Beginning of Time

My father was an amateur watch maker who eventually made his living servicing, buying and selling pocket watches and clocks. He always had a few nice wrists watches and gifted me an OP on my 18th birthday. I picked up the odd watch over the following 40 years but never really considered myself a collector. When he passed I inherited a DJ a DayDate and a Navitimer along with around 20 lesser peices. That sparked my interest again.

It’s my brothers fault; he gifted me a few Seikos during COVID and it was all down hill from there.

My Dad, he always took me to jewelry stores, he was an engineer by schooling, but a businessman and always combined the mechanical engineering part of the world with the aesthetic and appropriateness of watches in certain settings, business, Church, travel, sport and home….

He gifted me a Breitling for my 16th birthday. I had always liked watches and had quartz kid watches, Swatch watches, Surf watches, and Seiko/Citizens growing up, but when my father, someone I respect and admire shared an interest of his with me and most importantly trusted me to wear this time telling marvel that you put on the wrist at my age meant a lot to me. We’ve always shared the watch interest since.

Mine was vengeance. My local jewelers were charging me too much to service a vintage Longines Cal 280 and when I got it back the watch was still not working correct and when I opened the case the watch was still dirty and missing the case clamps. I got on YouTube and bought The Watch Repairers Manual by Henry Fried and fixed my own “Luxury” watch, then I thought “what else can I fix?” And began buying broken watches and fixing them.

I have no idea 🤔, growing up I was the only one of my friends that regularly wore a watch. No one in my family showed much interest in watches other than a watch is to tell the time and that's it. I was always intrigued how as watch worked and still am so maybe that's it 🙂.

Genuinely no idea. Just always had a watch on my wrist since I was a little boy.

Guess my parents thought it was important for me to be on time.

Pretty much worn one continuously ever since I can remember (I sleep with it on too) 😉👍🏻

Interesting, something started as a child has continued. Thanks

Yes, it's a fascinating piece of modern technology. Thanks

Wow! Amazing. I'm sure I could take a watch apart but I seriously doubt I could put it back together! Haha!

Great story! Thanks

Haha! Thanks brother!

So great! Thanks for sharing

I've told this before, but it is funny kid stuff -

I remember one of my earliest watches (Smiths or Timex) had a plastic crystal, which I deliberately scratched up on the curb so only I could read it if I licked it. Made me feel like it was a special gadget, like James Bond 😅

Now, many years later I've got a Bond watch (almost, pic below). It took me maybe 40 years, but that little boy would be so chuffed 😁👍🏻

I’ve always worn one going back to high school. Feel Naked without it! Come from a poor background, so watches are/where a low priority……..so I always wanted one and then another.

The tear down was the easy bit that is for sure

Thanks for sharing. I can relate

Haha, Good story! Thanks for sharing. Great watch!

And thank you. It’s one thing we have always been able to lightheartedly discuss and enjoy for what it is.