Do you ever donate/gift watches?

I’ve tried offering friends (who don’t have watches) watches that I seldom wear, and the feedback is that they would rather not have a watch then to accept my “donation”.

I gifted a couple of watches I no longer wore to friends that I know would wear them because I didn’t want to go through the hassle of selling the watches that had little financial value.

no one i know wears one that is under 50 unless its a Apple abomination or their permanently attached phone. So no one around me wants one

I have a friend who collects all the glossy magazines that comes with his newspaper subscription, filled with articles and ads about timepieces etcetera. He also emails me articles about horology from journals that he receives on line. I have known the guy a long time, one of my best friends definitely into watches earns a rich income, wears a inexpensive mechanical movement Seiko actually he bought up at least 6-7 of the Seikos when the seller was shuttering operations so he would not run out. I have offered to sell him any of my gently worn watches that are a surplus to me at any price that he can live with. No thanks! He did accept a quartz watch that someone gifted to me for some project years ago. He replaced the spent battery and returned the watch with the next shipment of useless glossy mags. I guess the idea of a watch that cost more than $35 cad upsets him. Some guys are not into watches prefers Blue label Johnnie Walker Scotch.

Yes

Gold Vintage Omega Ladymatic to my Sister

Aqua Terra quartz to my Dad (which he wouldn't wear coz too expensive,so ended up buying it back from him 🤣)

Cartier Balon Bleu, Hamilton Khaki king auto & Seiko SPB147 to my Mrs

Seiko Turtle to a workmate

Khaki king to best mate for 50th

And a fair few others that I've sold very cheap to friends to get 'em into the hobby.

Genuinely enjoy gifting watches, it's fun working out what would suit them best.

I'm not a wealthy man, I work in a shop in UK on minimum wage.

Imho there's no better gift 👍🏻

Yeah, I've gifted 3 out of my collection.

2 to the 16yo; one he begged me to give him and the other because, well, it's a G-Shock and 16yo's need G-Shocks.

The other went to my nephew for his High School Graduation. Which has now started the tradition that all the nieces/nephews will receive a watch for their graduations.

I have been gifted a watch, so I feel it my duty to pay it forward one day.

I’d like to gift my son a watch when he gets to an age where he can appreciate them. Maybe some milestone birthday like his 18th, although he’s just turned 1 so I’ve plenty of time yet 😅

I've just given a box full of new watches to the local OAP bingo club they have a draw every week. They were only cheap ones cheap ones

I gift watches often. Rule I have with the Mrs. is that if I buy a new watch, I have to get rid of one. Most of the time I will gift one to somebody who I know will enjoy it, then I can also see the watch go along it's new journey and see the joy it brings someone else. Case and point, my step-brother is in the Navy and I gifted him a Duro and a G-Shock 6900 for starters. Now I'm looking at parting with my SKX009 (the 007 and Samurai get the wrist time) and I can't think of a better person to pass the 009 on a Strapcode Jubilee to than a Navy guy. Plus it will be his first "nice" watch that can go from his desk to diving. And it would look great on him, too. That gives me as much joy as anything from this hobby.

I don't even try anymore. I bought my 30 yr old son a Seiko GMT for his birthday and he wasn't into it. Asked if I would consider returning it and getting him an Apple watch instead, so I did. Watches are almost too personal, like buying someone shoes, or clothes. Very hard to know what someone will like.

Here's a photo of me (left) and my good friend Kenneth (right). I gifted him the watch he's wearing in this photo, a Gshock DW5600. I own the solar GW-M5610 and I found myself not choosing the 5600. Kenneth had always expressed interest in the watches that me and some other guys from our program wore and discussed, so I gave him the 5600 to get him started.

What a rewarding experience! He wears that watch every single day and absolutely loves it. It felt good to hear him talk about how much he appreciated it. One thing I will say is, I wouldn't expect that reaction out of anyone. It's easy to get caught up in the goodness of giving and slip into heavy expectations of gratitude, leaving you feeling a little off about the whole thing. This was a rare instance of me expecting nothing and getting a lot of appreciation. I would 100% part ways with more pieces when the right person comes along!

