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Thread: Dad or Grandad’s watch ... do you have yours?

  1. #1
    Master
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    Dad or Grandad’s watch ... do you have yours?

    Recently been clearing my father in laws house as he’s moved to a care home, some old watches turned up which have been shared between his sons. Old Seikos.

    My dad passed away over 10 years ago, I have nothing of his and mentioned it to mum just by way of passing. She disappeared having had a rummage in a draw and came back and gave these items to me.

    I remember dad wearing the watch for years, and always having that knife in his pocket.

    It’s runs fine and gains a little but otherwise it is works perfectly.



    Here it is next to my watch today, I’m thinking there is not that much between these ...

    Last edited by Montello; 24th November 2019 at 09:01.

  2. #2
    Very nice momentos. Lovely watch and I think the penknife is a Victorinox Excelsior.


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  3. #3
    Craftsman
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    And no doubt the Seiko means more to you.
    I think a watch is such a personal item that goes through quite a bit of life with you.
    Lost my Dad when I was 11 and not one thing to remember him by apart from very few memories I have.
    I have a an Omega PO that I have earmarked for my Son.

  4. #4
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gee252 View Post
    And no doubt the Seiko means more to you.
    I think a watch is such a personal item that goes through quite a bit of life with you.
    Yeah, the bracelet is very worn, he wore it daily for many years.

    Initially I thought it was broken as I was expecting a second crown position to move the date and day but it’s done by a push inwards on the crown.

    When I look at it alongside the Explorer I can’t help think he had a better eye for value.

  5. #5
    Craftsman NCC66's Avatar
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    My dad passed away over 20 years ago. I miss him to this day and have only two things of his to remember him by. His tool bag full of ancient but blooming effective plumbing kit. Tools that I am notoriously dangerous with!

    That and his old watch. He had others but they ‘disappeared’. I half expected to find them when clearing my mums house last year but alas, no. I seem to remember a gold Omega, engraved with something related to some very important plumbing association. I think all old plumbers had a gold Omega at some point . Anyway, this is the only thing I can actually use of dad’s. Worth about 10p in money but a huge amount more in every other respect.



    Enjoy the Seiko and the memories.


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  6. #6
    Master
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    Some nice examples, I think our parents were of a generation where you had just one watch which means they perhaps have more “value” as a memory.

  7. #7
    Apprentice
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    Just this week brought my late father's Titanium Pulsar chrono back to life with a new battery. He had a number of Seiko's but this was his last watch and I felt it important to keep it going. I will wear it when I feel the time is right.

  8. #8
    Master sean's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by NCC66 View Post
    His tool bag full of ancient but blooming effective plumbing kit.
    My dad left behind his expansive and practical tool kit too! Brings back memories each time I venture to search through it (I'm not very handy around the house!).

    This was his watch for a time.


  9. #9
    Master
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    I do have the watch that my Dad was presented with by the company he worked for in the late '70s. My mother gave it to me when he died in 1994.






  10. #10
    Master blackal's Avatar
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    Still got his Croton Aqua-matic from early '50s

    https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.p...ghlight=croton

    Last edited by blackal; 24th November 2019 at 00:35.

  11. #11
    Master
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    My dad actually gave a watch to me in the mid '70s. I broke it in 1984, and threw it out (by then I had a few watches anyway).

    It was actually arguably the watch that I've bonded with most in my life - for years it was "my watch", the only one I wore. It had a typical '70s case. It was handwound with a non-quickset date. Had a starburst brushed finish on the gold finish, a bit like the nice Rotary posted earlier, but with a much less square case. Similar dial and batons as well. I had it on a brown leather strap. But I cannot for the life of me remember what make it was, even though I wore it every day for years.

  12. #12
    Master Thom4711's Avatar
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    Yep, I have one that I never saw him wear but he received for his 21st (an Omega Geneve) and I also have the watch I saw him wear every single day and that led me to be interested in watches (a Tag Heuer)






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  13. #13
    I have two of my fathers old watches, both of which I wear regularly, and two of my grandfathers, one of which is now my wife's daily wearer (a 1944 30T2) and the other, being a gold dress watch, just resides in the watch box these days. Wouldn't sell any of them (unless the shirt had already gone).

  14. #14
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    My old man's still with us but in almost 40 years I've never known him to wear a watch.

    I sometimes wonder if the milkman has a drawer full of timepieces locked away somewhere....

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  15. #15
    Master
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    My Grandad didn’t have much money, but he did have a Swiss watch. It’s mine now, and it’s horrible... but priceless. Just gave it a wind, still ticking away.






