Morbid question: What do you want done with your watches when you die?

Life is unpredictable. Not all of us will have the luxury of a long life. Most young folks like me probably don't even have a proper will drawn up.

In an ideal world, I'd like to be buried with my first watch and be routinely exhumed for battery replacements. The fact that I prefer alkaline hydrolysis (think of it as cremation by dissolving a body in a strong base) as well as some minor economic and moral issues stand in the way of this. It'll be quite difficult to put a watch on some ashes and grave robbing is a big concern.

I'd like my Oris to stay in family hands (or rather in a family-owned safe or mouldy desk drawer because I don't trust them) so that it can go on to see its hundredth birthday if I'm not there. My Camy, which is by far my most sentimentally valuable and most treasured watch, has to be given to someone I can trust. My Seiko 5 can be given to a fledgling enthusiast as a way of saying thanks to the community. The family can decide what to do with the rest: how to preserve them or in which skip to throw them. I almost died at the thought of my watches ending up in a dump when I'm gone, but that's present me speaking. Dead me probably wouldn't mind, he'd be too busy being dead.

Do you have a plan for your watches when you're no more? And if I do suddenly disappear, suspect a fledgling enthusiast trying to score a Seiko 5.

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I expect my wife will sell them. I greatest fear is she will sell them for what I told her I paid for them! Image

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Despite my small fantasies/post-mortem requests, watches are just material at the end of the day. It's only when we're alive that we can see, feel and experience the soul of a watch, so I view it almost the same as "what do I want my family to do with my boxers when I croak?" I won't have the capacity to even care.

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Dsoeer

I expect my wife will sell them. I greatest fear is she will sell them for what I told her I paid for them! Image

That's a classic! As enthusiasts, we should elect someone to appraise our collections once we die, although (knowing myself) many would try and get a good deal this way.

"That AP of your father's? Yeah, that's worth about $50, I'll buy it from you for $100!"

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I hope my son will enjoy watches

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I think so. Most people with collections like that probably have a set of instructions to follow once they pass. I'm a sentimental guy, so I only want to keep memories alive. Money is just paper or numbers in an account. Memories are intangible and cane be lost just as easily, but usually survive a generation or two more than the average family fortune.

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TimeJunkie

I hope my son will enjoy watches

The correct answer. My grandfather got an Omega Seamaster quartz for twenty five years' service at his work. It's in my uncle's possession and it hurts slightly that he doesn't wear it and it sits somewhat neglected in a plastic bag, but I suppose the greater meaning behind this is that I'm simply not ready for something like that yet. If the universe does it's thing, I'll maybe be the one passing it down in a few decades.

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I dont think i have the heirloom thing when it comes to watches. It's a me thing mostly. But if I were to pass them on, id like them to go someone that truly cares for watches, so not necessarily family or progeny. Someone I know and with whom I shared the hobby with.

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My watches are going to my son, who is also passionate about timepieces. (He actually has more watches than I do, haha.) And between now, and when I croak, I will be buying watches as gifts for my wife, son, and daughter as well; they will all have many watches from me by the time I go. 😎 It's not the monetary value that I am worried about; I want to leave behind a legacy of appreciation for timekeeping and watch collecting, in general. When my descendants look at (or hopefully wear) one of my watches, I want them to think about their family heritage, and the longevity of our family's name. I want them to know that time is precious, especially when spent in the midst of family, for the furtherance of tradition. 😀

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I don’t care. Whatever my survivors want to do with them is fine.

I will of course request that all who come to mourn forgo flowers and simply pour Grand Seikos into my open casket.

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I’m more concerned about my guitars…

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It's Willed to my 2 boys. They can do what they want with them I'm dead lol.

Cheers!

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TickyBurden

I don’t care. Whatever my survivors want to do with them is fine.

I will of course request that all who come to mourn forgo flowers and simply pour Grand Seikos into my open casket.

I mean, it's not like you're paying for the funeral... You have quite an idea.

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My youngest daughter has already called dibs on on my tritium DeepBlue because it glows all night.

My eldest son has called dibs on my Komandirskie because that’s the Watch I wear on our adventure days.

