Show me a watch that has a personal connection
This Laco B Uhr will always be part of my collection.
It really means something to me because I have family members that were in the Luftwaffe during WWII. Obviously this is just a new reproduction watch and I have no way of knowing what my grandfather actually wore in combat, but this watch makes me feel connected to him somehow. He was drafted and did not want to leave my grandmother and he never made it home. When I wear this watch it completely changes my mood. Not sure why, but it does and it’s a forever keeper. Do you have something like this that resonates with you?
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ryan becht
Just a Nightshift cop who likes good watches. I typically only buy pieces that I’ll wear to work so I’m into hard wearing tool watches.
Wisconsin
Member since
Last active: 8 months ago
18.42 cm
I received a Liver Transplant. While I was recovering, my wife and I were walking and I was taken by a tan dial Lumi-Nox watch. I was not into watches at this time, but I purchased it anyway. It reminds me of that very special time and it launched my interest in watches. It is in the permanent collection.
I received a Liver Transplant. While I was recovering, my wife and I were walking and I was taken by a tan dial Lumi-Nox watch. I was not into watches at this time, but I purchased it anyway. It reminds me of that very special time and it launched my interest in watches. It is in the permanent collection.
Yeah I can see why that one would stay! I hope you are well & strong. 👊🏻
Six years ago my wife asked me if I wanted an Apple Watch for my birthday. I wasn’t wearing a watch at the time, but had worn some fossil watches previously.
I told her I didn’t want a watch that I had to plug in or one that needed a battery change every two years.
She surprised me with a Seiko Presage she picked up at the local jeweler. My first mechanical watch, my daily wear, and my only watch for three years.
Six years ago my wife asked me if I wanted an Apple Watch for my birthday. I wasn’t wearing a watch at the time, but had worn some fossil watches previously.
I told her I didn’t want a watch that I had to plug in or one that needed a battery change every two years.
She surprised me with a Seiko Presage she picked up at the local jeweler. My first mechanical watch, my daily wear, and my only watch for three years.
That dial is flipping beautiful! I’ve never seen a sunburst like this.. she has great taste!
That dial is flipping beautiful! I’ve never seen a sunburst like this.. she has great taste!
That pic was taken under a gazebo at night with tons of light surrounding it. Then I turned up the contrast in the edit. 😉
Here’s a more mundane pic and what it looks like unedited:
In the 80's long before I met my wife or knew anything much about watches this ultra rare 660 WR Marine Star dove with me off the coast of Mexico and throughout the South Pacific including Hawaii, Fiji and Australia. It's one of the few things I own from my carefree bachelor dsys.
That pic was taken under a gazebo at night with tons of light surrounding it. Then I turned up the contrast in the edit. 😉
Here’s a more mundane pic and what it looks like unedited:
It’s still awesome! 😀
In the 80's long before I met my wife or knew anything much about watches this ultra rare 660 WR Marine Star dove with me off the coast of Mexico and throughout the South Pacific including Hawaii, Fiji and Australia. It's one of the few things I own from my carefree bachelor dsys.
And a reminder of how much better things are now, yes? 😀
And a reminder of how much better things are now, yes? 😀
I have much to be grateful for. I held off getting married until my 30's and as a result I didn't feel like I had missed out on being independent and as a bonus for her I knew how to take care of myself. She was actually the one who started me collecting watches when she gifted me a Speedy in 2019. Her, the Speedy and the Marine Star are all keepers!
I have much to be grateful for. I held off getting married until my 30's and as a result I didn't feel like I had missed out on being independent and as a bonus for her I knew how to take care of myself. She was actually the one who started me collecting watches when she gifted me a Speedy in 2019. Her, the Speedy and the Marine Star are all keepers!
All good things! 👊🏻
cheers 🍺
Hell yeah!
