To me, watches are all about emotion. Just as one person dreams of a spaceflight—or at least imagines it—another sees themselves diving into the depths of the ocean. And, of course, they’re accompanied by a watch that’s up to the task for these adventurous missions.

I can’t really say why I ended up choosing a Bundeswehr mission watch. Me, a conscientious objector—do I have “Top Gun” dreams? I’m not entirely sure. At some point, I came across this watch, and I knew I had to have it. I kept an eye on the Heuer Bundeswehr model online for several years. It got more expensive with each passing year…

In 2016, I spotted one on eBay, and after contacting the seller, I placed a bid. When I asked why he was selling the watch, he told me the following story.

He’s now 82 years old and no longer needs it, since he sold his plane five years ago. He’d spent half his life training civilian pilots, and the Heuer had always served him faithfully during that time. But now, without flying, he has no use for it anymore.

So there really is a person who used the watch purely as a “work watch”, without any emotional attachment…. I had to have it, so I bought it at auction.

Three weeks later, I met him on the ferry between Cuxhaven and Brunsbüttel. I’m still in touch with him. We’ve met a second time, and I’ve never met any one in my life who has more stories to tell about his life. I wear his watch sometimes, because the connection to the person makes it more interesting.