Over the years I have given and received a lot of great gifts from family and friends. Though one special gift, that was passed from my grandfather, to my father and now me, has a special message and a very interesting story. When I turned eighteen, I received the best gift, my grandfather’s Cartier watch. This priceless gift was life changing and made me feel appreciative because I saw it as the passing of love and responsibility from one generation to the next.
History of Cartier
· According to the Cartier website, Louis-François Cartier founded the company when he took over his master’s workshop in 1847. His son, Alfred was a hard worker in the family business but it was his grandchildren, Louis, Pierre and Jackques that finally helped establish Cartier into a worldwide brand.
History of My Family
Before his passing, my grandfather enjoyed telling us some great stories. His favorite tale was when a young Arab prince showed up in front of his auto shop on a very hot and humid day during the month of August 1951. It’s important to point out here that I was named after my grandfather, so we share the same first and last name, which is typical in the Armenian culture. Grandpa Vartan grappled with boxing in his early twenties and was the undefeated lightweight boxer in Lebanon. He loved to show us pictures of himself from boxing matches. He had an incredible physique but that all changed once he married my grandmother. In his younger years he was over six feet tall but as he got older he became about five feet and ten inches tall. He was thin and bald with a very loving heart. Everyone in town knew my grandfather as Boxer Vartan, who was an owner of an automobiles body shop called Garage Vartan. My grandfather was a young man who knew everything about automobiles and had a passion for fixing cars.
The Prince of Qatar had traveled to Lebanon to meet with the country’s political ambassador. It was a regular hot summer day for my grandfather, fixing cars and trying to make all of his customers happy. The garage was small enough to fit only two cars at a time but he was always busy and had at least another four cars parked outside that needed repair. The prince’s pearl white 1951 Bentley MK VI automobile had been in an accident and the young prince asked everyone in town where he should take the car to be fixed. Not surprisingly, everyone recommended he visit my grandfather’s shop. On this day in 1951 the prince and his driver arrive at my grandfather’s garage to deposit the car. My grandfather’s helper alerts him of the young prince who was dressed in a dishdasha, a traditional white long robe along with a Middle Eastern headdress, standing at the entrance of the shop. My grandfather recognizes the prince and is stunned to see his highness in the garage. My grandfather remembers a man telling him, if you’re lucky enough to do work for royalty make sure it’s done quickly and perfectly otherwise it might be your last job. The prince’s front bumper needed to be fixed as the chauffeur accidently rear-ended another car. My grandfather knew he was good at what he did so he took the job and proceeded to fix the car. After fixing the car, my grandfather refused the payment from the Prince of Qatar. However, the prince insisted on paying him and was so happy with my grandfather’s work that he even paid double. Because of his kindness and generosity the prince gave my grandfather his Cartier watch. My grandfather cherished this gift by wearing it for multiple years and at the age of forty he decided he to give it to my father and asked him to always keep it in the family.
Concrete Detail of the Watch
The watch is small, made of gold, its black leather strap smells like vanilla, reminding me of the times my father used to wear it. It doesn’t look expensive but it’s priceless to our family. The numbers are black and bold, the glass is dirty, filled with dust and the watch has even stopped working. Its been worn for over forty years so the strap is wrinkled and feels old. There is a signature on the back of the watch that says “France” which would suggest it’s made in France. The watch no longer tells the current time of the day but it symbolizes the relationship between a father, son and grandson.
My father, Ken Deranteriassian, was born in Beirut, Lebanon, and is the middle child of three boys. He was born in Lebanon and at the age of nineteen escaped from Lebanon with his family and immigrated to America. My father was the drummer of a well-known music group in Lebanon and once in California he formed a new group and they called themselves Pacifique. My dad was a great drummer but after discussing the late-night lifestyle of a musician he decided to go into the studio and for the past thirty years that’s where he has been working as a sound engineer. As a Grammy nominated record producer, he has worked with hip-hop artists like 50 Cent and Britney Spears. According to my father, the life of an engineer is difficult and tiring. Artists primarily work at night and fifteen-hour days. He usually goes into the studio around ten in the evening and comes home sometimes the next morning. My dad’s workday starts two hours before the session starts, setting up the microphones and room before the artist arrives so they can quickly go to work and start recording. However, as my father got older his tolerance level for long hours and late nights diminished and it caused him plenty of health issues. Recording studios have fabulous rooms, with thousands of shining buttons and hundreds of cables running throughout the room like snakes. Engineers use these buttons and cables to create distinctive beats and rhythms. According to my grandfather, my father was always the most ambitious and hardworking one out of the three brothers, wanting to achieve something for himself as well as support his family in a new country. He learned to create and produce music all on his own. My grandfather knew my dad made tons of sacrifices to support his family and decided to give him the Cartier watch. The passing of the watch from father to son symbolized that his hard work has payed off with a great reward.
