u/HansHammerhand

Hi everyone,

this is one of my very first Reddit posts, partly because I do not really know who else I could tell this story to. But I thought that people here might appreciate it, so I wanted to share it with you.

It is about this watch: an old hand-wound Baume & Mercier that my mother received from her parents as a graduation gift when she finished school. That must have been around 1976. The reason I do not know the exact date is simple: after a very long and painful battle, she died of cancer one year ago — yesterday marked the first anniversary of her death.

My mother never had an easy life. Her health had always been marked by serious illness; my father also died very early; and her relationship with her own parents, the very people who gave her this watch, eventually broke down after many conflicts.

When we said goodbye to my mother a year ago, my brother took this watch and had it restored. Before that, it had been lying in a small box for years and was no longer running. At some point, the gemstone crown typical of many Baume & Mercier watches had also come loose and disappeared. My mother had always wanted to have the watch repaired, but she never managed to do it. After the restoration, my brother gave it to me as a wedding present, which I found incredibly moving.

From my perspective — as someone who does not usually wear expensive watches — it does not really fit current trends or fashions. Compared to most modern men’s watches, it seems rather small and narrow, and it is very minimalistic and unobtrusive. Almost conspicuously inconspicuous, one might say.

But that is exactly why I like it so much. In its quiet and understated appearance, it carries many powerful memories of people I loved and of times that are gone. It is a timepiece, a symbol, and a keepsake all at once.

I wear it in memory of my mother, but only on certain days: days when, in between the more hectic workdays, I need calm for focused work, or simply some time for myself. On those days, my mother is with me — on days when I need to find my way back to myself.

I know this may sound sentimental. But perhaps some of you can understand why this watch means so much to me.

Thank you for taking the time reading!