Robert and Ana
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Dad wasn't a watch guy
This topic put me in a reflective mood. I'm embarrased to admit that my interest in watches far surpasses that of my hard working (now long since retired) father. My dad, like his own father, was a career Correctional Officer for the state of New York. Day shift, night shift, swing shift, overtime when he could get it. I remember his light blue uniform shirt and his working class car pool companions over the years. He certainly never had the discretional income to purchase an heirloom quality watch... actually he only wore a wedding ring. His lack of interest in accessories/jewelry may have been related to professional practicality as a prison guard I suppose. He probably put that ring into his locker before entering the inmate holding areas, and put it back on when he drove home.
My lot in life has been different. And although I live a half a world away from my aging dad (he's in NY, I'm in Kuwait) I still feel a little self-conscious strapping on a five-figure watch as my daily. And no kids to pass it to. If anything I'd pass a nice watch up to him as a gesture of my appreciation for his sacrifice. Although he may accept it out of kindness, as the country song goes "My Dad was never a Cadillac man"... he probably be too embarrassed to put it on. Just not his style. All he really values now is to have his family together - which is why Ana and I will be in upstate New York for his and my mom's 50th wedding anniversary in early October.
Dilemma of watch enthusiasts?
Hi all, as Daos ("dxboon") recently encouraged everybody to share our ideas on various topics, this is my attempt to describe a phenomenon which I observed with myself and many people posting on this and other watch-related sites: 1. We are eager to acqui...
Dilemma of Watch Enthusiasts
I read with interest your post about "collecting" watches. I think many people acquire watches just for the sake of quantity and once they have acquired several realize that they have sacrificed quality and become disillusioned about the whole subject. It...
Best compliment
that might be paid for your gift by your son-in-law, isn´t it, daringdave? If he does not want to give it back or away, this is just something I would wish for when giving a watch away. BTW, I find giving a watch as a gift is most difficult in many i...
Interesting thoughts!
I do think stories of singular timepieces passed down between generations, especially of the type you cite (a watch worn daily for decades by a father, then passed to his son) are moving, but I also believe that in a collection of multiple watches, equall...
Interesting comment as well!
Hi Daos, I am sure, you´re right with your consoling thought, that I/one may have several watches and there still is a possibility for the watches to be fitted with a special significance (I just try to figure out, what to do if you had suggested to sell ...
Modern times...
...are increasingly complex to be sure, but the true things -- like the love of a child for his father -- always remain as they ever were. I have no doubt your son will one day cherish one or more of your watches, not as an object of inherited means, but ...
A Father's One Special Watch
Hello Daos, Your post is very interesting. It reminded me of the watch I gave my son. Just before our son was born, I splurged and bought myself a "nice "watch. It was a used Rolex stainless datejust. I wore that Rolex for the next twenty years as my dail...
Your son is a lucky fella, Frederick...
...to have such a generous father! It's wonderful that the two of you can share this hobby together! My dad and I share many common interests, but I'm afraid watches are not one of them. C'est la vie ! Hope you are having a great week so far! Daos
A watch can be priceless
Thank you for sharing the nice story. I bought a Rolex SD when my son was born. The Explorer 1 that I wore for years was sent in for routine service and that triggered the itch to add a SD. The idea of getting a watch for the birth of my son didn't cross ...
When timepieces...
turn into pieces of time! Very moving story of a walk back into personal history by the means of one´s watches - thank you for sharing, Pete! Many more good stories to follow... anaesdoc
Priceless
Well said Pete; I think that people sometimes wait too long to attach meaning to various items in their lives. That old car that has been sitting on the family farm, that special pen, the gold watch. Those stories need to be told and passed along. They ar...
Thank you!
Thank you Anaesdoc and DD for the encouraging words. These are stories I seldom share with others as they are my feelings more than the watches. "A house is a house until one makes it a home". "A watch is a watch until one makes it pieces of time". pete
Dad wasn't a watch guy
This topic put me in a reflective mood. I'm embarrased to admit that my interest in watches far surpasses that of my hard working (now long since retired) father. My dad, like his own father, was a career Correctional Officer for the state of New York. Da...
Giving watches is a delicate thing
Hello Robert, I believe you are right when thinking your dad would accept a gift for courtesy but might not really value it. I have seen that some times and must admit, I once was so unappreciative myself! My parents gave me a nice Maurice Lacroix watch f...
great topic, great post, Anaesdoc.
Hi, A very good topic, and I hope to read many more personal thoughts and experiences on this very subject. Thanks, Daos, for opening the door... In yet another airport lounge, waiting for yet another flight across yet another body of water...and with a w...
Thanks a lot!
Hi Thomas, I feel very indebted to you for your approving comment and almost see myself as an intuder in your specialty when musing on the psychological implications of our watches. Your post with the excerpts of an article are another proof for the truth...
One of a Legion....
anaesdoc, As another anaesthetist, I am glad for your missive; obviously you have calm periods at work to think about stuff I can see your argument about watches with insufficient wrist-time to become 'special'. On the other hand, the current Mrs MTF know...
Calm periods at work
... may occur in an anaesthetist´s life, that´s for sure, but in this case, I am sorry to report, it was due to a nightshift which did not give me a decent rest, so that I decided to turn to posting, MTF - nice not to be the only (sleepless) "sleep doctor...
my Dad was and still isnt a watch man, but i did get his beloved grandfather clock
he gave it to me on my 40th birthday and i treasure it, possibly more than any of my watches. (i'd have to think about that one). i have a large number of watches, but there are always one or more watches that mean more to the owner than other pieces. for...
The thoughts and memories I leave behind, not the actual watches, are what is important
important. It would seem we share similar issues: 1. I have more watches than limbs 2. I need another watch as much as I need a hole in my head but somehow I always have a new excuse for the next purchase. 3. Our professions sometimes do not allow us to w...
Did my best already!
... Mike, but when "collecting" my family I did not pre-estimate my future watch collection . At least my wife and I made it up to one third of my watches number (see above to make the maths) and nowadays I´d rather give away some watches than start ...
Well, the topic about MY watch is quite tough
It would be an ideal world if I could choose MY watch, the only one I will live with. From my collection, I can't choose only one, and decide to sell the others. I sell, form time to time, watches which don 't correspond to my tastes, anymore or which I d...
You can´t get everything in life
...is a famous and often quoted saying, but nevertheless it´s true, isn´t it, Nicolas? I am with you, that I could hardly say, what might be MY one and only watch. I would also be unable to say what could be MY shoes or MY clothing - they vary a...
I've often about how I'd design a watch, but
For some reason, I'm more attracted to how others do it. Probably the same reason, that although I'm basically an artist and painter by trade, I have virtually none my own art on display in my home.
Not quite a dilemma for me.
I know which watch to give to my son regardless of the wrist time. My wife even has decided THE watch to give to my daughter. I agree with MTF that it is the story behind the watch that makes it "special" not the wrist time. In addition to "my" watch, the...
Very D´accord with you, Ling
... firstly on reinforcing MTF´s remark, that the stories behind them make our watches special. ...secondly that we are talking about a very luxurious dilemma, that many people would like to share with us! So, there´s no need to cry out loud, ra...