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  16. #16
    Grand Master oldoakknives's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by NCC66 View Post
    My dad passed away over 20 years ago. I miss him to this day and have only two things of his to remember him by. His tool bag full of ancient but blooming effective plumbing kit. Tools that I am notoriously dangerous with!

    That and his old watch. He had others but they ‘disappeared’. I half expected to find them when clearing my mums house last year but alas, no. I seem to remember a gold Omega, engraved with something related to some very important plumbing association. I think all old plumbers had a gold Omega at some point . Anyway, this is the only thing I can actually use of dad’s. Worth about 10p in money but a huge amount more in every other respect.



    Enjoy the Seiko and the memories.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
    I have a similar watch from my father as well as a couple of items of furniture he made. They all have a high sentimental value and low monetary value!
    Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.

  17. #17
    Master
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    I have my dad’s Omega gold capped Constellation given to me by my stepmother after he died in 1981.

    After contacting Omega they advised it was bought from a dealer in Holland in 1964.

    Had it serviced by Omega Service Centre a few years ago and it runs well. Didn’t know they serviced vintage watches until I asked.

    It’s a lovely watch and I wear it from time to time, I always think of him on such occasions.

  18. #18
    My Grandfathers Accurist, found it recently and am undecided whether to have it restored/serviced or keep it original, lovely little thing.




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  19. #19
    My Grandad's watch, and yes he wore it on that band It is strongly radioactive, far stronger than any of the samples we used to have int he physics lab at school!


  20. #20
    Master
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    My Grandad’s watch.. I remember him wearing this all through the 60’s and into the 70’s but I suspect it’s from the 50’s.

    It still runs but I suspect the movement could do with a service.


  21. #21
    Grand Master Mr Curta's Avatar
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    This is my grandfather's Cyma Navystar, purchased by him in the 1950s in Aden. He was a civilian pharmacist seconded to the Royal Navy and he spent much of his life travelling, establishing the family home first in Singapore and then in Malta, where my mother and her sister grew up. He was a real gentleman and an inspiration. This watch saw a large part of the world.

    He and my grandmother both lived well into their 90s and were blessed with being able to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary together. He passed on in 2011, my grandmother two years later.

    The photograph was taken in Sarajevo. The strap was on the watch when it was given to me.


  22. #22
    Master subseastu's Avatar
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    Sekonda is my mums dads with a hair pulling strap. I've not worn it yet because I've got to sort a strap for it.

    This Marvin is my dads dad that he "liberated" from a dead German soldier in Italy during WW2. I've had it lightly serviced and wear it on occasion.


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  23. #23
    Journeyman
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    Nice thread,
    My dads watches started it all off for me.

    About 15/16years ago he gave me the tool watch that he bought in 1971 when he was flying small aircraft. It had been face down in a drawer for approx 30 years and was quite battered. A few years later he found his first automatic watch (a 1958 Certina) and gave that to me too.

    My dad stopped wearing automatics when the digital watches came out and loves/wears a smart watch now (which I bought for him).
    Recent(ish) pics below.



  24. #24
    Master
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    That’s a really nice Seiko, looks like your Dad wore it with care.

  25. #25
    Master
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    I caught the watch bug early because my dad collected watches himself, which was fairly oddball at the time. :) So I'm lucky I have a couple of his.

    He got this in the early 80's. I remember it being "mad money" at the time. Tiny by today's standards but still looks like new.


    He got this in the late 70's.


    He had a few others including a 1930's Zenith pilots watch. He was a Longines man, but his favourite was the one on the left.


    He also had a Patek, 50's Calatrava, which I never got around to taking a pic of. Sadly my mum in the earlier stages of dementia threw it and the Longines above into the bin. I didn't discover they were gone until months later, so they're somewhere in landfill now. :(

  26. #26
    Journeyman
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    Dad passed on my grandfather's old Stivaro auto. It was bought in Lebanon about 60 years ago I think. My grandad (Pop) bought two identical watches one for him and one for his son. My dad tells me he lost his, and so Pop gave him this one, which my dad then broke. Not much of a watch man my father. It doesn't run and I know nothing about it other than that. If anyone knows anything about Stivaro, I'd love to know - there's nothing on the internet as far as I can tell.

    [IMG] upload[/IMG]

  27. #27
    Master alfat33's Avatar
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    Dad or Grandad’s watch ... do you have yours?

    Quote Originally Posted by Calumets View Post
    If anyone knows anything about Stivaro, I'd love to know - there's nothing on the internet as far as I can tell.

