Every watch collector, from any walk of life, had a moment when they realized that they were intrigued by watches. Whether it was seeing a watch in a movie, on display in a shop, in a social media post, on the wrist of a friend, or any one of another million possibilities, something brought them into the fold that we all know so well. Go to any gathering of watch enthusiasts and you will see a variety of opinions, tastes and perspectives. Sometimes we agree and other times we differ so vastly that one wonders why we are even bothering, but the one thing that we all have in common is that somewhere along our journeys, we found ourselves attracted to our first timepiece and the rest was history.

For me, this moment goes back to the early 90s when I was a young child. For me it was one of two watches that set me down this road. The first was my father’s Seiko 5 (7009-467L D) and the second was my grandfather’s Seiko Quartz Day Date (Seiko 7N43-8848 D 2). Both men were paramount influences in my life and from a young age I remember watching both of them wear these watches consistently throughout my childhood.

Long before I knew anything about watches or even before I knew how to tell time I fell in love with watches simply because I got to see them as part of their daily routines. I remember both would keep their watches right next to their wallet and keys. I remember them both grabbing their things every time they went to leave the house and hearing the SNAP of the watch clasp as they fastened it on their way out the door.

Watches can be marvels of engineering, pieces of art and conversation pieces that add that bit of color to otherwise gray settings. Perhaps more importantly however, they can be vessels in which we store memories. The design and textures on their faces, the familiar weights on our wrists, the particular smell of a leather strap, or even the snap of a clasp can transport you back to moments past.

May there forever be a weight on your wrists and a ticking in your ears!