[MarkJennings]

What sparked your passion for watches?
For me it went:
Cars》Formula 1》TAG Heuer》watches
Also that scene in Iron Man 2 where the hot assistant brings Tony Stark a box of pieces to choose from and he selects Jaeger. That put me over the edge....

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[Mscherer63]

When I was around 16 I wanted a really nice watch , my grandfather always said a man should wear a nice watch. So I saved and saved and finally amassed 500 bucks. I drove to St. Louis and I was going to get me a rolex lol. I was discouraged to find out that the most basic no date oyster perpetual model started at $2800. Soooooo I settled for a nice shiny seiko. From that day on I wanted a rolex. I finally got my first one about 10 years later and have been spiraling out of control ever since. I still own every watch I've ever owned including that seiko

 

[ulackfocus]

My uncle was an antique dealer and that thrust me into vintage. I already had quite a few quartz watches through my 20's and early 30's by that time. Inheriting my grandfather's rose gold Bulova from the mid 1940's pushed me over the edge.

 

[MarkJennings]

When I was 19, I thought that the day I bought a TAG Heuer would be the day I "made it."
In 2008, I drove to the TAG outlet in NY and bought my first TAG.
It was quartz but I didn't know any better.
It was only the beginning. ...

Timepieces are now an obsession.

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[MarkJennings]

My wife gave me an automatic chronograph TAG Heuer Aquaracer as a wedding gift.
This caused me to start reading about automatic mechanical watches. The more I read, the more I loved it. And my passion grew and grew.
So did my collection!

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[Watchdog]

Back in the mid 80's my brother got me interested in diving, which in turn led to dive watches. He had a pretty nice Seiko dive watch at the time, but always talked about how the Submariner was THE dive watch to get. The Sub was way out of reach given that I was still in high school at the time, but the seed was planted in my mind as the watch I hoped to get someday. I did spend a lot of time drooling over the Heuer's that my local dive shop carried, too.

Eventually I got interested in other watches, but I've always had a soft spot for nice dive watches since that's where it all started for me.

 

[MarkJennings]

Cool story.
I just bought a Bell & Ross BR02 diver so I share a like for diving pieces.
And my dream pieces are actually divers- Panerai Luminor and Blancpain 500 Fathoms

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[~tc~]

I guess I have always had "a thing" for watches. When I was in high school, I "borrowed" my dad's Navitimer Cosmonaute quite often. I definitely wore it more often than he did! I had a progression of Swiss Army and Victorinox watches, some of which I still have, but most got beat to hell. 10 years or so ago, I decided it was time for a "nice" watch, and tried many but fell in love with a Tissot T-touch. Wore it for a long time, and then when I got my current job (with a 50% raise) wanted to get another, which became the Hamilton Khaki AirRace. About then, I started joining Internet fora and found out about Ball (which I had seen ads for when I was in Singapore), which "scratched my itch" for American brands, good lume, and not on everyone's wrists. I bought the Fireman 43 preowned. Then I wanted to tryout vintage, and found the Chronomatic B. In here somewhere, I fell in lust with the Ball Diver Worldtime ... Flames further fanned by the lack of availability pre-owned, so when one came available it had to be mine. This last Thanksgiving, my Dad gave me the Navitimer (its currently at "the spa", back at the end of the month) Bonus time came around, and I wanted something in-house, so the IWC Ingeniuer. Which brings us to today. I won't say "I'm done", but the IWC and the Chronomatic are for sale. I am looking for a 1971 PanEurop, and maybe a dress watch, but things are definitely slowing down, going more for "quality" (read: expensive and need more time to save up)

 

[ulackfocus]

This last Thanksgiving, my Dad gave me the Navitimer (its currently at "the spa", back at the end of the month)

Note to self: pictures due from tc of vintage Navitimer in April.

 

[Donut]

I was on my first cruise in the Caribbean when everywhere I looked I seen advertising for Breitling Navitimer. I thought it was the coolest looking watch ever. I went into a Breitling AD and they had a big poster with a photo of the Navitimer and the caption read .....If you are looking for a Rolex, you've never owned a Breitling.

