Ah, Valentine’s Day, you either love it or hate it (mostly the latter). Here at HODINKEE we love it – okay not really, but we thought it would be great to bring you a selection of watches (in addition to the HODINKEE Shop picks from yesterday) that we think would be great for your significant other, whoever he or she may be. Read on for our picks.
Sharing Is Caring – Arthur Touchot
Here at HODINKEE, we love to share our love of watches. And what better way to do so than by sharing our watches with those we love? This Valentine’s day, consider getting a watch you and your partner can enjoy, especially if he or she doesn’t quite get your obsession with timepieces. At 39 mm, the relatively new Oyster Perpetual from Rolex will look great on both your wrist and your partner’s, provided she likes watches made for men – which a growing number of women do. This is a Rolex in its purest form, with universally pleasing aesthetics and a COSC-certified movement to be proud of. The red grape sunburst dial is surprisingly handsome for both men and women, and perhaps the obvious choice, although the watch is offered in two other dial variants. Splitting the cost of this $5,700 watch will make the pill that much easier to swallow, although it would be wise to be sure your couple is one for the distance. Good luck trying to decide who ends up with this watch if it doesn't. You'll certainly end up with a broken heart if this watch gets away from you.
For The Love Of Vintage – Louis Westphalen
For Valentine’s Day I would like the exact same watch that this lucky HODINKEE reader won, pictured above. As you may know, the Explorer 1016 is probably the most versatile Rolex ever made. It's not everyday a watch looks damn good on its Oyster bracelet; no, this Explorer looks dead handsome on a leather strap, and ready for action on a NATO. Despite the case being "only" 36 mm in diameter, the proportions are visually on point, as is the comfort on the wrist. Price-wise, the 1016 ranges from the lesser expensive – think 1980s and a fairly white patina – to the more expensive with models from the 1960s with gilt dials. This is the one watch that might render the others superfluous, or so I wish.
Now, if I had to gift a watch to a special lady I would, without a doubt, start hunting for a Cartier Baignoire. The name might not be the sexiest ever invented – meaning bathtub in French, after its oval shape – but I have yet to find another design that looks that good on a woman's wrist. There is something so elegant about the delicate curves of the case and the elongated Cartier Roman numerals. Of all the Baignoire watches ever made, I would go for one of the Baignoire Allongée, similar to the lovely one above. I would even agree to a temporary swap with the above Explorer, and would look forward to that.
Best Watch For Celebrating Bitter Solitude – Jack Forster
Irritated at being reminded that it’s time, once again, to make anyone who’s not in a quote-romantic-unquote relationship feel bad about the choices they’ve made in life? Fed up with being forced to reflect on your solitary status on yet another greeting-card-driven pseudo-holiday? Fear not, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra-Thin Squelette is here to help out. Of course it’s expensive, but since you’re not wasting money on taking someone out to dinner at some restaurant that’s offering half their usual choices at twice the usual cost, for the privilege of drinking bad bottom-shelf champagne, and eating a menu priced with more than half an eye on margin, you can afford it. It’s drop-dead beautiful: as thin as your chances of finding someone at your age, as your mom/dad/friends/family never seem to get tired of reminding you unless you “settle.” It doesn’t matter if you’re a boy or a girl; strap this one on and you’ll be turned out so elegantly, you won’t mind that there’s no one around to notice or care. Oh, and the fact that it’s skeletonized so nicely will help you realize that even if you’re probably doomed to face death alone, at least you can do it with style. In your face, Cupid.
His And Hers – Cara Barrett
So for my category – I have the “his and her” watches (note, the watches can be interchangeable – you do you!). I have seen a lot of "his and her" watches and some are pretty offensive, but the best pairing in my opinion? The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. This is an incredibly classic design and suits the wrist of almost anyone, male or female. This model comes in a range of complications, metals, and sizes,including the Grande Reverso 1931 Seconde Centrale and a new release from JLC, the Ladies Reverso Cordonnet.
The Grande Reverso 1931 Seconde Centrale, which we wrote about here, is a gorgeous watch and was released last year at SIHH. This watch is based on a watch that was originally designed in 1935 and features the automatic caliber 966A movement with center seconds. The watch is made in white gold with a 46.8 mm x 27.8 mm case with accentuated cream indexes on a black dial. Overall it is an extremely elegant watch. The retail is a bit steep – $20,100 – but can you really put a price on true love?
For her, my pick is the newly released Ladies Reverso Cordonnet. This watch is very sweet to see in person. It is very small and features a black cord strap that loops around the lugs. The watch is based on a design from the 1930s. The Reverso case measures 33.8 mm x 16.3 mm and is made of stainless steel and pink gold and can be engraved on the backside – a perfect place to inscribe you and your loved one’s initials (did I just go there? I think I did). The movement is quartz, which is a little sad, but the main reason I like this watch is because it is understated and different than some of the more decadent pieces on the market. The retail is $7,600.
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