Giving (or passing down) watches to your kids...

[Clay]

From time to time you see a thread where someone is buying a watch and putting it away for their son or daughter...
In some cases the child is still an infant...
I lovely thought...In theory!
The problem is, they grow up and become their own person (What Nerve!!!)
Now I have three adult sons...
My oldest has no interest in watches, be they mine or not.
My middle son likes them...
And my youngest falls some where in between...
I have a watch for each of them...Not purchased intentionally for that purpose but I have the watches just the same and would love to share them with my boys...
But should I???
I mean, why give an expensive watch to someone who will doubtful ever wear it???
Am I not better off selling the watches at my leisure at some point and giving them the money if I choose???
I don't want them to feel like they HAVE to wear a watch I give them...
And not being a wealthy man I cannot afford to give a gift like that, that will just sit ...
I have no doubt they would appreciate them, but not sure if I shouldn't just keep my hobbies to myself and let them have theirs???
Damn Kids...

[watch watcher]

Well, you never know. I had no interest whatsoever in my father's old Omega. Even after he died, nothing. A junk watch, in my mind. Six years later I had it restored and I now cherish it.

[Jason71]

A couple years before I bought my first mechanical watch, I told people that I didn't need a watch. I also told them I could just check the time on my cell phone.........50+ mechanical watches later........

My kids both love looking at my watches. I feel pretty certain that they will be interested when the time comes. Wearing a watch is becoming quite fashionable right now........

[Vincent65]

I think it will become clear, if it's not already, if they show a genuine interest. There can't be too many young men out there who would turn their nose up at a classic sports Rolex anyway. If nothing else, they will love it because it is from you. I'd say only hold back if they specifically say 'not interested, thanks'. Just my 0.2

PS once you give a gift, it's gone - they can do what they want with it!

[BadBoy]

"If you hate it now, you'll learn to love it later" that's what my mom used to say.

Maybe they are not so very interested now, but give it a couple of years.
And especially if it's a kind of heritage... They'll appreciate it.

[AWS]

Originally Posted by BadBoy

"If you hate it now, you'll learn to love it later" that's what my mom used to say.

Maybe they are not so very interested now, but give it a couple of years.
And especially if it's a kind of heritage... They'll appreciate it.

Agree with this. I'm in a similar situation with my son who doesn't currently wear a watch but who knows in a few years. I would wait and see.

[cdweller]

I have inherited things that I have absolutely no interest in (old music boxes my great grandfather collected) but still keep and enjoy them because of the family history behind them. It is all about the family tie, not so much about the object

[landroverking]

I have given my son son in law and daughter all watches that were mine.
The range in age now from 24 to 34. Two Speedmasters and a TT bluesy.

[motoikkyu]

A single piece is never a burden or frozen capital; one watch for each child is fine. Just don't think of turning your collection over to a relative, that never works out.

[ndb80]

I bet if you give one to the son who's into watches first the others will gain more interest...

[Beaumont Miller II]

Clay when the time comes each of your sons will treasure any of your watches you might pass down to them, not because of the brand or condition of the watch or a hobby, but because it is something tangible that links you to each of them.

[SUBversive]

It's not about what they want. It's your collection. And cash is nice. But cash goes so fast.

[Paul]

...... is that it is small. So if a non-WIS becomes caretaker at some time, it can simply languish in a drawer til passed on to the next generation.

By contrast, my position as 'eldest son' saw me inherit this rather large time-piece, originally purchased by my great-great-grandmother (circa late 1800's).
Looks a bit incongruous in my modern town-house - and not so easy to hide in a drawer - but I feel priviledged to be its caretaker until I pop my clogs

[3Pedals_6Speeds]

I also have 3 sons, and although I did not buy them watches as infants to put away for them, I did in the last couple years track down "birth year divers" for them. I gave them to them this past Father's Day, and explained how much fun I have collecting watches, and while their degree of watch enthusiasm might or might not approach my own, the process of finding them a watch from their year of birth was fun, and that I wanted to pass them along to them as a small sign of my love for them, and to wear them in good health. Here is the day they received them:



Subsequently I've also collected a dress watch for each of them that matches the 1st vintage watch I collected. My eldest attended his 1st career fair today, and he was wearing his. Here are those watches:



We have a pretty good, and honest relationship (each of them), and each one mentioned at a point after the gifts that knowing what watches meant to me, the gift was meaningful to them.

Give them the watches, if nothing else, they'll have them as a sign of your love for them.

[drockadam]

You guys can send me your watches!

My dad already gave me his 91' TAG S/EL. It is a super special watch to me.

[Coroner]

What if you have small wrists and your sons have large wrists? Do you buy watches that are slightly too big for you because you fear if you buy a smaller watch, then your sons won't wear them? That's what I struggle with.

[mmmk604]

You guys are awesome dads...my dad never owned a Rolex.
I'm planning to buy him one for his 60th birthday!

[Mikel212]

My kids 9month(boy), 2yr (girl), and 4yr(girl) are always playing with my watches. I dont have any particulary one designated for them. My son is always trying to suck on my Daytona, my oldest is always telling me which one is her favorite (different every week) , and my 2yr old likes the sounds the bracelet makes.

I think when the time comes, they can pick whichever one they like. Until then, I rather be building memories then worrying about who gets what. It may seem like a long way from now, but a lot faster then you think.

[Warnsboy]

My son was born in 1982, his nic-name is "Root Beer" derived from his initials "A & W". I bought this birth year watch to pass down to him some day....

[johnny80s]

We bought two date just 26mm with the oyster bracelet and mop diamond dial for my girls. Bought them when they were 7 and 8. Put them away(they are 10 and 11 this year) and plan on giving the to them when they turn 21. The is a little inscription on them. God forbid something happens to my wife or myself, but the girls will always have something special put away from us. Sorry for the crappy iPhone photo.

[timely]

I ended up owing my fathers 1947 Bubble Back. The sad part is that I was never able to have children of my own.

[harry in montreal]

It's a beautiful bubble back. Maybe you have a niece or nephew who could appreciate it? One of my rolexes is earmarked for a nephew. I plan to give him the watch soon so I can enjoy watching him wear it. Harry