My thought in general, with any of my collections, I’d like my kids to pick what has meaning to them, then sell the rest.

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As I'll be going first as do most men my wife has told me she'll wear my sub but sell the rest and take her mate on a world cruise (we have no kids ) so it's a no brainer ,I have even given her my blessings

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Wow, very thought provoking. I would like my wife to keep one and the rest go to my son. I would hope he would love them like I do, but who knows. While I have always been a watch guy, I never became obsessed until late in life. There is hope for my son still 😀

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At 73 years old I am slowly selling off some of my collection and hope to be down to eight or ten mid priced pieces when the end happens. My son could care less, I did give him a restored Omega (1973) his birth year. But he is a computer nerd and loves his Apple Watch . So I expect my wife will just give them to our jeweler friend and let him dispose of them for her..

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If I'm dead, I won't know what anyone does with them. Eventually, I'll probably give a select few to any family members while I'm alive, and who would appreciate them. For the rest, maybe I'll sell them and put the money in some sort of trust. Of course, this assumes that I don't drop dead in the interim, in which case, see point 1.

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Give them to my kids, who will promptly sell them; probably at less than market value for a quick cash-in. 😀

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After much consideration and as a selfless service to our community I have decided to create the world's first Watch Mausoleum. This unique opportunity will allow your connection to a beloved timepiece to live on in perpetuity. Some of the services rendered.

  • The annual birthday song with your timepiece lovingly adorning your holographic image.

  • Watch sizing, service and maintenance plans. Shrinkage happens.

  • Full color greeting cards depicting your timepiece sent annually to those you declined to leave the watch to.

  • Monthly IG photos of your watches at tropical resorts, hovering over sumptuous meals and in front of luxury car steering wheels. (You may provide the luxury auto of your choice at no additional cost.)

  • The playing of taps on the annual date of your demise followed by "wrist" shots and "He's a Jolly Good Fellow".

Support services include topics for discussion such as:

  • Dead or just needing a battery?

  • We hear you ticking but you can't come in.

  • A wake with a watch, the final view.

  • Polish or perish?

  • Did he know it was faux?

  • Too much crypto not enough crypt?

Ground floor and below floor opportunities available. Get in while you can!

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They are coming with me.

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I have two boys and I like the idea of them each choosing (or me bequeathing) at least one of my collection to each of them to remember me by. There is no history of passing items down in our family so I would perhaps be starting a tradition or at least gifting my children something of value they can sell or barter for ammo and drinking water in the post-apocalyptic hellscape of the future.

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Hmmm. I suppose when I'll feel like I've run my course, I'll simply make a list of my personal effects that I'd like to see passed on to particular new owners. I'll also include a tiny envelope to be opened in event my unofficial will is disobeyed, with two pages of insults for the person who dared disobey it.

Well, I hope I won't have to do that anytime soon, I'm quite bloody far from an age at which I could start being concerned.

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I certainly hope my sons and brothers take them. They don't understand it, but it would be a part of me..

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Never really thought about it before, though I don’t expect them to last that long. I buy and sell my pieces constantly. Not sure I’ll even have any left at “that point”.

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I hope my son gets into them. But after I’m gone I don’t care if he keeps them or sells them but they’re his.

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I hope they will be given away. Hopefully my nephew or my son in law will get some. That’s if I get old and die. But that’s why I am into watches. It’s probably the only thing that sustains a life support to my legacy.

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We don’t have children, but I’d give them to friends, people who helped me professionally. Might have a modest auction for a couple to donate to literary and environmental organizations that I’m associated with. I do want to be cremated or buried with one though.

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My watches, like me are pretty much worthless. And like my ashes will be cast to the wind and be gone. No great loss either way.

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Scooby

At the end of the day no matter how much we enjoy them they are just things. We can't take these them into the next life so unless St Peter gives me a free pass then it looks like these things are staying here on this mortal coil. I don't really care what my family does with them. Keep them, sell them, donate them, whatever. I'll be too busy doing shots with John Wayne

Save me a seat at the bar 😎 🍺

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I figure my friends and family will pick out the ones they like, and then sell or give away the rest. I have a couple people in mind who I want specific watches to go to. There is one or two I think I’d want to be buried with tho.