Well not the watch but the bracelet. My Great Grandfather Henry Roe Cloud's hand made Navajo Silver watch bracelet . He was the first Native American (Ho-Chunk) to graduate from Yale in 1910
My father's last watch he had before passing 11 years ago. Every time I see his watch it reminds me of his time he served in Korea in the Airforce. Must be his blue sunburst dial on his Croton Diver.
Enjoy that watch!
Cheers!
Six years ago my wife asked me if I wanted an Apple Watch for my birthday. I wasn’t wearing a watch at the time, but had worn some fossil watches previously.
I told her I didn’t want a watch that I had to plug in or one that needed a battery change every two years.
She surprised me with a Seiko Presage she picked up at the local jeweler. My first mechanical watch, my daily wear, and my only watch for three years.
Wowza!
Indeed I do! This is my grandfather’s 1952 #longines that my grandmother engraved and gave him on Christmas when they got engaged. I have pictures of him wearing it when I was a kid. My mom gave it to me when I turned 40 last year. I got it serviced and I wear it every Sunday to Mass and I pray for him. He was also a WWII vet, Marines in the South Pacific.
My Lorier Neptune has the most personal connection!! My childhood friend got me this for my college graduation
@Ryanseverin I've thought about customizing a Laco Pro B-Uhr myself.
I was initially looking at the Type-A dial because it looked clean and I loved the idea of having a big, dramatic second hand sweep. My first reaction to the B dial is I thought they were ugly.
Then I learned the reason why the Luftwaffe had only made the Type A for a short amount of time and then replaced them with the Type-B: Navigators were making errors under pressure and confusing the hours/minutes on the Type-A, which led to the design of the Type-B where the minutes are extremely clear. The minutes were the key thing Navigators needed to read when working out their routes and locating their position on a map.
That also changed how I view dive watches since no one needs to know the hour when you're diving; the only thing you really need is to read your minutes. (this left me super confused about the explanation for the snowflake hour hand on dive watches, but I digress...)
Now, when I look at a Type-B dial, I think about how it was used during missions, and I can think of several moments throughout the day when that giant minute hand would serve a similar legibility purpose for things I'm doing.
The other thing that drew me to the B-Uhr, is the fact that they were issued to Navigators before the sortie, and handed back in after the sortie ended. Before every mission, the watch had to be hand wound and then time hacked to a standard time. I thought about how that moment at the beginning of the day when you wind the watch and sync the seconds is the exact same ritual that was performed when the B-Uhr was used operationally.
I don't have a family connection to the Luftwaffe, so I'm a bit jealous that you can bond with the watch and bond with your family connections in that way. I hope that my future descendants will want that kind of connection with the watches I wore when I fought in Iraq in the same spirit.
Heirloom from my Dad
Heirloom from my Mom (supposedly to be given to my future next-wife)
Gift from my Brother
Gift from my ex-parents-in-law...
Our high school class commemorative watch
Finally, the pocket watch I supposedly bought from @eliamathias, but my son gave it to me for my 55th birthday this year
Got this SMP300 to mark my 25th birthday, moving to a new country, establishing a life there and completing my Masters.
My Grandpa gifted me his watch when I graduated college. I was into watches since I was young and even received a Breitling Colt for my 16th birthday from my dad (I wish I had kept it, he blessed the sale to fund the next watch and on and on though).
This watch reminds me of everything my Grandpa was and accomplished, a genuinely good guy to me and so many others and a stand up Christian. He owned businesses and supported so many families through them, was a WWII Marine, married to my Grandma for 70+ years. One of the last lessons he taught me was to work hard and always complete the task or goal at hand no matter how or if it takes longer or looks different, comple it/finish it. That is just as important as all other things.
Anyhow, this watch is less about the watch and more about whose watch it was, maybe is now, and will be some day.
Cheers
One of 50 commissioned when the Metropolitan Police in London merged Special Branch with the Anti Terrorist Branch to form the Counter Terrorism Command. I was, and shall ever be, a Special Branch Detective.
