This watch engraving, like the various others featured on our blog, is admittedly intriguing. “Don’t lose this one! K, thanks” is not a particularly heartfelt or poetic quote, but it is very genuine and reflective of a true relationship. Plus, I was curious as to how many watches one guy could lose! Thus, I reached out to Brittany Cotant, who ordered this engraved watch for her husband, via telephone. Brittany is a sweet, pleasant young woman with a distinct Southern accent. She greatly enjoyed narrating the story behind her quirky engraving...and also laughed at my bad jokes.
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Brittany was dead set on gifting her husband, Adam, something he would not lose. Last August, in celebration of their third wedding anniversary, she presented him an engraved Treehut wooden watch. However, less than a week later, her thoughtful gift was nowhere to be found! Brittany insisted that Adam is not prone to losing many things -- just watches. Accordingly, he has a bad habit of taking them off somewhere random in the house and subsequently forgetting where he left them.
Adam’s adoration for his Treehut watch was short-lived, but never forgotten. In February, Brittany contemplated buying him another personalized watch, but struggled with what to engrave on it. She thought a praise to their anniversary date was a bit premature (she also thought ‘3.5 years’ would look a tad funny as an engraving). So, she decided to be a ‘smart alec’, as she called herself, and engraved something quirky and memorable instead. She presented the watch, the All Ebony Walnut Burl, as a Valentine’s Day gift. Funny enough, less than two weeks after presenting Adam the gift, he found his original anniversary watch.
Brittany and Adam first met nine years ago, and spent three and a half of those years in marital bliss. Both were born and bred in Alabama; she grew up in Birmingham, while he was a country boy, residing in a small town closer to the Florida state line.
The prospect of secondary education brought them together, in Montgomery, Alabama, at their very small college. Chemistry class, of all places, is where they discovered they had chemistry with each other. The two bonded platonically, first as study buddies and then friends, but were instantly attracted to each other. Though Brittany was dating someone else at the time, she always knew in her heart that she was not destined to marry that boyfriend. On the other hand, she knew almost immediately that Adam was the one, the person she wanted to marry.
Brittany claims her marriage thus far has been easy, challenging the age-old adage that marriage is the most demanding step in a relationship. She insisted that Adam is just too sweet. Accordingly, he always tries to serve her in whatever way possible. For example, Brittany happily recalled, if she’s in bed, he acts like there’s nothing he’d rather do than adjust the thermostat to help her feel comfortable. He never complains, even though he is often exhausted from his long day at dental school, which starts at 8AM.
Brittany’s advice to newer couples? “Always argue naked.” (Right after, she joked and assured me that she and Adam don’t do that...but it is good advice!)
After I asked how Adam proposed, Brittany laughed and shyly remarked that it was a funny story. Accordingly, Adam purchased a Groupon for a couple’s photo session. Brittany was never a fan of cheesy boyfriend/girlfriend photos, but she agreed to go because the Groupon was about to expire. She fondly remembered that Adam was strangely into it -- he was picky about what to wear and stressed that they get there on time. At the photo session itself, the photographer (who was in on this surprise proposal!) positioned Adam on the floor, with Brittany hugging him from behind. From there, he dropped down on one knee and transformed the cheesy photo session into a romantic marriage proposal.
Adam and Brittany's puppies are too adorable.
Lastly, as a tribute to Treehut’s handmade vibes, I asked Brittany if she had ever visited San Francisco. Indeed, she and Adam travelled to the Bay Area a few years ago, with her sister and brother-in-law, but haven’t yet had the chance to return. Brittany loves that San Francisco is such a unique city. All of its features -- the hills, architecture, the food, the weather -- are unparalleled elsewhere in America. Brittany couldn’t say enough great things about the City! Brittany and Adam hope to visit San Francisco again one day, this time as a married couple. I invited them to visit Treehut if they do get that chance.
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Adam has yet to lose his second watch. Even though the engraving was intended to be a joke -- and Adam laughed a lot when he first saw it -- he heeds its warning now. Now, he has a difficult time deciding whether to wear the first watch from Brittany or the second one -- which one shows that he loves his wife more? :P
Thanks for sharing this love story with us, Brittany! Now, a question for the readers: What non-sentimental phrase would you engrave on a watch for your significant other?
For more love stories behind the engraved message, check out our other engraving spotlights. For wedding inspiration and tips, check out the wedding section of our blog.
Shop Brittany’s Gift to Adam: The All Ebony Walnut Burl
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