Tis the season to be bombarded by gift guides. But instead of doing a highly generalized, throw-everything-against-the-digital-wall mega post, we’ve broken it up by category. Gifts for those types who loves putting on a suit. Or the Dad who makes time for style. Or for that certain someone who really likes shoes. Head here for this year’s archive as we add more.
Watch Repair Kit – $15 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.
Watch Box / Watch Organizer – $25 and up (way up)
Give that watch collection a home, as opposed to having timepieces strewn about, loose, ready to be knocked onto the floor. You can see the above (affordable!) model in action over here.
Crown & Buckle “Supreme” NATO Straps – $28 – $36
Crown & Buckle’s supreme NATO straps are a noticeable, big step above the competition. They’re soft yet 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. Gets mentioned a TON here on Dappered, because they’re that good.
Seiko Mai Alarm Clock – $29.99 ($45)
Is it “just” a basic alarm clock? Yes it is. Is it awesome all the same, especially for fans of Seiko’s Dive watches? Absolutely. Available in four different colors. Powered by a Seiko quartz mechanism. AA battery included. More than a couple of color schemes to pick from.
Worn & Wound strap changing multi-tool – $35
Perfect for travel and miles ahead of the cheap-as-hades tools that are thrown into inexpensive watch repair kits (which admittedly have been suggested in this very gift guide). Has everything you need in one nifty tool: .8mm poker, 1.6mm fork, 1.4mm flat head, 1.8mm flat head. And sometimes you need two screwdrivers, so their “multi-tool splits in half transforming into two tools, one for bracing, the other for turning.” Wow that’s smart.
Yamazaki Tower Deskbar Organizer – $36
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 with Prime.
The Style of Time: The Evolution of Wristwatch Design – $44.34
A beast of a coffee table book that’s a chronological history of wristwatches and their variety of design. More words than you’d expect in a coffee table book. That’s for sure. Lots of origin stories and plenty of pictures of some of the most famous wristwatch models of the last 100+ years.
Springs and Gears Letterpress Watch Movement Prints – $45 – $85
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 Springs+Gears catalog started with the Omega Speedmaster movement(s) but has since grown considerably, with prints available in 8×8″ or 15×15″ sizes and several paper & ink combinations.
A nice “Beater” Watch
- Casio 200m Quartz Diver – $50ish
- Invicta 1953 Automatic – $129.99 (shown above on a Crown & Buckle supreme NATO strap)
- Seiko 5-Sports Dive Style Automatic – $260ish when on sale ($325)
Dependable, good looking enough, and the type of thing you take with you on a quick trip or wear on the weekends when knocking about and don’t want to risk damaging a prized timepiece. If this thing does get a scratch in the crystal or somehow gets dropped in a lake, it won’t cause the tears to flow. Price range will vary since “Beater” cost means different things to different people. But you want something tough.
Watch Luggage
- Single Watch “Watchpod” – $15
- 3 Watch Roll – $59
- WindUp Hexagon Watch Tube – $125 ($195) shown above
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 – $98
A surprisingly useful, rechargeable lamp that’s perfect for those evening watch strap changes or mod-jobs. The base of the lamp 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, because you can easily position the light differently by simply setting it on a different side.
Mitchell Leather Company Blue Suede & Whiskey Valet Tray – $99
WOW that’s fancy. Yes a valet tray can be a gift that says “I got a guy on my list and I have no idea what to get him…” but… geeze look at that thing. And a wristwatch often has to come off the wrist. Having a place to put it (along with any other E.D.C.) is, truly, a nice thing to have. Especially when the nice thing to have looks that nice. Made in the USA. Last day to order for Christmas delivery is Thursday 12/14.
A nice QUARTZ watch… which he can set his mechanical/automatics by!
- Timex Q Swiss Quartz GMT – $172.85 ($229) review here
- Dan Henry 1937 Dress Chronograph – $270 review here
- Casio 6900-1 – $89.60
- Citizen Nighthawk Eco-Drive – $300ish
- Seiko Chronograph Prospex Speedtimer Solar – $516.38 w/ GIVE ($675)
Funny thing about mechanical and/or automatic watches… even the most expensive ones won’t keep time as accurately as a cheap quartz. That, and mechanicals/automatics have this nasty habit of… stopping. If you set your favorite mechanical down and forget to wind it/wear it, you’ll one day (soon) be staring at cold, unmoving hands. So having a quartz watch in the catchall or watch box is always useful. That, and they’re fun to wear too.
Something mid-priced*, and unexpected
- Orient Bambino 38mm – $208 ($295) reviewed here
- Baltic Bicompax 002 Mechanical Chronograph – $570ish review here
- Lorier Zephyr Automatic – $499
- Nodus Retrospect III Automatic – $475
*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.
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.
Editor’s Note: 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.