For our 5 yr anniversary, the wife wanted to get me the classic anniversary watch. She did the research, with input from me, but still put in some "little grey cells" as it were.
She wanted this engraving too, has a double meaning.....historical significance to my main profession, EOD, and due to the nature of booking special chapels for weddings, also the day we were married. (As ironic as it is, that's just how it ended up, no I did NOT plan it, I promise 😆)
Not only is this one of my favorite watches, but it's one of my favorite brands too. I find the Neptune to be ruggedly elegant and tactically dressy 👌🏻. Really love how acrylic shows the wear, doesn't reflect as much, and doesn't smudge as much TBH.
@Ryanseverin I've thought about customizing a Laco Pro B-Uhr myself.
I was initially looking at the Type-A dial because it looked clean and I loved the idea of having a big, dramatic second hand sweep. My first reaction to the B dial is I thought they were ugly.
Then I learned the reason why the Luftwaffe had only made the Type A for a short amount of time and then replaced them with the Type-B: Navigators were making errors under pressure and confusing the hours/minutes on the Type-A, which led to the design of the Type-B where the minutes are extremely clear. The minutes were the key thing Navigators needed to read when working out their routes and locating their position on a map.
That also changed how I view dive watches since no one needs to know the hour when you're diving; the only thing you really need is to read your minutes. (this left me super confused about the explanation for the snowflake hour hand on dive watches, but I digress...)
Now, when I look at a Type-B dial, I think about how it was used during missions, and I can think of several moments throughout the day when that giant minute hand would serve a similar legibility purpose for things I'm doing.
The other thing that drew me to the B-Uhr, is the fact that they were issued to Navigators before the sortie, and handed back in after the sortie ended. Before every mission, the watch had to be hand wound and then time hacked to a standard time. I thought about how that moment at the beginning of the day when you wind the watch and sync the seconds is the exact same ritual that was performed when the B-Uhr was used operationally.
I don't have a family connection to the Luftwaffe, so I'm a bit jealous that you can bond with the watch and bond with your family connections in that way. I hope that my future descendants will want that kind of connection with the watches I wore when I fought in Iraq in the same spirit.
That was such an awesome reply! I’d love to see something that you customize and I hope someone bonds with one of your service watches too. Until you put it that way I never really thought about the wearer’s perspective.. I’m also a vet and the little piece of crap I wore in Somalia & Haiti just ended up in the trash I’m guessing. But now I kinda wish I had held onto it.. just never thought it was important, but after reading your comment now I see it could have been. I’m going to send you a follow.
Indeed I do! This is my grandfather’s 1952 #longines that my grandmother engraved and gave him on Christmas when they got engaged. I have pictures of him wearing it when I was a kid. My mom gave it to me when I turned 40 last year. I got it serviced and I wear it every Sunday to Mass and I pray for him. He was also a WWII vet, Marines in the South Pacific.
I love seeing things like this! I’m glad you can honor him by wearing his watch and thank you for showing me!
For our 5 yr anniversary, the wife wanted to get me the classic anniversary watch. She did the research, with input from me, but still put in some "little grey cells" as it were.
She wanted this engraving too, has a double meaning.....historical significance to my main profession, EOD, and due to the nature of booking special chapels for weddings, also the day we were married. (As ironic as it is, that's just how it ended up, no I did NOT plan it, I promise 😆)
Not only is this one of my favorite watches, but it's one of my favorite brands too. I find the Neptune to be ruggedly elegant and tactically dressy 👌🏻. Really love how acrylic shows the wear, doesn't reflect as much, and doesn't smudge as much TBH.
This is awesome.. I love it. There’s a guy in my Dept who was EOD and I know (from him) how hard that school alone was to complete. It’s awesome to have something like this knowing the thought she put behind it.
They say the only time someone truly dies is when they’re forgotten. Your father will clearly keep on living since you honor him. I love this. 👊🏻