Passing watches down

the idea of passing the watch to children is one of the romantic idea for the watch enthusiast. but whether we pass the watch or not it shouldnt be consideration to which model we bought, in my opinion. im sure they will be happy when we pass the watch that we choose ourself as we like. it also give the watch character and taste for the previous owner and thats a good point for me. (ps: im also waiting for my father to pass his collection lol)

It is a nice idea but my children (who are in their '40s) both wear smartwatches. I suspect that they would have difficulty knowing what to do with an inherited, regular watch. If this is the case for 40 year olds, it might be even more of an issue for younger children. Times, as always, are changing...

When my wife and I die, we're going to end up leaving all this sh*t in the house, scattered around our dead bodies.  Our daughters are going to look at everything and think, "WTF was wrong with mom and dad?  Who in their right mind spends their money on this kind of sh*t?"  And they'll have to hire people to sift through the detritus and probably PAY people to take away all the crap.  The last thing in the world they're gonna wanna do is deal with my watch collection!

I have a pocket watch from the early 1900s that my grandfather gave to me.  I love the watch and the idea that one day I may pass it or other watches on to my children.  I love vintage watches, and one with a personal family history is a priceless thing.  

That said, I've imagined passing a few of my watches on to my children, and I keep having the same thought.  Will they even want this?  In the end, I buy what I like and hope maybe one of them will appreciate it later on.  

My dad is into watches and knows that I am also into watches, and he has a number of very nice pieces, some of which I expect to eventually inherit, and some that I expect will ultimately go to my two brothers (neither of whom are into watches, but will take into account the value).  I think I speak for all three of us though when I say that we're in no rush and we'd rather keep Dad around.

Looking forward, who knows.  I have a daughter, but no sons, and neither of my brothers have kids.

Some excellent insight. Much appreciated. 

The younger generation has so many options when it comes to time keeping, the most obvious being cel phones and smart watches. I feel that generally heirlooms hold more sentimental than resale value whereas investment purchases are the opposite. Personally, I will hand down my grandfather's watch to my daughter. She may not wear it, but my hope is that she'll look at the watch from time to time to fondly remember all of those family members who came before her and loved her. If she wears it... all the better. 

On the other hand, it would not offend me if she took my watch box of Rolex, Patek, AP and Richard Mille (as if I had that) and sold them to put a downpayment on a house for her and her family. I enjoyed them when I owned them and when she sold them to someone else, my hope is that they would enjoy them as much as I did. 

I feel that the number of watches you deem to be heirlooms is important too. A single watch with a great story, is much more sentimental than a box of watches each with a good story. More watches seem to dilute the idea of sentimentality. 

In the end, I think the most important thing is to make sure your children understand both the sentimental and financial value of your collection. I buy watches for me to enjoy in the present. If one has a great story with it, great. If sometime in the future one has a value more than I paid for it... even better. Frankly I enjoy the chase. 😎  

Echoing what @Unholy said above.  I THINK you are better off getting what you will enjoy and wear more since this is what your daughters will remember.  

If you get a watch with the thought of passing it down as the deciding factor (and there is an alternative that you personally like better), you may not wear or enjoy it as much which will decrease the appeal to your children.  

If they want to inherit or wear Dad's watch, it won't be because they really like the size, styling or appearance, it will be because of their memories with you wearing the watch.

When I first started collecting, one of the reasons (excuses) I used in spending so much money was that I could pass the watch down to my son but my son never wears watches (despite many offers) because, as he puts it, "I always have my phone." 

In fact, the field watch I bought him to hopefully get him interested is now in my collection because he just left it in his drawer at our house (and he moved out a long time ago).  

Sorry, this is a long way of saying buy the watch for yourself because your kids may have no interest in the watch when it is ready to be passed on and, if they do, it will be more meaningful if it something you really enjoy and wear so they can remember good times with you.

That is some heroic parenting right there. Cheers sir. 

My son said: "Dad, I'd lose it within a week." Based on his history of destroying smartphones, I very much believe him. 

Interesting post and something I’ve been thinking about a lot recently. My wife and I just found out we’re pregnant with our 1st and I’ve been mulling a new purchase to commemorate. Like @Unholy and @Rocketfan said, I’m trying to focus on something I’ll wear and enjoy more than the kid would later. I like the idea of them remembering “that time dad and I did X” or “that time we went to X” wearing beloved watches than the actual mechanics or brand of the machine itself. 

I feel sorry for the family members who end up with my menagerie of vintage. I’m definitely not thinking of them in the buying process.

Congratulations!

I'll admit that it did cross my mind, but I figured if my baby were like me, they'd refuse if they deemed it too expensive. So I decided I'll buy what I like, and if the watch(es) tickle the baby's fancy when they're old enough, then have at it.

Saving up to be able to buy whatever the baby wants later in life seems like a better idea personally.

One or two of mine will be passed down. Once it’s out of my hands, I don’t mind what happens to it. Ideally, I’d like them to go a grandchild just so that there’s a (non-biological) link there.

Ultimately though, it’s my hobby and not theirs. It’s upto them to find their own way in their lives, I’m here if they want an opinion or advice

Each of my adult kids has and wears a watch I gave them.  Not every day because neither can wear a watch at work.  

I’m not entirely worried about inheritance watches because I will die years, probably decades before my wife.  She know the value of our watches (she has a sweet collection too) so she might decide to keep or sell individual pieces according to her taste or needs.

Now, I have my father’s watch and my grandfather’s watch.  I anticipate  that my grandson will inherit his father’s watch, his grandfather’s watch (mine), his great grandfather’s watch and his great, great grandfather’s watch.

I’m hoping that at that point, it’s less about the actual watches being inherited and more about the continuity and history of our family.

On that note, I’ve just discovered that my home is about a mile and a half from my ancestors family farm around the 1750’s.  I’ve been trying to get out of this town my whole life and I’m still not two miles from where we were nearly 300 years ago.  LOL 

Some say smart watches are a gateway. So, your children might surprise you by sporting old dad‘s watches in the future.