Tis the season. And by now you’ve probably been walloped over the head by 82,000 gift guides. So what’s a few more? Instead of doing a highly generalized, throw-everything-against-the-digital-wall gift guide, we’ll be breaking it up by category. Gifts for the guys who suit up a lot. Or the rugged type. Or the guy who’s really into shoes. Etc. We’ll cover all those, and hopefully a few more in the coming days.
Toddy Gear Smart Cloths – $9.99
Microfiber cleaning cloths that can, depending on the pattern, also double as a pocket square. Smudges on watch crystals happen, and a Toddy Gear cloth is a great way to clean your watch. Unlike thinner cleaning cloths (like the ones that come with some sunglasses), these are thicker and more substantial. One side is for cleaning, the other is for polishing. Much easier to use and makes the job much faster. Their true intended purpose is for smartphones/tablets/laptops, but they work just fine on watch crystals too. Shipping will run you an additional $3.
Watch Repair Kit – $18 and up
Something for the recipient to lean on for small, easy repairs, spring bar removal/strap swap outs, resizing stainless steel bracelets, etc. A watch isn’t a car, but it still requires a bit of maintenance and some tools.
“A Man and his Watch” by Matt Hranek – $25
Multiple things can be true. This book is, at times, insufferably silly (they’re just wristwatches), yet it’s also incredibly cool. It’s a coffee table book that explores individual time pieces, their owners, and the stories behind them. Came out a couple years back and is still quite popular.
Yamazaki Tower Deskbar Organizer – $29.20
The perfect desk catchall for the watch wearer. Wood and steel all tied together with great lines. And that elevated piece is perfect for setting a wristwatch on for safekeeping. Sold by Amazon and ships fast and free with Prime.
Springs and Gears Letterpress Watch Movement Prints – $30 – $65
From our guy Aaron K.: For those of us that like a little esoterica (or a lot…) around our abodes to express our personalities and interests, and for those of us that like mechanical watches, behold the Springs+Gears watch movement print. Springs+Gears is a small operation based in New York that generates its own CAD designs for movements and then prints them by hand with a letterpress. The result is a wonderful, debossed print that looks great, smells great, and tastes great! Ok, it mostly looks great, with a clean, crisp blueprint-like vibe and just the right amount of detail. The Springs+Gears catalog started with the Omega Speedmaster movement(s) seen here and at the top of the post, but has since grown considerably, with prints available in 8×8” or 15×15” sizes and several paper & ink combinations. Custom prints are also available
Crown & Buckle “Supreme” NATO Straps – $34
Crown & Buckle’s supreme NATO straps are a noticeable, big step above the competition. They’re soft but still substantial. The hardware is nothing short of excellent. And the edges don’t cut into your skin or feel rough/unfinished. More than a few colors/stripe options, and available in multiple widths.
Watch Box / Watch Organizer – $34.99
Give that watch collection a home, as opposed to having timepieces strewn about, loose, ready to be knocked onto the floor. This particular model is favored by our guy Zach. You can see it in action over here.
Nomad Horween Leather AirPods Case – $35
The iconic clean white of Apple’s products is instantly recognizable. But all that white plastic is also super modern. As modern as… using your smartphone to check the time. Which I’m guessing the guy you’re shopping for doesn’t like to do, if he wears a watch. These Horween leather cases help knock the hyper-modern factor down quite a bit. Too spendy? You could always get a cheaper version from Amazon.
A nice “Beater” Watch
- Casio 200m Quartz Diver – $46 (on the Moose Strap Co. “James” Premium Slim NATO Strap – $20)
- Invicta Automatic Pro Diver – $75
- Seiko 5 Field Automatic – $150
Dependable, good looking enough, and the type of thing you take with you on a quick trip or wear on the weekends when you’re knocking about, and don’t want to risk damage to a prized timepiece. If this thing does get a scratch in the crystal or somehow gets dropped in a lake and goes to hell? It won’t cause the tears to flow.
Watch Luggage
- Convoy Italian Leather Watch Pouch – $60
- 3 Watch Leatherette Roll – $17
- Single Watch “Watchpod” – $15
Sure, you could just shove your watch(es) down into a shoe and then stuff extra socks on top of it. But maybe you want to keep it in a briefcase or something closer to on your person. Who knows.
Gingko Octagon Modern LED Desk Lamp – $79
A surprisingly useful, rechargeable lamp that’s perfect for those evening watch strap changes or mod-jobs. Base has some good weight to it too. Makes it stable. It’s not some flimsy thing. Casts great, sharp light. And the octagon base is so simple, yet so incredibly useful, thanks to easily positioning the light differently by simply setting it on a different side.
Celia & Perah DIY Bluetooth Classic Radio via Huckberry – $100
Guys who like watches almost always like thinking about how a thing works. Maybe even taking stuff apart and putting things back together. Working on things. This radio? It comes in pieces. On purpose. And the recipient “gets” to put it together. They claim the sound quality is pretty good to. Beats the heck out of doing a jigsaw puzzle. Stay connected, or distracted, the old fashioned way (just like wearing a watch to tell the time) by building yourself a radio.
A nice QUARTZ watch… which he can set his mechanical/automatics by!
- Bulova Lunar Pilot Chronograph – $294
- Casio 6900-1 – $87
- Citizen Nighthawk Eco-Drive – $296
- Timex American Documents Collection – $495
Funny thing about mechanical and/or automatic watches… they can stop. Set it down, forget to wind it/wear it, and all of a sudden one day you’re staring at cold, unmoving hands. So! Having a quartz watch there in the catchall or watch box is always useful. That, and there are plenty of quartz watches that even a mechanical/automatic fan would like.
Something midpriced*, and unexpected
- Lorier Neptune III – $499 review of the previous model can be found here
- Bulova Surfboard Chronograph – $400ish ($695) review here
- Nodus Contrail II – $675
- Timex MK1 Mechanical Field – $185 review here
Keep the receipt, and make him be honest. If he DOESN’T LIKE IT then it has to go back. But sometimes us watch wearing folks need a little push out of a wristwear rut. So something different and/or from an unexpected brand could be a fun play. *Note that “midpriced” is relative. Some in the watch wearing community would see these watches as downright affordable. Some of us reading this will think some of the above picks cost an absurd amount of money. It all depends on your perspective, and perspectives can vary wildly. Nothing about wristwatches makes any sense.
His “Grail” Watch
Grail, as in, Holy Grail. For the extra, extra nice. Chances are he’s mentioned what he has his eye on. Also, get it insured. This takes some planning. Maybe this is a few years down the line and saving/smart decisions will have to be made. But, well, for the ladies… how much did that engagement ring cost again?
For those of you who are bewildered as to why anyone would want to wear a mini-clock on their arm, especially when we all carry mobile phones 24/7 (which obviously have the time), head here for a quick explainer as to why some of us choose to wear wristwatches.