Gift Guide To Giving Watches

 So, you’re thinking of gifting a watch? That’s all well and good, but I imagine you’re here because you are not 100% certain of the decision you want to make. Good, I hope I can help, and or maybe make it more complicated…

One of the first things you’re going to want to think about (which I’m sure you already have) is budget. And by now, I’m sure you’ve realized that watches vary in price from, inexpensive all the way to, “holy shit, who would pay that much for a watch”. If you lean more towards the first option in that last sentence, then try to stay away from the more common names you would’ve heard (or seen) by now, i.e. Rolex, Omega, Tudor etc. 

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean GMT

If you’ve figured out that the watch you want to purchase is going to be sub-1000$. Great! Because that still leaves you with plenty of options. For starters, there are loads of watches, both mechanical, & quartz, that you can find for under $1000. There are even loads of options for the $200-$500 range. 

MVMT Element Chrono $195.00CAD

Before I give you any options on which companies you could be looking at, let me give you a quick rundown on the difference between mechanical and quartz watches. While keeping in mind that you are here to get help for gifts, this part will soon make more sense. I want to ask you. Have you ever heard the person you are buying the watch for talk about watches? And while listening, did you almost fall asleep? If so, then it is likely you have a watch nerd on your hands and should probably be looking at a mechanical watch. If not, quartz will certainly do the trick.

What is a mechanical watch then? A mechanical watch is not one that runs on batteries but is spring driven. The spring then needs to be wound, and as the spring unwinds, drives gears, then turning the hands or any other complications. When it comes to mechanical watches, you generally have two categories: Manual, or automatic. Manual is a watch that would need to be wound manually, and automatic being one that has the capability of winding itself (some you can also wind manually, and it will stay wound while being worn). I won’t go to into detail about how a watch works, but that is the basics on that.

Rolex 3230 Automatic Movement

The quartz watch is what most people are likely wearing, maybe not anymore (thanks Apple) but since the quartz crisis in the 70’s-80’s, most budget (and some of the luxury ones) watch makers use quartz. The most popular that you have probably seen being, Swatch. Simply put, a quartz watch is one that runs on batteries. Explanation; The battery sends power through a quartz crystal that then regulates an electric oscillator and controls the time. The advantage? You get a more consistently precise time. 

Now that you know how they work, where do you start shopping? Since I imagine most people are going to want to buy a new watch (because yes, there is a GIGANTIC used watch market) I would go to the more popular/common places. If you are in Canada then, believe it or not, but The Bay, has an enormous selection for new watches ranging from inexpensive to just lightly expensive. Another option, though most probably wouldn’t suggest it, Amazon. Amazon has a good choice of look-alike watches. In both of those places, you’ll find companies like, Mvmt, Fossil, Seiko, and Tissot. All of which have plenty of choices and a wide range of prices. Otherwise, you can always find watch boutiques in your local malls to get a more hands-on approach. 

With a few options of new watches listed, maybe you want something more expensive, but don’t mind it being used. Not a problem, here are a few tips to help with the purchase especially since it's a gift. When you start looking at used watches, you will start to notice a few common things among them. First, you’ll notice that they always have the option of coming with or without the box and papers, you’ll want those if you do plan on giving this watch as a gift. Those show the authenticity of the watch itself as well as the information on that specific watch. Along with that, you want to make sure you are buying the watch from a reliable source. Some of the watch boutiques in your local area will often sell used watches, so that is always a good place to shop as you will get to see what the watch looks like in person. Now, if you prefer to shop online, good places for used watches include, Crown And Caliber, Watchfinder & Co, and Chrono 24. 

While shopping, you’ll notice that watches do vary in size. The average of most modern watches will range from 39mm to 42mm. I would say that you can almost never go wrong with that size of watch. But know that if you are shopping for a person with a large wrist you might want to up that a little. And, if you’re shopping for women, while you can always swap men’s and women’s watches, you might want to stay on the smaller side. 

Citizen Promaster Diver 45mm $396.00CAD

When it comes to watches there is vast array of different styles, some include; Dive watches, dress watches, vintage watches, and chronographs. Not sure what the person you are shopping for wants? There is nothing wrong going with the most common, dress or chronograph. Both are most commonly worn and often can be worn when you’re dressing up or dressing down. Simplicity is sometimes the easiest approach when watch shopping, especially when looking for someone else.

You might also want to think about the colour. The easiest, is to stay with the simple colours; Black, grey, silver, etc. If you know the person well enough, or if you know they would want a dive watch (Rolex Submariner as an example), then you can look for something with a different coloured bezel; Red, green, red/blue, etc. Or maybe even a vintage style, it is simple today to find a new, vintage styled watch.

Timex Navi xl 41mm

And Finally, if you’re really not sure what to buy, just keep it simple. It’s often hard to find anything wrong and unlikable with simplicity. If you still can’t find anything, then just go for a G-Shock, because every good watch collection needs a G-Shock. 

I hope this article helps you figure out what you would like to buy. Whether it be for the holidays, or for a birthday, I know that receiving a watch as a gift is always a great experience for myself. Share this article with your friends, and who knows, maybe you’ll get a watch as a gift. ;)