    Mikrolisk only has one entry, ‘Peseux und Pieterlen, Schweiz; registriert am 5.7.1954’ so I guess they were a small manufacturer founded in the ‘50s and based in the heart of Swiss watch making country.

    Lovely to see all of these watches and to treasure what they mean.

  28. #28
    Quote Originally Posted by Wibbs View Post
    I caught the watch bug early because my dad collected watches himself, which was fairly oddball at the time. :) So I'm lucky I have a couple of his.

    He got this in the early 80's. I remember it being "mad money" at the time. Tiny by today's standards but still looks like new.

    (
    A real shame about your mum and the 'lost' watches.
    I lusted after the same Longines VHP - back then I couldn't justify, or afford, the price.

  29. #29
    Master
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    I was given this Rolex Oyster that my Grandad wore, by my parents on my 21st birthday.
    Didn't really understand too much about the watch at the time - but a bit more aware now!


  30. #30
    Master village's Avatar
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    I do have my grandad's watch....in fact I was wearing it only yesterday.

    Thread

    @ OP - do you have any idea when your dad's watch was last serviced? It may be keeping reasonable time but that is no indication of whether it needs a service. I would strongly recommend getting it serviced.

  31. #31
    Master
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    Had this serviced a couple of years ago and it keeps excellent time.

    Probably the first service in 75 odd years!!


  32. #32
    I have the following watches that used to belong to my grandad on my mums side

    I also have this that belonged to my grandad on my Dads side, it turns out that this was originally given to my grandad by my Dad, so that’s a nice thing.

  33. #33
    Craftsman
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    I have my late mother’s (passed away in March) gold omega if that counts.


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  34. #34
    Master
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    My dad is wearing my Seiko Kinetic. He was an engineer & never wore a watch until he retired.
    I gave him the Seiko when I got my 2254 & he wears it daily.

  35. #35
    Master
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    My dad had couple pocket watches and couple wrist watches that are now mine.
    Couldn’t find photos of the pocket watches but post them here later when I get home.

  36. #36
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by village View Post

    @ OP - do you have any idea when your dad's watch was last serviced? It may be keeping reasonable time but that is no indication of whether it needs a service. I would strongly recommend getting it serviced.
    Mum thinks he got this in 1983 for their 20th wedding anniversary.

    I’d place a large wager it has never been serviced. I plan to get it serviced even though I doubt I will ever wear it, maybe the odd occasion. The bracelet is very worn.

  37. #37
    Master
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    My sister has my dad's old Timex. My wife has her grandmother's Piaget, bu the gold band is too small.

  38. #38
    Master village's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Montello View Post
    Mum thinks he got this in 1983 for their 20th wedding anniversary.

    I’d place a large wager it has never been serviced. I plan to get it serviced even though I doubt I will ever wear it, maybe the odd occasion. The bracelet is very worn.
    Definitely worth doing....its a relatively inexpensive movement to service. I don't wear my grandad's much but feel the urge every now and then. It certainly isn't still on the old flexo-hair killer bracelet but now resides on a spiffy tweed strap.

  39. #39
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by village View Post
    Definitely worth doing....its a relatively inexpensive movement to service. I don't wear my grandad's much but feel the urge every now and then. It certainly isn't still on the old flexo-hair killer bracelet but now resides on a spiffy tweed strap.
    Any recommendations to service the Seiko 5 would be welcome

  40. #40
    Master village's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Montello View Post
    Any recommendations to service the Seiko 5 would be welcome
    I highly recommend here (onatelier.co.uk) who also goes by the name of .olli. on TZ

    He's got a 3 or 4 month waiting list I believe but will do an excellent job at a reasonable price. For disclosure he lives round the corner and might make me a cup of tea from time to time 😎

  41. #41
    Master
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    [QUOTE=Wibbs;5256869]I caught the watch bug early because my dad collected watches himself, which was fairly oddball at the time. :) So I'm lucky I have a couple of his.

    He got this in the early 80's. I remember it being "mad money" at the time. Tiny by today's standards but still looks like new.


    I had one of these. It was my first decent watch and I bought it not long after I graduated and started earning money. It must have been in the late 1980s. I recollect that it was half price in a sale and I paid £497.50 for it. It was my only watch for many years and it was unerringly accurate. I was living in Stockton-On-Tees and spotted it when I was visiting a girl in Sunderland.

