This is a question I?ve asked myself on occasion. Not often, but on occasion. I guess during some idle moment I?ve attempted to find a higher meaning to this hobby/obsession and the romantic idea of passing down a deeply personal item such as a watch sits well with that. Unfortunately, that doesn?t explain why I need so many of the damn things, and why I seem to sell them on just as soon as the next shiny thing presents itself. Nevertheless, the notion of an heirloom watch has been playing on my mind again recently.
I often see the phrase ?heirloom quality? thrown about, which doesn?t sit at all well with me for two reasons.

Firstly, most watches can and will last a long time if cared for properly. The cost of servicing becomes an obvious stumbling block for many of the more affordable watches we still admire. The difference in cost between a service, dropping in a new movement, or even buying a whole new watch can often limit the lifetime of a watch. Still, there?s nothing to stop a humble Seiko SKX, serviced by a hobbyist once every 10 years, lasting for an entire adult lifetime and beyond.
Secondly, price and quality don?t dictate how much meaning someone places in an object. If any watch, expensive or not, is worn regularly then it becomes an enduring part of a person more than any other item of clothing ever will. More than a hairstyle, more than a pair of glasses, more than a car. Other than a person?s own unique character, face and your own personal relatio...