Your earliest memories of being attracted to watches?

[rolexsubdate]

Just wanted to know at what age you got into or drawn to watches?

For starters, my mom was into watches and when I was a kid, she would buy me seiko and some digital watches. When I was 9, she bought an omega for my dad and gave him as a gift. I asked her then "how come you didn't buy dad a rolex?" and she told me me it was too expensive .... I had never seen a ROLEX in real life but did recall the name very vividly ....that's when I was 9....now I am 40 ....

Also I remember around the age of 10 or so, my dad would subscribe to TIME magazine ... in it I would find big ads of watches ... I do not remember what brand they were, could be ROLEX, but I would cut the outline of the watch out with scissors and tape them to my wrist ....a different one on a different day ... then I would do my homework or whatever or play with my friends on the street with that paper cutout taped to my wrist ....

From the age of 10 and up, any store I would go to, if they had watches, I would go and stare ....

So what about you guys? What are your stories? I don't wanna know when you nought your first rolex ... I wanna know if you recall that magical moment when you were drawn to watches???

[brkanand]

Hmm...I was aware of Rolex brand as a kid. I was fully aware of a few other leading brands too. But then I was 'seriously' drawn into a watch lover's club only around 2005 - I was past my fifties!

[Welshwatchman]

I loved watches as a child and had one of the first LED watches, the kind that would run a battery down if you held the button for a couple of minutes.

Then a Bulova LCD watch from Curry's, fantastic.

[padi56]

Well mine all started when my uncle gave me a Swiss Lucerne watch think I was around 11 or 12 at the time.Then though the following years the bug got stronger and stronger,but today as much as I still love all watches mechanical, all brands.But now material things come second for me, after all they are just watches no matter what the brand.And now there are many far more important things in my life today like good health friends and family.

[bokmeipai]

Originally Posted by padi56

Well mine all started when my uncle gave me a Swiss Lucerne watch think I was around 11 or 12 at the time.Then though the following years the bug got stronger and stronger,but today as much as I still love all watches mechanical, all brands.But now material things come second for me, after all they are just watches no matter what the brand.And now there are many far more important things in my life today like good health friends and family.

My watch bug began when my mom gave me a Seiko for my 12th bday. It hasn't stop yet, to this day I own several rolexes, Panerai's, & Omega's.

[JJ Irani]

Wind the clock back to 1958 when I was 12 and received my very FIRST watch - a WEST END WATCH Co. little manual watch on "chain" bracelet.

[Speed]

Originally Posted by JJ Irani

Wind the clock back to 1958 when I was 12 and received my very FIRST watch - a WEST END WATCH Co. little manual watch on "chain" bracelet.

Ahh...the young and innocent Tosser!

[Welshwatchman]

Originally Posted by Speed

Ahh...the young and innocent Tosser!

By the smug look on his face, innocent?

I don't think so.

[therolexguy]

when Swatches were "in".

[therolexguy]

Originally Posted by JJ Irani

Wind the clock back to 1958 when I was 12 and received my very FIRST watch - a WEST END WATCH Co. little manual watch on "chain" bracelet.

Do you still have it JJ?

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by Welshwatchman

By the smug look on his face, innocent?

I don't think so.

Now that you mention that, it does look a wee bit smug, Paul!!

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by therolexguy

Do you still have it JJ?

Oh no, long gone. To be honest, the only thing I recall is me trying to pry off the caseback with a pocket-knife (which I did) and then receiving a clout across the back of my head by my dad for fiddling around with it.

Don't know what happened after that........it was like over half a century ago!!

[therolexguy]

Originally Posted by JJ Irani

Oh no, long gone. To be honest, the only thing I recall is me trying to pry off the caseback with a pocket-knife (which I did) and then receiving a clout across the back of my head by my dad for fiddling around with it.

Don't know what happened after that........it was like over half a century ago!!

That's cool at least.

[everose]

Originally Posted by JJ Irani

Wind the clock back to 1958 when I was 12 and received my very FIRST watch - a WEST END WATCH Co. little manual watch on "chain" bracelet.

Mr JJ,

What a fabulous photo.....u were a VERY handsome young man.....and so confident to have your photo taken,even so young!!!!


My earliest memory of attraction to watches was 1973(7yo) Roger Moore in his first Bond,Live and Let Die, with the magnetic/buzz-saw Sub....blew my mind!!!

[manofcow]

Hmmmm.. .. Bit odd in my case!!

I got into watches because I wasn't Jewish!!! A load of my mates at school who were Jewish kept disappearing for the day and returning with really nice watches which I was informed were Bah Mitzvah gifts!!

I remember saying to my parents that I wanted to be Jewish also!! They gave me the low down on what else I would have to do to be Jewish and I changed my mind!! Was a close call though!

