The holiday season is well and truly underway, with bustling streets, busy shops, a flurry of snow and last-minute items undoubtedly being forgotten (I always forget clotted cream; I've bought some in advance, so I'm waiting to see what'll be forgotten this time). With these things in mind, perhaps you've not left enough time to find the perfect gift, or maybe said gift hasn't presented itself to you yet. Here are five gift ideas we love and think would make an ideal present to go under the tree this holiday season.
For the budding watch enthusiast: Tudor Black Bay Harrods Special Edition
Perhaps the person who'd most love this is new to the world of horology, they love the look of the green Rolex Submariner but those are a little out of reach right now. Or, perhaps the person looking for a Black Bay Harrods edition has been searching for one at a great price since they were first released. Either way, this special watch was made for the world-famous London department store, which can, supposedly, sell you anything. In this case, you got a 41mm stainless steel diver with a green bezel and black dial, 200m of water resistance and a self-winding chronometer-grade movement. Tudor watches are exceptionally popular, and for a good reason: they're high quality at a great price. It would be a no-brainer if the other watches on this list didn't exist.
For the cosmopolitan collector: Breitling Navitimer World A24322
The Breitling Navitimer is such a cool watch. It has all the practical features one could ever dream of, which people will probably never use but are convinced they'll need when they see the Navitimer in person. This Navitimer World A24322 was made in 2012 and is a big watch at 46mm across (other sizes of Navitimer are available). Still, it's more of a scientific instrument than a blingy fashion watch. The watch features a slide-rule bezel, allowing for mathematical functions to be calculated, including multiplication and division. There's also a speed calculator, a red-tipped GMT hand, a three-register chronograph and a quickset date. These watches usually have a temperature conversion chart on the caseback, but this one shows the time zones on the back to match the globetrotting possibilities.
For the natural-born diver: Rolex Sea-Dweller 126603
The Rolex Submariner is the watch everyone wants thanks to its proportions and design, oh and also because it's the one most people have heard of. For those who want something aimed a bit more at the professional market, for those 'in the know' essentially, the Sea-Dweller is the go-to Rolex of choice. It sits comfortably between the ever-popular Submariner and the impressive but enormous Sea-Dweller Deepsea. At 43mm across, the Sea-Dweller is hard to miss, but this version with the reference 126603 is extra special thanks to its two-tone case and bracelet. When this watch debuted in 2019, it was the first time Rolex made a Rolesor (two-tone) Sea-Dweller, and it was an instant hit. A diving watch with gold added that retained its 1200m+ water resistance? Sign us up!
For the one who has it all: Rolex Day-Date 40mm 228235
The Rolex Day-Date may well be their most desirable watch, partly because of their history of being worn by very famous and influential people (it's nicknamed 'the President' for a reason) and partly because they're always made of precious metals. The Day-Date has been changed and improved significantly over the 60+ years of its history. It was the first watch to show the day and date in window format, the date window also being a Rolex invention. This watch is made of another Rolex invention, 18k Everose gold, their unique blend of rose gold which doesn't tarnish or lose colour over time. This watch sparkles when paired with the sundust-coloured dial with applied Everose gold hands and markers. Perhaps it should be adorning the tree rather than sitting under it?
For the one who usually puts up with all this horological talk: Rolex DateJust 26mm 69173
It's important to remember that gift-giving should go both ways. While this article is mostly geared towards men (the larger demographic of watch collectors), the choices here can easily apply to women who love watches, too. With that said, not everyone is an enthusiast of luxury watches; that doesn't mean they don't deserve one, though. This 26mm DateJust from 1994 comes with a two-tone yellow Rolesor case with a matching Jubilee bracelet, a champagne-coloured dial and factory-applied diamond markers. Of course, with this being a Rolex, it's still practical thanks to the magnified date window and a hermetically-sealed case offering 100m water resistance (with regular servicing). If this diamond dial version isn't the right one, the 69173 reference came in a huge variety of specifications;. However, we may not be able to source one before the big day, please pop by and speak to us about availability.
Any of these watches will surely sparkle on your wrist, or the wrist of a loved one. From all of the team at Watches of Wales we wish you warm season's greetings and look forward to seeing you soon.
The holiday season is a great time to give a gift to a loved one (or yourself if you feel like it), but there are other ways to get hold of a luxury watch from us. We run competitions all the time, allowing you the chance to win the luxury watch of your dreams for as little as £1.99! Check out our website's 'Competitions' section where you could win a watch worth several thousands of pounds for less than the price of some lottery tickets.
