My first watch

So I'm going to be going through my collection and posting the reasoning behind why it's in my collection. This first one though will be the story on my Oak & Oscar. I'll try not to drag on with its story but know this watch will forever hurt and heal my heart for being an important moment in my life. This will likely be a longer read than others but hey, it's the stories right.

In late March I received a call from my father. It started as just your normal call between us. Talking about work, weather, rest of family, and how we'd been.

After the pleasantries his tone shifted and he started asking more personal questions. You can imagine an old roughneck oil driller father and his desert rat firefighter son dont normaly talk much about personal things.

I was slightly caught off guard when he asked about my plans with my girlfriend, plans about children, questions more about my future. I remember answering but I was holding back. In my head I actually got very excited for the next time I would see him. I told him I would go into more detail and our plan.

Plans on asking Kristin to marry me, plans to start a family, a house he could visit and not my normal bachelor pad life. A home. Something he'd always given me.

After our conversation I got in my mind that I wanted to get a watch. My dad was always into them and believed after milestones to get one. At 34 I hadn't ever really done that since graduating college and he used to playfully chastise me for my smartwatch. So I spoke to my girlfriend and started the search. Finally ending on the O&O.

It arrived early April and I was so excited. I called Kristin and sent tons of pictures. Explaining to her that it was my milestone watch. It was all I could do not to spoil the surprise to my dad. I know he'd have noticed it and asked about it. I would have said grab your beer and lets go outside. I'd have told him everything. I know he was proud of me but this would have taken him over the top.

The hard part now.

A week after getting the watch I received a call from my Aunt. I didn't think anything out of the ordinary when i answered. She asked if I was sitting down which at the time just felt odd. She then told me. My father, my hero, had suddenly passed away. No warning. No indicators. One second he's telling his stories and then gone.

To this day I remember getting off the phone and wanting to call him, ask if he was ok, tell him I was coming over right away. But I knew with every fiber that I wouldn't get an answer.

In the following weeks as I collected his things I was always wearing his watch. And in those moments I understood how important it was to me. The links stretched, the dial and bezel scratched and gouged, but it was his watch

I've told my now fiance about how important his watch was to me and how i want the O&O to be that for me as well. Sure I'll own a rolex some day. But every scratch, ding, and chip the O&O gets will be what makes it my life watch. The watch everyone will say was my watch. To hand down to my child some day.

Anyone who's made it to the end I appreciate it. This was hard for me to tell and it likely won't even post. But this is the first of my watches and the others stories won't be so personal. If anyone new is reading this hopefully it helps in your collecting endeavors. And for any of you old salty dogs that secretly have a swatchpain or digital PRX hidden under your bed thanks for reading.