Been into watches since then, especially Seiko as that as the brand most of my school mates were returning to school with!! Got a few Seikos in my collection in addition to Rolex, Tag, Breitling, Doxa and Omega. Rolex is the favourite though probably due to a combination of James Bond and the Survivalist books!!

Said it was odd!!!

Cheers

A

[escudoturbo]

As a child I received my great grand-fathers automatic-mechanical watch, apparently one of the earliest made( I cant remember the brand), and It was this that sparked the intrest in watches I feel, unfourtunately it was stolen along with my wallet and mobile phone about 8-9 years ago in a break-in, it was the only non replaceable item and the only item I have from my great grand-father.

[Tools]

I still have the first "good" watch that I bought for myself as a teenager back in the 60's... I just couldn't afford a Rolex yet...

But I would go in and stare at the "new" Subs for time on end..

Here is that old watch now... The parent Company for Lanco was the Omega/Tissot conglomerate..

[JJ Irani]

Nice one, Larry......I still remember how much INCABLOC used to be advertised then.

JJ

[alglez]

My first watch was when I was 7 and it was a casio data bank.

[promethus]

I am born in 1980.

During the late 80's it was G-shock & SMASH.

Then Swatch during the 90's.

I was into antique pieces during 1994, own a few titus and enicar etc.

In 1995, my dad bought me my first Rolex Prince. But it was Vacheron constantin that opened the door of horology to me.

[promethus]

Originally Posted by JJ Irani

Wind the clock back to 1958 when I was 12 and received my very FIRST watch - a WEST END WATCH Co. little manual watch on "chain" bracelet.

Very photogenic Mr JJ!!

cheers

Benjamin

[pz93c]

Staring at Pop's Accutron Deep Sea in Mom's Jewelry box.

But, I've had a watch as long as I can remember.

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by promethus

Very photogenic Mr JJ!!

cheers

Benjamin

Thanks, Benjamin. No colour back then, mainly KODAK box cameras which were pretty affordable and easy to use.

That pic was taken with a KODAK Brownie box camera in 1958.

JJ

[pz93c]

My Mom still has a Kodak box camera.

[promethus]

Brownie are classics! I used to play with them a few years back. but developing became such a chore......

[gt3pilot]

In the mid to late 60's my next door neighbor was the Bulova Rep for my state. While hanging out with his kids I would always get him to show me his watches that he carries as samples. I just though they were really cool. One summer day he asked me to come by the house, he had some new watches for me to look at. Off course I rushed over. He showed my some new stuff and as always I played around with the SS Accutron Spaceview which was my favorite. AS I was leaving he said he had a watch he wanted me to look at and try on. It was a simple round Caravelle(Bulova's lower line). He asked me what I thought. Off course I said I thought it was a nice watch. He said you can have it..... I was at a lose for words. It was 1967 and I was only 9 so it was quite a shock.

I wore that watch every day for almost 4 years, until I was 13 when for my Bar Mitzvah he gave me the Accutron Spaceview I had lusted for all those years. I remember never taking it off and having to learn to not put my arm under my pillow when I was sleeping as the humm of the watch kept me up !! I still have that watch today. It still runs and every now and then I get it out of the safety box and sport it for a few days. Who knew it would lead to the sickness. Wonder if I'd be so interested in watches if Mr. Drucker never moved in next door back in 1966 ?



-Scott B.

[baseballduck]

For some reason I've just always been attracted to watches. Worn them in some form or another since I was knee high to a duck. I remember when I was in 5th grade, there was a Seiko chronograph that I would stare at every time I went into the jewelry store. To my astonishment, my parents gifted me that watch at the end of that school year. I felt like royalty wearing that thing. I still have it, and have accumulated a few watches in the 7 years since then. It's one of those great obsessions that will never leave.
Tyler

[towernick]

Growing up my dad wore only Rolex, he is into watches so I gained my interest from him.

[Zanuf]

I've always been fascinated with watches and clocks. Earliest memory was being mezmorized by a KooKoo clock.

Now I'm KooKoo for Rolex

[GeoGio Greece]

For some reason I was attracted to watches since I remember myself.

At nine, I was given the old watch of my sister when she was presented a new one. That was a gold plated, square watch with a brown leather strap. I was so happy !

At 12, a mile stone age mark, it was my turn to be given a new watch. A brand new watch that was MINE !!!! A Swiss made, waterproof, unbreakable main spring, shockproof, 21 rubies watch that had a date window !! I was so happy!





At 14 it was time to fall in love. Passing by the local Rolex AD in Athens, I saw the SUB. That was it! From then on, I started collecting my pocket money and when I was 18, I bought that watch for my birthday. With my OWN pocket money. I did not know what Rolex was, I only knew that I WANTED THAT WATCH. The rest is history!

Since then, I have changed many watches, I still have more than an army can wear, from Casios and Citizens and Swatches, as well as Rolexes, but still, every time I pass by a window with watches, I stop and spend time watching them. May be I am a reincarnation of an old watchmaker?