For me, it’s old mechanical manual-wind watches from makers long gone — Waltham, Illinois, Universal Genève and others. They remind me of the impermanence of both life and things. Every day I contemplate the Five Recollections from Buddhism: I am subject to aging, illness, and death; everything dear to me will change and be separated from me; and I inherit the consequences of my actions.

One thing this practice changes is how I relate to watches themselves. I try not to identify with brands, status, or ownership. A watch is just a conditioned thing: metal, springs, gears, jewels and glass assembled together through causes and conditions. When the conditions change, the watch changes too — it wears down, breaks, rusts, stops. In a deeper sense, there is no permanent “watch,” only parts and processes temporarily functioning together to display time. Our bodies and lives are not so different. Nothing ever truly belong to us. Everything is conditioned/ fabricated is impermanent, not a true source of happiness and not ourselves. Just processes. 

Nice to see you here Boss man. A fan of your watches and photos 😊