Posted: 5/19/2025 5:09:15 PM EDT
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My dad died a couple of years ago and, as eldest son, going through his stuff fell to me. One of the cool things I found was a gold 1951 Longines watch that came complete with the original Longines guarantee card. As best I can figure, the watch was probably a highschool graduation going away to be a student at USC present to my dad. It's the kind of watch you would expect an indulgent merchant class mother would give her spoiled bonus baby. He was still in short pants when his adult brothers were in the Navy fighting the Japs. As indulgent bonus babies are wont to do, he fucked up playing USC frat boy and got sent home after his freshman year. It was only after a stretch as an Army draftee, getting married, and having yours truely that he finally finished college. But back to the point, the watch was as scuffed and as neglected as you might expect a 74 year old wristwatch to be. Attached File Finding the watch gave me a moment of nostalgia? emotion? I'm not sure what it was but I decided that my young adult daughter deserved something from the grandfather who she loved. But I wasn't going to give her some ratty assed non-working watch so off it goes to the shop. It turns out that Longines now belongs to Swatch. The watch went first to Swatch's New Jersey service center who said "to Europe with you!". $3,300 and five months later it came back home just this morning. Them Swiss fellers did a beautiful job. Attached File So was it worth it? Moneywise? No. I spent 2 or 3 times what it's worth to restore this watch. But in every other sense, this is some of the best money I have ever spent. It's a piece of my father's life that will continue on with the next generation. And most importatly to me, the look on my daughter's face is something I treasure. |
