by my grandfather for his high school graduation. Something tells me it will be getting a lot of wrist time.

My affection for vintage watches will be forever accredited to my father, and it made me wonder where others have found their appreciation lies?

 

With me it stemmed from my love of precision engineering. Watches are not only mechanical marvels, but are also aesthetically beautiful pieces of art, and like the automobile, there are so many diverse variations of them all achieving basically the same thing.

 

Great story from the OP.

Mine is quite simple, was starting to work and had to watch to wear, so I started looking into it and never looked back.

 

I lost a mechanical watch about 25 years ago, it wasnt a valuable watch, but had sentimental value, and I spent years looking for a replacement.

I never found the same watch, but all the looking around gave me an awareness of vintage watches - I started off with Longines, the flagship model was a particular favourite, and then later onto the Omega constellations - That lead me to Desmonds blog and then to this forum - big mistake!!!

I am now onto my third speedmaster, a couple of seamaster pros and a planet ocean, and I dont know where it will stop!!!!

 

When I found this New York Standard pocket watch in my late fathers things. I got to thinking maybe I can make this work again. But no such luck. Too many broken/missing things to bother with for a PW that would be worth maybe $50. Although it probably belongs to a family member, no one still alive knows who, and with out that info, I really can not attach much sentimental value to it.

 

Auto racing, specifically the history of Porsche at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Noticed lots of watches called "Heuer" were connected with some of the best drivers of the day, and many wore their logo patch on their overalls. And of course the famous Monaco in the movie....
When I was about 20, someone notified me I needed to upgrade from my digital watch and so of course it had to be a TAG Heuer! It was a Formula 1 quartz 3-hander, nothing I'd be interested in today but very nice for a young dude. Bought a new Monaco a few years later after getting my first good-paying job; went vintage after I learned my lesson on that!

 

My late father was in the watch repair business, and I was born into it. Was servicing watches by the age of 12 years. The only job I had during school holidays was repairing watches in my father's shop. Watches weren't collectibles to me until one day in 1975, I asked him if he still had his two Rolex Prince Observatory duo-dial doctor's watches. He did, and he gave them to me. When he passed away in 1976, I inherited a lifetime accumulation of watch repair tools, parts, parts watches, etc. etc. I spent 25 years, from 1965 to 1990, managing jewellery stores, but always had a flourishing side business repairing watches. So, from those first two Rolexes in 1976, I got more and more interested in watches as collectibles. Aside from a few quartz watches, and one modern mechanical Hamilton wrist watch, my collection ranges from the late 1980s, all the way back to 1863. Collected a few clocks and a couple marine chronometers along the way. And an ever growing library.

 

Friend of mine owned a Sinn, 2 Speedies and an Aqua Terra, and he got me to try the AT.

I then bought my own AT8500, and it was all downhill from there ...

 

I'm sorry to hear your loss. I've posted my story yesterday on another thread but in short my love of watches came through my grandad and dad who both gifted me their watches. My dad's gift was to help me recover from serious illness and it just grew from there.

 

My Dad always dressed in tailor-made suits, custom French-cuff shirts and different gold and precious stone buttons & tacs.
Needless to say he wore a different wrist watch to go with whatever cuff links he was wearing.
Mom bought a diamond and blue sapphire watch as a Christmas present for Dad and had it engraved:
Christmas
1955
Love Claire
The following year Mom had my Uncle Art, an Omega AD, have cuff-links and tac made to match his watch.
Unfortunately only the "buttons" & tac are still with me. Mom and Dad suffered a home invasion in 2004.
Fortunately they were not home at the time. However Dad's diamond ring, all of his watches and Mom's jewelry were gone
Other than a couple of sets of Dad's "buttons & tacs" I only have some really bad scans:
This was Dad's Christmas present and ring

 

Condolences on your loss LawBrk.

Since my early to mid 20's I've always owned several watches, but they were mostly looked at as accessories and were all quartz. Inheriting my grandfather's rose gold Bulova in my early 30's started my interest in vintage mechanicals and I used to have boxes of Bulovas, Benri (is that the plural of Benrus? ), and similar brands including a few Hamiltons. My uncle was also an antique collector / dealer which certainly pushed this affliction further. Owning my first Rolex kicked this hobsession into high gear. That watch, most of the aforementioned box of watches, and most of the other watches owned at that time have been long since flipped as I horse traded my way up the ladder. Unless I hit the Powerball, the 2 AP's, 2 JLC's, 1 IWC, and 1 Piaget are all the higher end vintage pieces I'll own....... maybe.

Of course I still have my grandfather's watch and the matching lady's version.