My grandfather was a big outdoorsman, and he specifically left me his rifle and his hunting knife when he died. I am not an outdoorsman, and have zero use for either of these items. I keep them (in a box, in my garage) because they were his, and because it is meaningful to me that he wanted me to have them. But I have no idea if they were expensive or not, if the rifle still works, etc. And I don’t really care.

I also have my grandpa’s old trucker jacket, which he used to wear all the time, and which he probably bought cheap at a Montgomery Ward or something. It’s held up remarkably well, it fits me perfectly, and it actually suits my style quite a bit. And more importantly, I associate this jacket with my grandpa way more than the knife and gun I never saw him use, and it has much more sentimental value to me. I wear it occasionally, and always think of him when I do. My grandpa did not intend to pass this down to me, and probably would be surprised to learn I’ve kept it. But it’s definitely one of those things I would try to save in a fire.

It’s a lovely idea to keep a watch you intend to pass down to your kids, but I don’t know how useful it is to worry about having a watch that’s “worthy” of being an heirloom, or to think about whether it will be affordable to service… It’s at best a coin flip whether it gets worn at all. And the item of yours that actually becomes a part of their life might be something you’d never suspect.