He’s also my business partner. He kept his watch collection with me since his wife doesn’t allow him to buy watches and made me promise not to ever tell his wife about them. Not only because she doesn’t like it but also because she will definitely ask him to sell them and probably spend the money on clothes and traveling like she often does.
He lets me use the watches in the condition that I don’t cause any damage. But now that he passed away it doesn’t feel right any more.
His watch collection is worth about 200K$ in todays market. I think the lawful and ethical thing to do is to break the promise and tell his wife but I’m not sure that’s the right thing to do since he made me promise not to tell her.
If I were in your shoes and you’re describing it exactly as truth then I would tell the wife about his collection but I would also find one of the watches that best explemplifiues your business partner and tuck that away for myself. Wear that as remembrance and a badge of honor. I would never sell the watch. But I also wouldn’t mention it to the wife only because she may not accept money for it, she may want it back in which you lose it. I would find ways moving forward to pay back the full value of the watch to the wife through deeds, holiday gifts, etc. so it wouldn’t be at a loss but I would want a watch to remember my friend if your relationship was a good one.