There really is something about owning a watch from the year you were born. As collectors, we seek meaning and justification for our habit and there is perhaps no stronger excuse to pull the trigger on a nice vintage watch than "birth year." Whether it's the reason you sought out the piece in the first place, or the nudge you need on a watch you're on the fence about, it's a strong incentive. That watch has lived a life parallel to yours. It's seen things, like you have. It belongs on your wrist, after all these years apart.
Or something like that.
I found my first birth year watch a few days ago at a watch shop in Los Angeles. I'd always wanted a Datejust. Like so many here, I found my way to TRF seeking information about a hasty ebay purchase I made back in 2013:
http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=282587
I returned that watch, after some good advice and the realization that I wanted something a little closer to what it looked like when it came out of the factory.
I opted not to buy a Datejust back then, and instead began my deep dive down the Rolex information wormhole. Two years later, and I still feel like I'm just scratching the surface.
However, I am able to recognize a watch that speaks to me. And this one did:
So, I bought my first birth year watch. The full set was an added perk, but the dial is what got me. Crisp and clean and not all that common. At 43 years old, the tritium hour dots have gone a little grey but hey, at 43, who hasn't?