Giving a watch that you have personally worn as a present can have a profound effect when “gifted” to the right recipient. Of all the gifts that I suggest to give watch collectors, the suggestion in this article can possibly be the most challenging, but it can also be the most rewarding. This article is part of the GIFT GIVING GUIDE, a series on Watch Hunter that explores the best gifts to buy for your favorite watch collector. It should help generate ideas for great presents that watch collectors will love. Use it to inspire you for holiday, birthday gifts, life event gifts and special occasion gifts for watch enthusiasts.
It has long been a tradition to pass a personal watch down to a family member. In the past, pocket watches and even wristwatches were a rare commodity so these items were cherished for their utility and value. Today’s digital world has turned this notion on its head, and largely mobile phones have become our timekeepers. Perhaps “gifting a watch” has more pitfalls than ever before. In this article, I’ll explore the positive aspects to consider, but make sure to read my other article, The Myth of Passing Heirloom Watches Down to Our Children where I discuss some of the things that can go wrong.
If you are still reading this, then maybe you are ready to consider gifting your watch to a deserving person. In the context of this article, I will be talking about giving watches specifically to watch collectors as a special gift from the heart. There was a recent story in the news that illustrates a “watch giving experience” where a man took a watch off of his wrist and gave it to a younger man. By all accounts, this gift was a spur-of-the-moment decision because the younger man was not wearing a watch. Many years later, that watch sold for $17.8 million when it went to auction. That watch was famously Paul Newman’s very own Rolex Daytona and it proves that there certainly may be a monetary value to the used watch given from your wrist. But, most watch gifts are not this valuable.
On the flip side, there can also be negative monetary connotation surrounding a watch gift. Watch maintenance for a watch can be expensive ranging from under $20 to change a battery to hundreds of dollars to clean and reoil a mechanical watch. If you can afford it, and if it is appropriate, consider making sure the watch you give is in good working order. The recipient, especially a young one, might not have the means to repair a watch. The gift watch potentially might not get worn if it does not work. On the other hand, some watch collectors would love to get a non-running watch if the sentimental value is high or if the watch is rare.
While monetary value is a major consideration, it can be the sentimental value that can have as much of an effect on the recipient who is given your watch. Patek Philippe, the creme de la creme of Swiss watchmaking, has been using this kind of sentimental thinking in their advertising by claiming the owners of their watches are just caretakers for the next generation. Is this something that adults tell themselves to justify buying an expensive watch or do they really believe this as they plop down the cold cash? “I’m really buying this minute repeater tourbillion for the kids!!!” haha
Patek Philippe’s Generations Ad. Photo: Peter-Lindbergh
There are instances like this in high-end watchmaking where a watch acts as both a sentimental token and also as a vehicle to transfer wealth, but for most average people, the sentimental value might be higher. Not everyone can give away a Rolex or Omega. Sometimes, the only watch to give is a Timex that grandpa wore religiously for 25 years, which can still make a fantastic gift.
It’s the connection to the person who wore the watch that gives it the value, not necessarily the watch itself. Ask me if I’d sell you the junky old Seiko that my father wore when he was alive and I would say “not for sale”…no matter the price. The fact that he lived with the watch on a daily basis and spent time with it imbues the gears and metal with his magic. These items were witnesses to my father’s life… that is if I am allowed to anthropomorphize a watch with human characteristics.
Old Seiko 5 from my Dad’s Junk Drawer
Gift watches are not limited to just ones that you own. I’m not implying you give away a watch that you do not have rights to. If you are the survivor or the executor of an estate, you might be responsible for figuring out what to do with the deceased person’s possessions. A family friend died recently and I suggested to the widow to give her husband’s watch to his son, which she did. The next time I saw the son, he was proudly wearing it, and he was proud of it. The watch was a meaningful gift beyond words for him that was worth more than the monetary value of the watch.
My cherished Longines from my father…
The gift was a success in this case because the son idolized his father. You might need to think about the people receiving the watch before you give a used watch. Are they sentimental? Do they like watches? Will it fit them? Do they like the person the watch belonged to? In other words, do your homework to consider whether the present will be a good fit or not. If you want to give a watch to someone who only wants the latest gadgets and changes tech every six months, then your gift may be wasted on them… but not necessarily. It is possible to like new tech and old-fashioned things at the same time. Know your recipient.
Sentimental and monetary value can vary wildly, and are not mutually exclusive
One last bit of advice that my mother gave to me about giving gifts and money. Once it leaves your hands, you no longer have control of it. There are many anecdotes about people selling watches that they were given because they needed the money, wanted to use the money to buy something they wanted, or simply did not like it. This can and does happen, which can be as awkward as Bilbo Baggins asking Frodo about “his old ring”.
“My precious” given to me by my father
My point is if you cannot bear to give up the watch or trust the recipient to cherish is, then maybe you’d be better off keeping it. However, it will eventually end up in someone else’s hands so you might as well try to control the situation as much as you deem appropriate. Another option is to sell it to a watch collector who will put it on the “pedestal” that it deserves.
A watch as a gift can have a deep emotional weight
At the end of the day, only you can decide the best way to distribute your own good fortune or wealth. Whether you give away your cherished beater watch that was on your wrist or an investment timepiece… know your audience. Once it is out of your hands have faith that it will be cherished the same way you did. They say that it is better to give than receive, but I’m not so sure in this situation. haha
