SOTC - March 2023

I thought I would share where I’m at with my collection and plans for the near future, as I enjoy seeing others’ collections.

Starting in the top row, from left to right:

• There’s my Stauer. I started getting into watches when I was 20 years old, in 2010, so my dad bought me this for my birthday. It’s an automatic that still works great 13 years later; I also love the dial and the blue hands. But the best part is it was a gift from my dad.

• Next up is a cheap, quartz Pontiac watch that I bought on EBay for $25 in 2012. It was sold to me by Don Bauer, the founder of the Pontiac Oakland Club International. Three of these watches were made, likely by some novelty company, in 1997 for the 25th Anniversary of the POCI. This watch was given to Don, the founder. I’m a big car fan, and Pontiac is my favorite American brand, so this is a cool piece for me.

• This quartz Movado Heritage series watch was given to me as a gift by my wife on our wedding day November 9th, 2018.

• The Hamilton Masterpiece quartz dress watch was given to my great uncle in 1982 for his 25th Anniversary at Bambergers. He eventually worked his was up the ladder and became the Vice President of Macy’s furniture department. He was very proud of his career, so when he passed in 2020 this watch was found in his safe, virtually unworn. I have been enjoying it.

• Next up is my grandfather’s Fossil watch. My grandparents were very frugal people, so a Fossil was a big splurge for my grandfather. He also passed in 2020, and I took his watch to remember him.

• The Omega Seamaster 300 GMT is my first higher end watch that I acquired earlier this year. The occasion was to celebrate 10 years with my wife (10 years total, not 10 years married), in addition to the start of my new career in commercial real estate.

• The 1973 Hamilton Ocean Date was given to me a few weeks ago by my neighbor. She got it when her nephew passed, but thinks it may have been her father’s watch. She was looking to get rid of a bunch of things, and she gave me a few watches to sell or use for parts. During the process of cleaning up the manual wind Hamilton and changing the strap, I fell in love with it. We love our neighbors here at our first house, and I realize that some day - hopefully in the distant future - they will no longer be our neighbors. So I will still have the Hamilton to remember our first neighbors.

Currently I am working towards flipping my first house this year. Once accomplished, I would like to acquire an Omega Speedmaster to celebrate the milestone. I love the Speedmaster, and I do not yet have a chronograph to wear while enjoying vintage cars.

Another major goal that I am aiming to cross off the list this year is payment of my student loans. My great uncle had a nice watch with his alma mater, Fairleigh Dickinson, on the dial. I thought it would be nice to get a Tag Heuer Carrera automatic with Seton Hall University's logo on the dial to celebrate paying off my loans.

Once achieved, that will leave me with one slot left in my watch box before I need to obtain another. We'll see where life takes me, but I'm thinking I may have to fill the space with a watch to celebrate acquiring my first rental property...