My father gifted me a very nice watch just shy of a year ago. It initially was an anniversary gift, during which my father and mother gave each other watches, both of which were Tag Heuer’s. Not sure what my mom‘s was valued at, but I was told my father‘s was close to $10,000 (late 2000’s aquaracer, new at the time). I was young then, and thought it was the coolest piece on earth. They filed for divorce years later, it ended poorly. They are no contact, and they haven’t worn these watches since. That was 10 years ago. He gave me that watch as a present for my 28th birthday, as he knows that I appreciate watches quite a bit, and doesn’t wear his. He also told me that he sent it in to Tag Heuer a month or two prior to gifting it to me for a full service and restoration so I would have a watch to last me going forward. After wearing it for 3-4 months (6 months ago now), I noticed that the dial was significantly offset. 12 o’clock on the dial was rotated to the point where it was pointing at where 2 o’clock should be. I thought this was peculiar as he just got it serviced. I suspected the crown stem or the dial footing, so I asked him if he had any issues with this in the past. He told me to not fix it myself because the internals of the watch would need to be repressurized as it was a dive watch rated at 300m, and it should be under warranty from the restoration. I offered to take over the warranty or pay for the repairs so that I could send it off and get it fixed myself, he insisted that he had “built rapport and a relationship” with the watch repair shop he sent the watch to, and he wanted to handle it himself. I thought this was strange as I wouldn’t think a company as big as Tag would worry about things like this, but he was insistent so I let him.
However, it’s now been since May that I saw that watch last.
I was wearing the watch nearly every day. My father and I had a rocky relationship growing up and rarely saw eye to eye. He was so proud of that watch the day that he got it, so much so that the day he got it he looked at me and said, “When I pass, this is what I will leave to you when I’m gone.”
Although it was very rarely sunshine and roses growing up with him, I would look down at that watch every day and be happy that I had a part of him with me to help me face the day.
Understandably, when I got his watch as a gift, I looked at him and said “Are you dying?”
The answer was no, he just doesn’t wear watches anymore, and wanted someone to appreciate it.
I’ve asked him about it twice since, with a couple months between each time. At the 2 month mark he said he had just sent it off, at the 4 month mark he told me it was somewhere on the east coast still getting worked on.
I’m obviously skeptical about this story. Is it worth it to keep pestering him about it? Or would you guys let bygone’s be bygone’s as it was a gift in the first place?
TL:DR: My Dad gave me a watch, it broke, he took it back, haven’t seen it since. What do now?
