Last Minute Gift Ideas for a Watch Lover
A perennial favorite, continued into 2020 with the addition of some new options. The links to the products on Amazon throughout this article and site are part of Amazon’s Affiliate Program, meaning purchases made via these links may pay a small commission to help support the site. For full details, please visit the About page.
With the Holidays and your full calendar quickly approaching, pretty much your only chance of getting something specific, like a gift for someone interested in, that appreciates, or loves watches is via Amazon and I've got you covered. Here's a quick and dirty roundup of cool stuff that will appeal to the watch enthusiast at any level, and make it to you door in time.
Seiko 5
How about giving an actual watch?! The Seiko 5 is one of the best entry points to mechanical watches due to its classic field watch looks, Seiko reliability and quality, and accessible price point south of $100 for some models. Featuring the same 7S26 automatic movement as in the venerable SKX007 diver, this watch has 100 meters of water resistance and has the versatility to be perfect for a first or only watch, or even a yard work beater for those with impressive collections.
Receiving a number of updates in the last 12 or so months, the Seiko 5 lineup is more diverse and attractive than ever. My personal favorite is the $206 SRPE55K1.
This is already starting to be repeat of "Best Gift Watches Under $300" post, but many of these are too good to keep a secret. The Sistem51 has the street cred to even get its own Hodinkee limited edition, while being uniquely Swatch, and mechanical. Engineering and manufacturing nerds will appreciate the backstory about how this movement is changing the way mechanical watches are being built, and those that hate changing batteries will appreciate its 90 hour power reserve. Price depends on color configuration, but these can be had for as little as $150 here.
Changing watch straps is the easiest way to keep things fresh and can completely change the way a watch looks and wears. Cordura is an extremely durable woven canvas type material giving this strap a real rugged look to compliment your tool watch. It's functional as well with a water resistant lining and stainless steel buckle. $21.21 on Amazon here.
If straps aren't really your thing, try modifying your above mentioned Seiko SKX with a Super Oyster bracelet. Oyster bracelets are timeless, rugged, and comfortable, and an easy way to give your Seiko an elevated and functional look. Strapcode's Oysters are well known for their solid construction and perfect fit to for the Seiko lugs. $56 here.
If you're going to gift a strap, you might as well be safe and be sure they can change it as well. The Bergeon 6767-F is often considered the "standard" and go-to for all your strap and bracelet changing needs, and represents a proper, quality tool. $21.95 on Amazon here.
You'll need a nice way to carry and store all of your watches, and this 6-watch waxed canvas watch roll is simple and perfect. It may not provide a ton of padding or protection from impacts, but will keep them from getting knocked around or scratched, and give you plenty of street cred at your next watch meetup. $49.99 on Amazon here.
A very popular and well received coffee table type book of Iconic Watches and Stories from the Men Who Wore Them. This book just recently came out and has received nothing but praise and buzz in the watch world for its thoughtful and personal stories and great pictures. $20.55 for the hardcover here.
If you liked “A Man and His Watch” or gave that as a gift last year, why not follow it up with the sequel, “A Man and His Car”. Not specifically watch related, but certainly adjacent, with a strong overlap, by the same author and photographer, Matt Hranek. Available on Amazon for $26.25 here.
A newly released, sure to make your coffee table, study, or office look super fancy, The Watch, Thoroughly Revised, is a refresh from the original, published ten years ago, with a look at vintage and modern mechanical watches, sure to appeal to beginners and the most seasoned collectors. With history, a look at brands, buying, collecting, and maintaining, horological know-how and more, this book could very well appeal to those that aren’t even watch nerds with it’s interesting content and wonderful photos. Available in hardcover for $29.52 here.
Watch Band / Strap Tool Kit
Perfect for bracelet sizing, strap changing, and spring bar replacing, this starter tool kit has most everything you need to keep your watch looking fresh by changing out strap/bracelet options all at less than $11.
And if you want even more ways to mess with your new wrist toys, there are tons of great starter repair kits at various price points like this one:
And for something I actually just bought for myself and am already kicking myself for not doing it sooner, a jeweler’s loupe. Perfect for admiring your new purchase and inspecting an upcoming vintage one! Just $9 and includes some built in lights which at first I thought were unnecessary, but are super helpful.
UV Blacklight
Another essential item to the vintage watch hunter, the watch photographer, or just a cool thing to mess around with is a UV blacklight. This helps a vintage watch hunter identify if the watch’s luminescent material is original and provides some cool glowing pics for watch photographer and modern watch owners. Just $7 and you’ll be able to find all the gross stuff in your house and hotel room too!
Thanks for reading, and I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful holiday season.