Context: Photo was taken in Denver. We were representing Indiana State University's Unmanned Aviation program at a global conference called AUVSI.

Yes , I gave my Son a Tag Heuer Calibre 5 for getting the job he had always wanted.

It's quite a special watch , ( to us anyway ) when my Dad passed a few years ago there was a little money so my Daughter and I went and bought it for him knowing it's the one he had mentioned.

Just this week gave a 16 year old NOS Seiko SNX123K1 to my cousin for his birthday. It still had tags, sitting in a bag in my random stuff drawer. I bought it for about $40 for my wife, who at the time felt it was too large, so it never got worn. Found out that my cousin was looking at older Seiko 5s, so we offered it to him. It made both his day and ours.

I gifted my gold Casio A159 to a nurse student at the hospital where i work. She asked me some things about this hobby, and i showed her some of my watches when she replied that she also wanted to buy a golden casio digital.

I offered her my watch as a gift but she declined at first. Knowing how much i like them. She accepted it after i told her that i notice, that i wear some watches less and less, including this one. And id rather has someone wear it than for the watch sitting in the Box.

I gifted her the watch at her graduation party.

I see you top gun 🔥. Keep up the good work! Keep doing your best! I hope I get to fly with you one day. No matter where too 🙏🏾

Yes. Bought it for £1300, gifted it to my Dad, he wore it for maybe a couple of months then decided to sell it. I bought it back for £1000 😂 .....but being the good Dad he used that £1000 to put towards a car for my Mrs.

Not as bad as it sounds, but tiz a funny story imho .

Cheers mate 👍

Yeah, I'm pretty happy & settled with my own collection, & I'm keen to get others into the hobby, they're people who I care deeply about & it's only money so why not 😁

TBH it often gives me more happiness than buying for myself - I smile inside every time I see a friend or loved one wearing a watch I've gifted, knowing that they'd never have bought it themselves but obviously value it & enjoy wearing it. ...plus, selfishly it gives me more people to talk to about watches IRL. 🤣👍

Every once in a while I do.

In speaking with my wife I found out her dad still wears a Seiko he's had for years. He also loves automatic watches so I gifted him a presage. Thought it would be a nice gesture since he doesn't speak English so we don't get to bond much.

I delivered it to him, sized it for his wrist and enjoyed the look on his face.

Now he won't wear it because "it's too nice. I'll save it for when I go out".

I've also gifted watches to my youngest son and my wife. Sometimes when we all go out we synchronize Seikos!

I think it looks great, with either strap! 😃🤝

Aww that's very nice! Great son in law moves. Where's he from?

Thank you 🙏🏾, the bracelet looks great, just feels really cheap.

I would certainly give a watch I wasn’t using to anyone who really wanted it. Any person who would wear the watch and would like it; no problem. I’d rather have the watch with someone who would wear it than have it just sitting in a box.

I recently gave my daughter my vintage Oris. It's a hand winding watch with a pink(ish) dial. Probably a 34 or 36mm. She was always picking it out of my collection and looking at it so giving it to her was a no brainer.

Every time I see it on her wrist I always smile although it does also mean I may be leading her into the dark world of watches 🤣

I've. given several watches away but I'm amazed at how many young people cannot read an analogical watch. Several saying you know if it's a digital I can readand wear it. what are they teaching kids in school anymore +?

I donated a Mondaine railway watch to our Church festival, thinking it would be a good Fish Pond prize. It wasn't a big watch and the strap would have fit an older child, but I found out later they put the watch in the auction instead. Maybe they saw the Swiss Made on the dial and overrated its value. I bought a Tonnier watch for $25 and next year walked it over to the Fish Pond myself. It looked like a bit like a Hamilton Khaki, and seemed to be decent quality. I hope a child is enjoying it.

I also donated a Stuhrling skeleton watch to Vietnam Veterans.

My kinda guy. Love it!

That's good on you and great stuff. She'll always love it.

Now she belongs to the polished case and gleaming dial side. The dark world is the other side.

DR.