We often hear that a mother is a very important figure in a child’s life but both of my parents have influenced me and taught me different things about life. My dad has always taught my sister and I to never give up on our dreams. Even though as a sound engineers my father had to stay up all night for seven days in a row, he never gave up because he always wanted to support us and be the best he can be. He made numerous sacrifices so that we can live a comfortable life. My father always explained that hard work, dedication and higher education is the key to a prosperous future. Also, my dad stresses that education is the key to a bright future because without education in today’s world you wont have the opportunity to change paths during hiccups. Lastly, my father taught our family the value of the dollar. Back in Beirut, my grandparents were the only ones who owned a television set on their street. Also, he said that the water didn’t run for 24 hours but instead ran for certain periods of time. They were able to make that purchase of the television because my grandfather made sacrifices and worked hard. We learned to spend less and save more but it’s also important to spend on necessities. My father has made me the person who I am today and I am thankful for everything he has done for me.
Similarly, on my 18th birthday my father passed his Cartier watch to me, showing me that I had worked hard enough to earn the gift. It all happened last November as my family and I were celebrating my birthday at home. After eating my second serving of a delicious chocolate covered cake I decided to go up to my room to relax. My father came into my room and told me he needed to have a very important conversation. I saw him take something out from his pocket as he stepped inside my room. He immediately handed me the Cartier watch and he told me, “Vartan, I’m so proud of what you have become, keep working hard and never give up on your dreams.” I realized that my dad believes in me and I should aim for greatness instead of mediocrity. That was definitely a very special night for both of us and even though the watch doesn’t work anymore it’s worth so much more than its value to me.
Rewarded for Hard Work
One gift that has so much meaning not only because it came from the man I admired the most but also because it represented the recognition of my hard work. It’s possible to enjoy life without leisure activities such as going to movies or expensive restaurants. However, if you work hard and dedicate yourself you will be successful and have a comfortable life. If you work hard you will be rewarded. My father’s gift will always have a special place in my heart, knowing that I was rewarded for hard work I became even more motivated and started working much harder.
· According to the Cartier website, Louis-François Cartier founded the company when he took over his master’s workshop in 1847. His son, Alfred was a hard worker in the family business but it was his grandchildren, Louis, Pierre and Jackques that finally helped establish Cartier into a worldwide brand.
- In 1899, Cartier opened its first shop in Paris and began to attract celebrity and royalty members such as King Edward VII of England.
- According to The Guardian website, King Edward referred to Cartier as “the jeweler of kings, and the king of jewelers.”
- Since the early 1900’s Cartier gained worldwide notoriety after creating jewelry for Russian, Indian and British Royalty.
- Today, Cartier is one of the most famous watch and jewelry makers with over 200 shops in 125 countries. Coincidentally, a young royal prince passed on the Cartier watch to my grandfather as a way of showing his appreciation.
History of My Family
Before his passing, my grandfather enjoyed telling us some great stories. His favorite tale was when a young Arab prince showed up in front of his auto shop on a very hot and humid day during the month of August 1951. It’s important to point out here that I was named after my grandfather, so we share the same first and last name, which is typical in the Armenian culture. Grandpa Vartan grappled with boxing in his early twenties and was the undefeated lightweight boxer in Lebanon. He loved to show us pictures of himself from boxing matches. He had an incredible physique but that all changed once he married my grandmother. In his younger years he was over six feet tall but as he got older he became about five feet and ten inches tall. He was thin and bald with a very loving heart. Everyone in town knew my grandfather as Boxer Vartan, who was an owner of an automobiles body shop called Garage Vartan. My grandfather was a young man who knew everything about automobiles and had a passion for fixing cars.
The Prince of Qatar had traveled to Lebanon to meet with the country’s political ambassador. It was a regular hot summer day for my grandfather, fixing cars and trying to make all of his customers happy. The garage was small enough to fit only two cars at a time but he was always busy and had at least another four cars parked outside that needed repair. The prince’s pearl white 1951 Bentley MK VI automobile had been in an accident and the young prince asked everyone in town where he should take the car to be fixed. Not surprisingly, everyone recommended he visit my grandfather’s shop. On this day in 1951 the prince and his driver arrive at my grandfather’s garage to deposit the car. My grandfather’s helper alerts him of the young prince who was dressed in a dishdasha, a traditional white long robe along with a Middle Eastern headdress, standing at the entrance of the shop. My grandfather recognizes the prince and is stunned to see his highness in the garage. My grandfather remembers a man telling him, if you’re lucky enough to do work for royalty make sure it’s done quickly and perfectly otherwise it might be your last job. The prince’s front bumper needed to be fixed as the chauffeur accidently rear-ended another car. My grandfather knew he was good at what he did so he took the job and proceeded to fix the car. After fixing the car, my grandfather refused the payment from the Prince of Qatar. However, the prince insisted on paying him and was so happy with my grandfather’s work that he even paid double. Because of his kindness and generosity the prince gave my grandfather his Cartier watch. My grandfather cherished this gift by wearing it for multiple years and at the age of forty he decided he to give it to my father and asked him to always keep it in the family.
