three watch casebacks showing engravings.

The Watches They Don’t Know Are Theirs Yet

October 5, 2026

Before I ever started making watches, I was already collecting them.

And years ago, I bought three watches from one of my favorite microbrands, AV86.

At the time, they were simply watches I loved.

Now they have a much bigger job.

They’re for my daughters.

They just don’t know it yet.

Each watch has been chosen for one of them, and each has a message engraved on the back.

Stay Curious. Love, Dad.

Walk Boldly. Love, Dad.

Live Fiercely. Love, Dad.

The plan is simple.

I’m going to wear them.

Not put them in a box. Not keep them pristine. Not save them for some future day.

I want them on my wrist while life is actually happening.

They’ll come to work with me. They’ll go on trips. They’ll get worn to dinners, school events, weekends, vacations and ordinary Tuesdays.

They’ll get scratched.

They’ll pick up little dings.

The bracelet will loosen a bit. The case will lose some of its polish. There will probably be marks on them that I won’t even remember making.

That’s the point.

I Don’t Want to Give Them New Watches

Someday, when each of my girls turns 18, I’ll hand her the watch that was hers all along.

By then, it won’t be new.

It’ll have history.

She’ll have seen me wearing it for years without knowing that someday it would be hers.

There’s something different about receiving an object that was actually part of someone’s life.

A brand-new watch is beautiful.

But a watch your dad wore while you were growing up?

That means something else.

Maybe there will be a scratch from a family vacation. A mark from working around the house. A ding from one of those days when everything seemed to happen at once.

I probably won’t remember where every one came from. But together, they’ll tell a story.

The Messages on the Back

I wanted the engraving on each watch to be short. Not some giant speech. Just a few words that could stay with them.

Stay Curious.

Keep asking questions. Keep learning. Don’t assume you already know everything. Pay attention to people. Be interested in the world. Change your mind when you learn something new. Curiosity has a way of opening doors you didn’t know existed.

Walk Boldly.

There will be plenty of moments in life when you’re unsure of yourself. Go anyway. Raise your hand. Take the trip. Apply for the job. Introduce yourself. Speak up when it matters. Being brave doesn’t mean you always feel confident. Sometimes it just means moving forward before the confidence shows up.

Live Fiercely.

Love people hard. Care deeply. Laugh a lot. Stand up for the things that matter to you. Don’t spend too much of your life sitting on the sidelines waiting for the perfect moment. Life goes pretty fast. Get involved.

There’s More to the Story

The engraving is only the short version.

I also wrote each of my daughters a letter explaining why I chose her phrase and what I hope it means for her.

Those letters will stay with the watches until their 18th birthdays.

Because at 18, you’re technically an adult.

At least that’s what the paperwork says.

In reality, you’re just starting to figure out who you are.

And someday, when my daughters are standing at that starting line, I want to give each of them something mechanical, imperfect and already lived-in.

Something they can wear for another 40 or 50 years.

Something that reminds them where they came from.

And something that carries a small piece of advice from their dad everywhere they go.

Before JMR

There’s another reason I like these three watches.

They came before JMR.

Before I started sourcing parts, assembling watches, obsessing over dials, movements, hands and bezels, I was simply someone who loved watches.

These three came from AV86, one of my favorite microbrands, and they were part of that earlier chapter.

In a way, they’re a reminder of where my own interest in watchmaking began.

Years later, that interest turned into JMR.

Jean. Markell. Reese.

Three middle names that became three letters on a watch dial.

So while I didn’t build these watches myself, they still feel deeply connected to the reason I build watches today: my daughters.

The Best Part Comes Later

For now, the watches are mine.

I’ll wear them.

Scratch them.

Live in them.

And my girls will see them on my wrist without having any idea that one of those watches was picked specifically for her.

Then someday, when she turns 18, I’ll take it off.

Turn it over.

And hand it to her.