Dying relative wants to buy me a Rolex to remember him

[Kobayashi]

I have an 83 year old uncle that has been given less than 6 months to live. His health has been diminishing over the last year so this isn't a surprise. He's part of the generation that fought in WWII and ended up in Silicon Valley when it was still cherry orchards. Over the years he's amassed a nice fortune.

My relatives live only a few miles away and I frequently visit to help out with meals, assist with hospital transportation, extra chores, etc. And despite having two sons I'm the only one he allows to help with his finances - mostly because it's just numbers to me and I keep his information private. That said, I told him to exclude me from his will as I didn't want there to be any issues with the family about me being a favorite over his sons or other family members concerned about not getting their share of his fortune.

We recently had another discussion about his finances after his prognosis and I asked again to be excluded from any inheritance. Although he was disappointed, I told him listening to his wisdom and hearing his stories are what I'll always treasure most.

Over the years I've shared with him my various hobbies and that Rolex collecting was the most recent. He knows my dad left me a 1601 DJ purchased from 1962 and offered to purchase me a Rolex of my choice as a keepsake of our time over the years and in lieu of an inheritance. I told him I'd rather have 10 more years with him. He was appreciative of my comments and told me to pick a Rolex in the next two weeks while he can still get around so he could go with me and have the case engraved as it would be our last memory together. I almost lost it at that point.

I really don't want anything but the thought of the two of us going to an AD together and selecting a Rolex is priceless. However, I don't know what to get. And I don't want to seem like I'm taking advantage of the situation. I'm not a flashy guy (no gold) and most of my acquisitions have been less than the cost of a SubC. I already have a Sub, GMT, DJ, Explorer, etc. I can't imagine what I'd want. All I can do is picture the two of us in the store and all I would think about is this would be our last time together. I couldn't even think of what to get. It almost seems selfish on my end as I even ask this. But what would be a keepsake timepiece to remember a great man.