  42. #42
    Craftsman aamaci's Avatar
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    I have the Tudor Royal which my Grandfather, on my mother's side, bought from Edwards jewellers in Glasgow in 1959, (when he retired I think). He left it to me in his will, and I inherited it when he passed away in 1964. It survived my teenage years surprisingly undamaged and untinkered with. I had it serviced fairly recently and it now keep reasonably good time. It is very small by modern standards, but I still wear it occasionally .



    I think his bequest sowed the seeds of my interest in watches in later life.

    A

  43. #43
    Master
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    I treated my dad to a few watches over the years he very seldom bought anything for himself when I was young so hardly ever wore a watch until then. After much persuasion/argument not to just leave it in a wardrobe and only wear it on very special occasions he wore a seadweller pretty much everyday for around 15 years, oh the irony that I now only ever wear that watch on very special occasions such is my fear of losing it. As other have said a watch is such a personal item it becomes so special to those left behind but I do wonder whether those times are slowly changing so my children won’t have the same connection to one of my watches for example

  44. #44
    Master
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    Some really nice posts on this thread. It’s notible how modest the watches of our forebears were. .

  45. #45
    Master
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    [QUOTE=seabiscuit;5257233]
    Quote Originally Posted by Wibbs View Post
    He got this in the early 80's. I remember it being "mad money" at the time. Tiny by today's standards but still looks like new.
    I like that one a lot!

  46. #46
    Master pinpull's Avatar
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    Dad or Grandad’s watch ... do you have yours?

    My father died when I was 18, that was in 1971. I had always coveted his Zodiac Sea Wolf, which he purchased in the 60's, ever since I can remember seeing it on his wrist. He also had a solid gold Longines which he bought when I was born in 1953, but it made much less impression on me when he wore it, compared to the Zodiac.

    I inherited both after my mother died a few years ago. They were in a pretty poor, inoperative condition, and whilst our own Paul Walker (walkerwek1958) brilliantly brought the Longines back to life, I've been unable to get the Zodiac up and running due (I'm told by another source) to the poor availability of parts, or donor watches.









    Despite my initial disinterest all those years ago, I now think the Longines is utterly gorgeous, and is a joy to wear on special occasions, but I will continue to look for a magician who can get the Zodiac up and running because I'm desperate to have it on my wrist too!


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    Last edited by pinpull; 24th November 2019 at 23:25.

  47. #47

    Lucky and grateful

    I was lucky to get some watches from my father, grandfather and my wife's grandfather who was a watchmaker :-)

    An Omega Seamaster, an Edox, a Rodania and a Solix + a few Tissot watches...
    This was the start of my collection.










    Kind regards,
    Peter

  48. #48
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by NCC66 View Post
    My dad passed away over 20 years ago. I miss him to this day and have only two things of his to remember him by. His tool bag full of ancient but blooming effective plumbing kit. Tools that I am notoriously dangerous with!

    That and his old watch. He had others but they ‘disappeared’. I half expected to find them when clearing my mums house last year but alas, no. I seem to remember a gold Omega, engraved with something related to some very important plumbing association. I think all old plumbers had a gold Omega at some point . Anyway, this is the only thing I can actually use of dad’s. Worth about 10p in money but a huge amount more in every other respect.



    Enjoy the Seiko and the memories.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

    Well I've just learned something, I never knew Sekonda were originally made in the USSR.

  49. #49
    Grand Master Griswold's Avatar
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    I have a number of 'Relatives' timepieces

    This Timex was my late Father-in-Law's daily wearer




    The Avia on the right was his dress watch whilst the one on the left was from one of my late Uncles




    This, from a late Cousin has some interesting history - I'm still trying to open it up to see if I can get it working






    But my favourite is the pocket watch my late Father carried through WWII, on a gold chain which was my Grandfathers. I still wear it on occasions that call for a waistcoat



    My father also had a long service award watch which was inscribed on the back. Sadly, some Bast@rd burgled Mum and Dad and that was one of the things they got away with!
    Best Regards - Peter

    I'd hate to be with you when you're on your own.

  50. #50
    Grand Master snowman's Avatar
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    My Dad wasn't really into watches, but he had quite a nice perpetual calendar Seiko my mum had bought for him and a gold Rotary (not sure where it came from, though).

    My son wears the Seiko and my mum often wears his Rotary (after I stuck it through an Ultrasonic cleaner and put it on a new strap) as her eyes aren't as good as they were and so she appreciates the bigger watch than she was used to.

    It's a nice memory for both of them, but sadly he didn't have an early Sub to buy my son a flat with!

    M

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