Which one means the most to you?

[amanda]

As much as I love the few watches I have, the sentimental attachment to them is not as great as this little watch below.

Let me tell you about my favourite, this little Seiko's story. In 1992, my Mum and my Grandmother took me shopping at Northland Shopping Centre in Preston, Victoria. Unknown to me at the time, my Grandma or 'Nana' as we affectionately called her, wanted to buy me a watch for my 21st Birthday

My Nana was a beautiful woman, she'd had some hard times in her life but you'd never know it.. she never complained and really did live and love to the fullest.. without a doubt she was one of the best people I've ever known



So we visited every Jewellery shop in that Shopping Centre on that day and I picked out this little 26mm Seiko Quartz Ladies watch...



It came on this 'poo brown' coloured strap, didn't like that much so my Nana offered to change it out for a black one. Today I still have both straps!



I even still have the original box

I wore it daily until 1998 when I had that nasty horse fall and totally buggered up my hand, after that day wearing a watch just irritated the you-know-whats out of me.. so I packed it into it's little box and stored it away... the battery has been removed so not sure if it is still in working order. Maybe one day I'll pop another battery in and see if it still runs, at the small size of the watch and my much larger wrist it's really too small to wear now. BUT I do like to pull it out and have a look at it occasionally and reminisce about times with my late Nana... love you up there if you are watching Nan

Hope you like my little story, if you have a tale about a favourite piece I'd love to hear it.....

[truerolexer/trueradiomier]

:-/Great story, :-/Nice watch!!!

[mike]

Wonderful story Amanda. Like you, I have one that cannot be replaced. My Father's Railroad pocket watch that he used for many years. I remember it when I was just a boy.
You can't buy that sort of thing.

[Ben]

Very nice story, Amanda. It always amazes, and touches, me how things (especially small things) can create that indelible stamp on your brain that endears people to you and can always invoke a smile when you see/use them. Like my Hamilton, your Seiko is priceless because of the story that surrounds it and not because of any "market" value.

As for myself...I have both of my grandfather's watches. There's the Hamilton Yorktowne (see other post). But the photo I didn't post there was the one below. My grandfather was a master carpenter and spent most of his career as a wood pattern maker in the ship building and railroad car industries. He custom-made this little stand specifically to hold the Hamilton watch. The real bonus is that I was named after him, so the initials on the stand are also my own.




The other watch is the LeCoultre Memovox that I've posted here before. This belonged to my mother's father and my parents had it refurbished years ago and gave it to me as a Christmas gift one year.





Thanks for sharing.

-Ben

[Ben]

mike said:

Wonderful story Amanda. Like you, I have one that cannot be replaced. My Father's Railroad pocket watch that he used for many years. I remember it when I was just a boy.
You can't buy that sort of thing.

Wow, Mike, that's a beautiful pocket watch! Even though Hamilton seems to be making quite a nice comeback, under the Swatch Group umbrella, it's a shame that the American watch industry is pretty much gone (other than some "boutique" makers like RGM). I live about an hour away from Lancaster County, PA where Hamilton had their manufactories.

They don't make 'em like that anymore. Nice!

-Ben

[amanda]

Ben and Mike - wow you guys have both got some real beauties there, pieces that can be passed down thru generations for years to come!!

That woodwork is also just beautiful Not sure if you are married or have kids yet Ben, but you'll have to name your first born Ben or Bruce or Brian or Barry or something starting with B so you can keep the spirit going and hand it down through the generations.

Thanks for sharing guys

[otis]

Great stories Amanda & guys, it's one of the reasons why I think this obsession of ours is quite a warm one. I, for one, cannot wait to hand down my watches to someone (maybe not kids) one day, and tell them the story of each nick & scratch and the adventures it had. I'll probably bore them stiff, but I'll enjoy it

[atomic]

I agree, Urs. My two Archers have a special place for obvious reasons... my fiver as well cuz I bought it from Launch Mini, so it has some history from him and from me.

But I've already willed my modest watch "collection" to my daughter. She's already showing signs of a budding WIS, but even if the interest wanes, at least she'll have my watches as keepsakes, or if (gah!) she has to part with them for whatever reason, she'll be able to get some decent coin for them.