10 Gift Ideas For Watch Collectors
Believe it or not, the main gift to avoid giving the diehard watch lover in your life is, in fact, a watch. Even if you’ve been given very specific directions from the gift-receiver in question, I’d still avoid going the watch route. You might get the right model, but the wrong reference, or the right reference but the wrong year. Like the Caliber 9001 from Rolex’s Sky-Dweller, there’s just too many moving parts. So instead, check out our 10 gift ideas for watch collectors.
From watch guides to timekeeping accessories, these are the things a collector would love to receive as gifts. They’re essentials to his enthusiasm and lifestyle, but aren’t always at the top of his list to buy for himself, since he’d rather be saving up for his grail or getting in on the latest limited edition drop.
A Man & His Watch
Keeping time isn’t actually the main reason collectors buy watches, and it likely isn’t even in the top five reasons. Competing for that top spot are style and stories, and the instantly-classic book, A Man & His Watch, serves up both of those. It’s a history of sorts, but not an academic information dump (though it is wildly informative). This publication dives into the timepieces that history’s great men wore, and the lore behind it. Is it a surprise that Winston Churchill hard-flexed with a Rolex Datejust? Or that Paul Newman’s Daytona, the one that broke every auction record, stayed put on his wrist for over three decades?
On top of that, this anthropological lifestyle guide is a stylish piece of home decor. The refined slipcase features an emblem-like watch design. By pulling from the image of the crown, you slip the hardcover book out to reveal a crisp image of Rolex Cosmograph.
Shinola Travel Watch Case
While the word “artisan” gets thrown into item descriptions pretty liberally, the Shinola Travel Watch Case is very literally assembled by hand. And while this human touch ensures attention to nuances, the vachetta leather construction covers the aesthetics and durability front. It’s the same kind of leather used in high-end designer bags because the minimal processing makes it simultaneously supple and tough.
Both seatbelt-clad watch slots are lined with microsuede, so that they stay put and unscathed, even as the case knocks around in your suitcase. The best part? The build is so slim, it can unobtrusively slip into most coat pockets or bag compartments, sans bulk.
Scatola Del Tempo Leather Watch Box
The Leather Watch Box from Scatola Del Tempo not only safely stores your watches while protecting them from dust, but is beautifully built and designed, making it a sharp display case too—both are of paramount importance to a watch collector. As any premium leather good, it’s full-grain, and the fact it’s specifically calf, which has an especially tight and even grain, results in a strong and luxurious surface.
The dark orange lining adds a touch of boldness, while all four watch seats come with a removable roll. This makes taking your watch out and putting it back in more convenient, and allows you to sit your pieces up when the lid is open to create a full collection showcase.
Everest Premiere Oyster Tool Kit
With bad tools, changing a watch bracelet can be torturous and time-consuming. Plus, most dedicated collectors have a few oyster and oyster-templated bracelets that can partner handsomely with different pieces from their collection. Enter the Everest Premiere Oyster Tool Kit, offering cheat-level ease in both the bracelet replacement and resizing departments.
The all-important spring bar tool accommodates vintage-style lugs and contemporary ones, thanks to the reversible tip and the forked tip. Meanwhile, the screwdriver rotates at the top, making removing those tiny bracelet screws as smooth an action as the second hand sweep of a Chronometer movement.
Wolf Heritage Double Watch Winder
There’s a lot of debate out there regarding whether or not watch winders are necessary. For someone with several automatic watches, including special occasion ones that don’t get a lot of wear, I’d say the answer is that a good watch winder is in fact necessary. The Wolf Heritage Double Watch Winder provides a recurring rotation with pre-programmed breaks. This is especially effective on vintage mechanicals that aren’t as spry as they once were and could potentially be overwound. Also, this function is fully patented by Wolf Heritage.
The faux leather body is equipped with tempered glass, which is strong, heat-resistant, and also crystal clear. This means you can watch the timepieces as they wind, giving the machine a level of displayability, as well as letting you immediately see if it’s working properly.
Shinola Runwell Desk Clock
What kind of desk clock do you get a watch lover? The kind that looks like a giant watch dial. The Runwell Desk Clock sports the design of Shinola’s very first wristwatch, repurposed into a size-appropriate zinc “case” which is attractively complemented by an oak wood stand.
The corrosion-resistant clock and rot-resistant base are fully assembled in Detroit for long-lasting sturdiness. And regardless of your relationship with the Shinola brand, the Runwell has the features of a classic field watch, giving it a quintessential look that all watch collectors appreciate. Basically, this giant wristwatch of a clock has the kind of novelty that isn’t actually novel, in the sense that it’s unlikely to wear off.
Maratac Mil-Nato Bands
Arguably the gold standard of military-inspired bands, the Maratac Mil-Natos are the nato equivalents of a Rolex movement. In the same way that Rolex meets the standards for Chronometer certification, then purposely exceeds them via in-house requirements, Maratac goes above and beyond even the UK Ministry of Defense’s specifications.
The Mil-Nato boasts a stronger build than the specs required by the MOD, as well as a softer, way more comfortable wear. You’re looking at Spartan brawn partnered with worn-in softness here. The immaculate details throughout offer both sleek looks and function, seen through the clean, non-fraying holes, the tight ultrasonically-welded weave, and the anti-magnetic stainless steel buckle.
Rare Watches: Explore the World’s Most Exquisite Timepieces
In a way Rare Watches is a map for hidden treasure. A round-up of over fifty outrageously uncommon and unusual designs, this book truly invites you to Explore the World’s Most Exquisite Timepieces.
Included are several one-of-a-kind models, many having lived on the wrists of notable wearers, and highly-coveted limited editions. The best part is that this book is a collaboration with Christie’s auction house, meaning it’s packed with some of the most exceptional images that you won’t even find in the depths of a Google image search.
Tropic Rubber Watch Strap
Every watch collector needs a dive watch, and every collector’s dive watch needs at least one rubber strap it can pair with. The Tropic Rubber Watch Strap takes the versatile and timeless look of classic ‘60s diver straps, and constructs it with longer lasting, more resilient, and, frankly, a more comfortable material and build. The slight taper is sophisticated and sleek, and basketweave texturing provides an almost leather-like glisten. This aesthetic even carries on into the thick belt-like loops, ensuring an uninterrupted sheen throughout the strap’s surface.
It’s made in Italy from vulcanized rubber, which has higher elasticity and retains its shape better than regular rubber. It also better protects against oxidation, temperatures, and abrasion, and is fully hypoallergenic.
Watch Movement Cuff Links
In what’s possibly the coolest example of upcycling, Token & Icons bring new life into non-functional watch parts with their Watch Movement Cuff Links. Made from movements from the early 20th century all the way into the middle of the century, these cuff links look surprisingly non-gimmicky on a dress shirt thanks to the gold and silver tones available.
You can even get them with a crown, for a little more opulence, or without a crown, if you’d rather have a cleaner silhouette. Any die-hard watch collector loves the look of a movement—it’s why we appreciate an exhibition caseback so much. With these cufflinks, you’re literally giving the receiver an opportunity to wear the heart of a watch on his sleeve.
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