Marking Time With An Old Friend

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rkovars
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Marking Time With An Old Friend

Post by rkovars »

As collectors and watch enthusiasts, we all have (whether we would like to admit it or not) that one watch that sits in the pinnacle of our collections. That one watch that has been with us for a long time. That watch that would never leave our collections for any amount of money offered.

For me that is my GMT-Master 1675.

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Growing up I had my fair share of watches of the time. Several Casios adorned my wrist during that period but they didn't capture the imagination. They were, in the strictest sense, tools to tell the time. Something to make sure that I didn't miss the school bus. To mark when my parents would be home from work. To make it to practice on time. This is probably why none of them survived (I have since replaced some of them but that is an essay for a different time).

In high school I was given a Tag Heuer Professional 1000 as a gift from my parents. A definitive step up to be sure and a piece that has managed to stay with me which says something about its place in my watch journey. But at the time there was still something missing. It didn't have that spark.

Around 1985 I saw my first GMT-Master. That was all that it took. All other watches, for me, ceased to exist. I just knew that at some point that watch would be mine. I can't tell you what exactly captured my imagination. Was it the Rolex ads in Skin Diver and National Geographic? For sure. Was it Magnum P.I.? 'Home From the Sea' is still one of the best single episode television shows centered around a watch ever aired, in my opinion. Was it the ability to track a far off exotic time zone in a world that seemed much larger in those pre-internet days? If I am being completely honest with myself it is all of these things combined and then some.


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Fast forward a few years and I found myself walking into a small family owned jeweler that sold Rolex watches (AD wasn't a term that was commonly used back then). I still remember seeing it sitting in the case. It must have had a halo around it because I couldn't tell you one watch that was around it (I do remember the case being full - imagine that!). It didn't matter that it was pre-owned. It didn't matter that it was already more than a decade old. I will never forget the kindness that the manager of that store showed me that day. He could have very easily ignored me and gone about his day but he didn't. He patiently put that watch into my shaky hand and started explaining some of the features and how to use the bezel. Then he began working with me to figure out how I could make that watch mine. Hearing the horror stories that happen at some of today's Authorized Dealers I will be forever grateful to him (as an aside, I recently talked to that same manager a few months ago on a query I was making. He retired shortly after our conversation and he will be missed, at least by me!).

I walked out of the store that day the proud owner of my dream watch. Walking down the sidewalk glancing at my wrist (of course I was wearing it and I am lucky I didn’t run into anyone or wander into traffic!). I didn't realize this was just the beginning. I didn't know that in several months I would be headed to my first war zone or wherever else life was going to take me. That day standing in the sun marked the start of a friendship of sorts.

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As I traveled to conflict zones through the years my GMT-Master was a constant. I always kept the home time on the GMT to be sure that I could keep in contact with the office, family and friends. I wore it everywhere. I wore it at work around aircraft reaching into equipment racks. I wore it to the beach. I wore it hunting. It was MY watch. If I was awake (and sometimes when I wasn't!) it was on my wrist. It has a record of those days in the marks, dings and blemishes that mark the case and bezel.

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In the 20 teens my GMT started to run erratically (it was in desperate need of a service which I was a little naïve about). I knew the service was going to be an outlay of some cash to get it done. A few months became a couple of years and the GMT still sat. You could say unloved and I wouldn't be able to argue with you. Alternatives began to appear on my wrist during this time but they too didn't seem to hold the spark but I wouldn't have been able to articulate that fact to you.

One morning I woke up to get ready for work and happened to glance over at my watch sitting there seconds hand frozen in time for a couple of years and something clicked. I was that kid again looking in the display case seeing my GMT master for the first time. A few days later I got it serviced. I look back now and can't imagine what I was thinking (or not) letting it sit for so long. I can't begin to explain it. It will have to remain 'just one of those things' that happen through the course of our lives.

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I don't wear it as often as I used to but it is still my most worn time piece. May marks 30 years from when I stepped into that AD as young man. To commemorate the time I am going to wear my GMT for the entire month of May. A fitting tribute, I think, to a watch that was my daily wear for so many years and was on my wrist through so much life. I have several watches now that mean something to me but none that have the same spark as my 1675. I only share these memories and experiences in the hope that it brings out some memories of your own and that you give that watch in the box a second look, rekindle that spark and mark some time with an old friend.
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Re: Marking Time With An Old Friend

Post by kiter65 »

Excellent post and a great story, only wish I had a watch that had so much sentimental value :thumbup:
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Re: Marking Time With An Old Friend

Post by magicman »

Great stuff, thanks for taking the time to share.

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Re: Marking Time With An Old Friend

Post by ajax87 »

What a spectacularly written story. Thanks for sharing. My watch collecting journey only began recently compared to yours, but I’ll be there someday I’m sure!
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Re: Marking Time With An Old Friend

Post by Soporsche »

Interesting, well written and a spectacular watch. A really enjoyable read, thanks for sharing. 👍
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Re: Marking Time With An Old Friend

Post by Thunder1 »

Soporsche wrote: Tue Apr 27, 2021 12:19 am Interesting, well written and a spectacular watch. A really enjoyable read, thanks for sharing. 👍
+1.. :clap:
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Re: Marking Time With An Old Friend

Post by watchaholic »

Thunder1 wrote: Tue Apr 27, 2021 2:05 am
Soporsche wrote: Tue Apr 27, 2021 12:19 am Interesting, well written and a spectacular watch. A really enjoyable read, thanks for sharing. 👍
+1.. :clap:
+2 :clap:
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Re: Marking Time With An Old Friend

Post by Bident »

+3 :clap: :clap: :clap:

Really enjoyed both the content and your writing style. Thanks for putting the effort to share this on the forum.

Now I'm going to have to watch that Magnum, P.I. episode!
Best regards,
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Re: Marking Time With An Old Friend

Post by missF »

An absolute joy to read. Thanks for sharing :clap: :D
watching you fail in your quest for a “one watch” has been great entertainment
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Re: Marking Time With An Old Friend

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

They say a picture paints 1000 words. But I just love words. Very well written – what a pleasure to read.
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Re: Marking Time With An Old Friend

Post by borderman »

A great memory with a beautiful watch :thumbup:
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Re: Marking Time With An Old Friend

Post by nbg »

An excellent well written post of your journey with a classic watch. I enjoyed reading that. :thumbup:

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Re: Marking Time With An Old Friend

Post by strapline »

Really enjoyed reading this this morning. Watches are such emotive objects, often with great back stories and lots of sentimentality. Personally, I'd love to see a lot more pieces like this; the stories often have as much going for them as the watches they serve.

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Re: Marking Time With An Old Friend

Post by Richard D »

A post from the heart which I throughly enjoyed reading.
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Re: Marking Time With An Old Friend

Post by Noush »

Again, a thoroughly enjoyable read and thanks so much for sharing the story.
An addendum for sure to "A Man And His Watch".
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