The Best Watches to Gift Your Loved Ones This Year

This is an edition of the newsletter Box + Papers, Cam Wolf’s weekly deep dive into the world of watches. Sign up here.

Today I’m taking on the role of Watch Santa, doling out carefully curated gift recommendations to readers in search of watches for their sweeties (or themselves).

Not only is this a great way for me to try on the jolly red suit (it looks great on me, tbh), but more importantly it’s a fun exercise in looking at the watch world as a whole and trying to navigate it using some very specific parameters. From modern stalwarts to deep dives on eBay, I’ve scoured the watch market to find the perfect gifts for just about everyone on your list.

The Dressed-Up Sportscaster

I was thinking of getting a watch for my husband for Christmas and I have no idea where to begin. He has a more casual Tag Heuer (silver/chrome chain link) that he wears on set (he does on-camera sports broadcasting) but he's mentioned he needs a dress watch. I don't want to spend thousands of dollars but want it to still seem luxury. Maybe under $1,000? But I have no idea where to start on brands or what to look for—I've sifted through some of your content but feel even more lost! Could you recommend any brands or where I can start? What’s in now for men? Larger faces or smaller? I think I would be open to looking for vintage, though a little intimidated to search for one—if I were to go new, what would you recommend? —Mindy Y.

Right now, when I hear $1,000-ish budget and a nice dress watch, my mind immediately goes to a Universal Genève Polerouter. Maybe it’s recency bias—given the brand just officially relaunched and unveiled some new Polerouters—but it’s hard to think of a prettier watch with more history that you can get at this price. Also, there are shades of sportiness with UG, which is also known for its awesome, but way pricier, Compax pieces.

Smaller watches are really big right now. People are going back to vintage sizing—cases that are roughly 36 mm in diameter or less. Enicar’s Sherpa is another nice option with sporting ties that can be reliably found for under $1,000. The brand got its start putting its watches on mountaineers and its pieces even went to the top of Everest with a team of climbers in the mid-’50s.

If you decide to go with something new, I really like the elegant square face of the Longines Dolce Vita—though it clocks in slightly above the $1,000 mark. The salmon-dial Nivada Grenchen Antarctic, however, squeaks in right under your budget at $850. Tissot’s Heritage 1938 also plays up that desirable dial shade and features an awesome vintage logo for just $825. Or, you could get him this pretty Seiko Presage Cocktail watch with an ice-blue dial for $369 and still have money left over to take him to a couple of nice dinners.

The Man Who Is In Luck

“I was wondering if you had any recommendations for a smaller face watch that’s under $2,000.” —DT

In 2024, there might not be a better category to be looking for than a relatively affordable watch with a vintage-inspired smaller face. Shrunken-down proportions are now the dominant trend and plenty of brands now make great options that fit this description.

The timeless vintage option: A Cartier Tank from the jeweler’s more-accessible Must line. It’s harder to find a good one these days under $2,000, but they are out there.

The sporty modern option: The Christopher Ward C63. Both the Sealander Automatic on a bracelet and the GMT are great options at this price range.

The Irish beauty: Need something as emotionally stirring and unapologetically Irish as The Banshees of Inisherin? It’s a stretch on the budget—and definitely won’t arrive before Christmas—but I’m a massive fan of anOrdain’s enamel-dial Model 1s.

The red-hot, nerd-approved brand: Furlan Marri makes beautiful watches that look like they’re from another era. They feature all the details that collectors love in vintage pieces, only packaged in a modern build with a combination mechanical-quartz movement that keeps the price at just $616.

The old-soul watch from a new-school maker: Lorca only launched in early 2023 but its $1,750 No. 1 GMT proves the brand is wise beyond its years.

The pound-for-pound affordable champ: You can’t go wrong with anything from Baltic, another relatively small but high quality brand with a huge array of styles. The vintage-inspired pieces are all on the smaller side and nothing costs more than two grand. I especially like the new Prismic collection ($1,111) or the classic Aquascaphe ($613).

The Savvy Assistant

“For me—a person with the budget of an assistant, but the taste of someone *with* an assistant.” —Bianca Lee Garcia

Trying to look like you have a trust fund, even though you don’t? The first brand that comes to mind is Bucherer—consider this gold piece with Bulgari vibes. Or, if your overtime pay is particularly good one month, spring for something from Boucheron.

There are also plenty of bargain vintage pieces from brands not especially known for making pretty ladies' watches. How cool is this $78 Enicar (which, admittedly, needs a trip to your local repair shop) with its intricate golden bracelet? Oris also made many beautiful watches for women, including this one set with diamonds on the bezel and a moonphase complication.

The Camera, Watch, and Jewelry Enthusiast

“This is the gift list I received: ‘Camera? Or watch? Or a piece of jewelry that’s mellow.’” —Rose S.

Famed camera manufacturer Leica actually makes watches now, but I wouldn’t suggest something so on the nose. This is such a chill request and deserves a watch that matches its laid-back vibe.

I’ll start with some vintage recommendations: How about a Rolex Explorer II ref. 16750 with the mellowed-out red hand (versus its typical traffic-cone orange one)? I’ve developed a massive crush on the Chopard L.U.C Sport 2000 over the past year, and they’ve become increasingly more difficult to find in that time (and more expensive, too). The time to buy is now. I’ve already mentioned the name Universal Genève, but if your budget is sizable enough, then the brand’s Space Compax is better than any camera or mellow piece of jewelry in existence.

As for modern watches, the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch ($7,000) is an icon whose tachymeter should appeal to camera guys who enjoy measuring shutter speeds and clickin’ buttons. Lower on the price range is the Doxa Sub 200 ($1,090), which feels especially mellow in its black-dial Sharkunter variant. And I know a guy who loves cameras and helped bring the wildly underrated, very low-key Hamilton Khaki Murph ($995) into existence. His name? Christopher Nolan.

The Good Older Bro

My younger brother is getting mildly into watches. Something sporty and under $500? —Chris T.

If your brother is more of a minimalist, wrap up one of Unimatic’s classic sport watches—the ultra-clean U2 rings up at $475. And I’ll never stop recommending the Seiko 5 Sports GMT, which is only $309 and the best starter watch available anywhere in my opinion.

Looking for something more fun? The Yema Yachtingraf Croisière, with its yacht timer function and vibrant dial, is a total steal at $369. Brew is another funky option. The Chicago-based brand doesn’t make any watch that’ll go over your $500 budget, and the “retro-dial” Metric is a particularly adventurous choice.

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