Concrete Detail of the Watch
The watch is small, made of gold, its black leather strap smells like vanilla, reminding me of the times my father used to wear it. It doesn’t look expensive but it’s priceless to our family. The numbers are black and bold, the glass is dirty, filled with dust and the watch has even stopped working. Its been worn for over forty years so the strap is wrinkled and feels old. There is a signature on the back of the watch that says “France” which would suggest it’s made in France. The watch no longer tells the current time of the day but it symbolizes the relationship between a father, son and grandson.
My father, Ken Deranteriassian, was born in Beirut, Lebanon, and is the middle child of three boys. He was born in Lebanon and at the age of nineteen escaped from Lebanon with his family and immigrated to America. My father was the drummer of a well-known music group in Lebanon and once in California he formed a new group and they called themselves Pacifique. My dad was a great drummer but after discussing the late-night lifestyle of a musician he decided to go into the studio and for the past thirty years that’s where he has been working as a sound engineer. As a Grammy nominated record producer, he has worked with hip-hop artists like 50 Cent and Britney Spears. According to my father, the life of an engineer is difficult and tiring. Artists primarily work at night and fifteen-hour days. He usually goes into the studio around ten in the evening and comes home sometimes the next morning. My dad’s workday starts two hours before the session starts, setting up the microphones and room before the artist arrives so they can quickly go to work and start recording. However, as my father got older his tolerance level for long hours and late nights diminished and it caused him plenty of health issues. Recording studios have fabulous rooms, with thousands of shining buttons and hundreds of cables running throughout the room like snakes. Engineers use these buttons and cables to create distinctive beats and rhythms. According to my grandfather, my father was always the most ambitious and hardworking one out of the three brothers, wanting to achieve something for himself as well as support his family in a new country. He learned to create and produce music all on his own. My grandfather knew my dad made tons of sacrifices to support his family and decided to give him the Cartier watch. The passing of the watch from father to son symbolized that his hard work has payed off with a great reward.
We often hear that a mother is a very important figure in a child’s life but both of my parents have influenced me and taught me different things about life. My dad has always taught my sister and I to never give up on our dreams. Even though as a sound engineers my father had to stay up all night for seven days in a row, he never gave up because he always wanted to support us and be the best he can be. He made numerous sacrifices so that we can live a comfortable life. My father always explained that hard work, dedication and higher education is the key to a prosperous future. Also, my dad stresses that education is the key to a bright future because without education in today’s world you wont have the opportunity to change paths during hiccups. Lastly, my father taught our family the value of the dollar. Back in Beirut, my grandparents were the only ones who owned a television set on their street. Also, he said that the water didn’t run for 24 hours but instead ran for certain periods of time. They were able to make that purchase of the television because my grandfather made sacrifices and worked hard. We learned to spend less and save more but it’s also important to spend on necessities. My father has made me the person who I am today and I am thankful for everything he has done for me.
Similarly, on my 18th birthday my father passed his Cartier watch to me, showing me that I had worked hard enough to earn the gift. It all happened last November as my family and I were celebrating my birthday at home. After eating my second serving of a delicious chocolate covered cake I decided to go up to my room to relax. My father came into my room and told me he needed to have a very important conversation. I saw him take something out from his pocket as he stepped inside my room. He immediately handed me the Cartier watch and he told me, “Vartan, I’m so proud of what you have become, keep working hard and never give up on your dreams.” I realized that my dad believes in me and I should aim for greatness instead of mediocrity. That was definitely a very special night for both of us and even though the watch doesn’t work anymore it’s worth so much more than its value to me.
Rewarded for Hard Work
One gift that has so much meaning not only because it came from the man I admired the most but also because it represented the recognition of my hard work. It’s possible to enjoy life without leisure activities such as going to movies or expensive restaurants. However, if you work hard and dedicate yourself you will be successful and have a comfortable life. If you work hard you will be rewarded. My father’s gift will always have a special place in my heart, knowing that I was rewarded for hard work I became even more motivated and started working much harder.
Vartan Deranteriassian is a freshman at California State University Northridge who plans on graduating with a degree in Computer Information Technology. He loves to play sports and spend time with his family and friends.