Here is what I affectionately call "the most expensive watch I've ever purchased"...

Cheers,
Rob

 

[Enzo Temko]

I had no interest in watches. When I was on a vacation to Miami ten years ago I saw my brother-in-law wearing a Panerai Luminor. I just stopped him in mid conversation to ask about it. I had him take it off so I could stare at it. Quality has always interested me since reading 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.' It was then that I had to have something like that strapped to my body.

 

[Widows Son]

When I was in the 7TH grade a friend of the family returned from Vietnam. While on RR he bought a Seiko World Time. (Probably while visiting Japan).Gave it to me a bit later. Still have it and after several overhauls it still runs/looks like new. When I was in my 20's I swiped two of my Dad's watches, a Benrus Wrist Alarm, and a sweet gold Hamilton tank from the late 40's. Both have been overhauled and are still worn. My tragic entry into the assylum has been full speed ahead ever since!!!

 

[CometHunter]

No earthshaking anecdotes, I'm afraid. Growing up, wearing a watch was "the adult thing to do" and that's what I did. Every 3 or 4 years I had to have the latest and coolest Timex that the local drugstore carried. Then I saw a picture of a goldtone Seiko chronograph (probably the late 1960s) and it totally captivated me. I didn't realize back then what was happening, but that is when it started, and my fascination for watches has grown ever since.

 

[uglyone4u]

After 34 years with a nationally known HMO, I retired and they gave me a handshake. Where's my F****** GOLD WATCH!!??? A hand shake? Really? So I took my retirement LUMP SUM and bought my own. An accident of good fortune occurred. I knew nothing of Credors, Ebay or Horology, but the maddness had set in and I was taken hostage. Thank you all for educating me on this forum. I've kept my mistakes to a minimum (showering with a stem unscrewed) and as long as the IRA lasts...

 

[Aquaaiea]

Football, Fishing,Watches in that order for me. Football from small kid time, Fishing cause I live across the street for Pearl Harbor thus the name Aiea which is the town on Oahu. Watches unfortunately started with TV shopping but have since expanded to Boutique type Swiss watches. I am not a big spender and average $300-$500 per and I'm up to 16 now. Why I enjoy you guys is because I learn alot plus I never get disappointed like My favorite Football team of which I shall keep nameless. Thanx all the moderators of this forum, you do a thankless job :thumbup1:

 

[hzsiikafy]

As a passionate watch collector, it came to my attention that even the most expensive luxury timepieces are in fact mass produced items. They are built using many mass-produced components, are similar in design, are then beautifully presented in the window of jewellers, who then go on to sell them in cases by the million.

 

[MarkJennings]

I relate to many of your stories.
Especially the "wanting to have something like that (Panerai) strapped to my body."
I am fascinated with the mechanical aspect to watches. And for sure, it is awesome to have a gorgeous piece of steel strapped to your wrist--- all high end quality and beautiful design.

Here is the piece that started it all. My favorite use of the chronograph is to time my steaks on the BBQ.

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[Nicko16]

I grew up seeing my Mum's Rolex. Always loved the "bubble" above the date haha Still have my first watch a Flick Flack. Went through the G-Shock phase as a teenager then from nowhere the interest in timepieces came. Gotten to learn a lot of things and love the passion people have about mechanical timepieces. My first proper mechanical was a Tag Heuer Monaco Non Chrono version for finishing High School and getting into University.

 

[~tc~]

As a passionate watch collector, it came to my attention that even the most expensive luxury timepieces are in fact mass produced items. They are built using many mass-produced components, are similar in design, are then beautifully presented in the window of jewellers, who then go on to sell them in cases by the million.

Not the MOST expensive. Many people start into horology thinking Rolex, Omega, even Patek are the top of the top ... There is a whole 'nother world of truly special timepieces beyond that...

 

[MarkJennings]

I also have the non chrono Monaco

I bought it to celebrate closing a big deal at work.

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