After reading a thread by member calalum just a moment ago, it occurred to me that many of us will have watches and stories from our dads. And I don't mean to exclude daughters or mothers. Those entries are welcome, as well. It has been noted below that there is a thread very much like this already on this forum. I apologize. I searched for a thread before starting this one but did not see anything similar. Hopefully these few posts can be added to that thread.
My father was a watchmaker. He had many watches over decades. I have only two of them, and a facsimile of one he sold 50 years ago. - His Bulova Accuquartz was his daily wearer until his death. - A Hamilton 992 pocket watch which was his bench chronometer. - He bought two identical Accutron 214 wrist watches in 1964. One for him, one for me. This is mine, his is gone. The first one is the Accutron 214. Mine, but identical to his. This one is 56 years old. Second is his Hamilton 992, and third, his Accuquartz. His very first watch was a “dollar” watch like this Ingersoll Yankee. He trapped 100 gophers at 1 cent per tail bounty, to buy the watch. This one was not his, but very much like it. He bought about 104 years ago.
Great idea for a thread...."watches of our fathers/mothers". My dad gave me two of his watches, a 1930s Waltham tank that was a high school graduation gift from his parents, and the attached Movado "Acvatic". The Waltham was stolen from my apartment in NYC back in the '90s. Fortunately, I was wearing the Acvatic that day at work. My dad served in the U.S. Army in the Pacific in WWII. The Acvatic was the watch he wore during the war.
Here is a thread from last year, my story is included https://omegaforums.net/threads/watches-of-our-fathers.104306/ My passion for watches developed as a youth because of a single watch my father wore for most of his life, an Anakin Skywalker Seamaster. He passed away in 2013 due to sudden illness. He was an accomplished architect and his legacy lives on around me. He had a keen eye for design, the watch defined him throughout his career and life. The watch was well recognized by close friends, relatives and even clients. It was bought new for him by my grandfather. With age, wearing a bulky, solid heavy watch became somewhat of a burden to his wrist. To my surprise, he gifted it to me for my 40th birthday. It is by far the most influential, sentimental and prized possession in my collection. This watch is what started my journey as a collector. Occasionally, when I gather enough courage, I take it out of the safe to wear, those are quite rare moments. The story of the Anakin in my family doesn't stop with my fathers. My grandfather, had purchased 2 in 1971, the other one belonging to my aunt's husband. The two watches were recently reunited as my aunt gifted the 2nd Anakin to my brother, see original post below. https://omegaforums.net/threads/reunion-of-sorts-st145-23-aka-anakin.67953/
My father is a watchmaker and many of my watches are ones that he found "interesting" and passed over to me. Interestingly, there is no single watch of his that I really associate with him, he's gone through so many phases of what interests him (chronometers, Omegas, aircraft clocks, currently railroad pocketwatches). There are two WWII era chronometers I'll want to keep: an early serial H21 and a Seiko that was taken as a prize of war off a Japanese sub, and maybe the prototype Elgin aircraft clock in a clear celluloid case that he also skeletonized a dial for. But in all honesty I hope he lives forever because selling all of his equipment and parts stocks if he doesn't do it first will be a years long endeavor.
My father has zero interest in watches, I bought him a swatch for his 60th birthday which he has worn for all these years. ( He is 76 now) 2 years ago I bought him an omega seamaster that he would not take from me. I wear it myself and I might give it to my brother. I hope that I will inherit the swatch from him but maybe one of my siblings will take it. When my mother passed I bought a watch as a reminder of her and when my father passes I will do the same. I don't get to see him all that often and I wish it was not the case but if I have a watch to remember him by then it will be a small comfort.