I’d like to give my fiancé something permanent to wear, like I’m wearing my ring. He doesn’t wear watches (since he got a cell phone, just like me) but he said he’d wear one if I got him one.
I want something nice and classy that he’ll wear for years (well, hopefully a lifetime.) I’m thinking a couple hundred bucks, maybe. I know there are some serious watch people here, and hopefully you have some good suggestions. (I thought about a pocket watch, but I don’t think he’d be as likely to use it.)
Don’t know if it will help, but when I got engaged to my wife she got me a ring. Nothing fancy, just a plain silver band with a small diamond in it. She wasn’t trying to “mark” me as taken or anything, just a symbol of her feelings. I was very happy with it and wore it everyday until we got married. In fact, on occasion I will wear it instead of my wedding ring. It has become a very meaningful item for me.
As far as watches go that is a tough one. To give one that would be something that he would pass down to his children means spending a fortune. I would suggest you look at the Movado Esq. line of watches. Very classy and elegant. Or perhaps you might want to look at a company called Stauer. They make very nice looking watches at very reasonable prices. You can find them on the web.
Some other things my wife has given me over the years that I treasure are: a silver bracelet and dog tags. For every special event or day she has gotten into the habit of purchasing me an engraved dog tag that has the name of the event, anniversary etc. on it. It usually is also inscribed with a personal message of some kind. I used to wear them all the time, but now I have about 10 or so tags on a chain and it isn’t practical to wear any longer. However, each time she gets one for me it takes it’s place on the chain next to the others. They really do mean a lot to me and every now and then I will pick them up and read them. It brings back a flood of memories from the events.
I got my husband a Rosendhal watch one anniversary. It’s a very nice watch for the geekier gentleman.
And I can vouch for their customer service. My husband had a problem getting the back open to change the battery, so he sent the watch back to the manufacturer. They couldn’t open the back without stripping the screws, so they sent him a new watch within the week.
I bought my then-fiancé a handsome Raymond Weil watch as a present for our wedding. I don’t recall the exact price, but it was somewhere in the several hundred dollar range. Mind, this was 15 years ago. I just checked out some prices online and holy CATS are those more than I spent. I wish I could remember something specific about the model.
It is quite elegant and classic and totally suits him.
First the bad news, for a couple of hundred bucks you’re probably not going to be able to get a fancy mechanical watch. Best to look for a quartz movement. That’s okay, they’re more accurate anyway.
Nor are you likely to be able to get a well known high-end brand name. Think Seiko and Citizen rather than Rolex or Tissot.
Here’s a good guide to things to look for when shopping around. Unfortunately their definition of entry-level starts at $300.
The good news is if your not bound to a particular brand name you can find nice accurate watches that look pretty good for less than $200. You should be able to find a decent seiko or citizen for that price.
What about something like this? A bit more than I wanted to spend, but it has a cool look to it and a sapphire crystal. No idea if he’d like it, of course.
I like black faces myself. My current watch is a stainless steel Jemis (a very off-brand Seiko I think) which looks more like this one, but with smaller numbers all round the dial. And no eco-drive so I’ll have to replace the battery sooner or later. Oh and the one you linked to is a lot thinner than mine 5mm rather than 10mm.
I like watches but I don’t have much money. As a result I have a Movado, a Skagen, a Citizen, a Bulova etc…
My price point is right around yours, say $300 to $500.
I’d be very happy with the watch you picked out. But personal style is important and you have to consider what he likes.
I agree that a Rolex is pretty standard as a watch-as-jewelry. Many of them are simple and elegant, and many models have an ‘Adventurer’ cachet. They are not very hip to wear. But here’s the thing: What is hip and what isn’t changes over time. A classic is always a classic. So for a wear-for-a-lifetime thing, a Rolex is a good choice.
I have a lot of watches, two of which are Rolexes. All of them are classic designs, but one Fossil. The Fossil was very hip and trendy in the late-'80s/early-'90s. (It’s a deco airplane style of thing.) I never wear it. The Seiko Sports 100 Chronograph I bought in 1986 is similar to many watches today. I don’t wear that one much. Generally I wear a stainless steel Rolex GMT Master II with a black face, red-and-black bezel, and a Jubilee bracelet. When I’m not wearing that one, a stainless steel vintage Rolex Submariner or a 1974 stainless steel, blue-face Seiko Bell-Matic is on my wrist. A Rolex is a wear-every day, wear-for-a-lifetime watch.
What I’m trying to say is that a watch that will be worn ‘forever’ should be timeless, and not the latest fashion.
Style is a personal thing. I eschew gold or gold-tone watches. I prefer ‘sport’ watches such as the GMT II, the Sub, or a Bell-Matic to ‘dress’ watches such as the Rolex Day-Date/Date-Just or other such watches. Make sure you know what he wants.
Don’t get a counterfeit or ‘look-alike’ watch. Get a genuine Rolex, or a genuine TAG, or a genuine Tissot, or a genuine Seiko, or whatever. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t want people to think I’m trying to pull something over on them – regardless of whatever thing I wear/have/use. Or to get sappy, this gift will represent your love. You don’t want counterfeit love.
I know that all of that is of zero value to you, since a Rolex is more than your stated budget. But the title asks about giving a watch for an engagement. If I were to buy a watch for my fiancée, I would buy her a Rolex for the reasons stated above. Since that’s out of the question in this case, just take it for what it’s worth.
When I was deciding on a watch, I mocked up an image of the GMT II with the Jubilee bracelet to see what it would look like. (That bracelet had been discontinued for that watch, so I couldn’t find a picture on the website.) My everyday watch looks like the one on the left in this image. That’s ‘my style’. Your SO may have different tastes.
I’m not sure where you’re located, but you may want to try either Nordstrom Rack or Off Fifth (the Saks 5th Avenue outlet). I far prefer Off Fifth due to selection, but that’s neither here nor there. Off Saks in particular has had several of the brands mentioned in this thread, often at a deep discount. The items in the store are already outlet prices, then the company emails 40% off coupons/ has huge sales.
A few years ago, my dad’s incredibly fancy Rolex was stolen. I was in no position to replace that watch, but I did want to get him something somewhat nice. I ended up picking up a Burberry watch at Off Saks. I’m not sure if it was this one exactly, but it looks similar to that. Anywho, between discounts, sales, and coupons. . . I paid something like $170.
Might be worth a look around either of those stores. You might be able to find something awesome. For $300 or so, you may be able to get yourself a $1000 watch.
