Let us all remember, in our gift giving in merriment, what the holidays are truly about: spending time with loved ones (safely!). But it doesn’t hurt to put some thought into the perfect gift for the watch lover in your life. Whether it’s to complete their vast collection with a piece from a historic brand, or one to ignite someone’s passion for watchmaking, here are our choices for the holiday season.
Sequent – SuperCharger2
At the end of every year, we always tell ourselves the same thing: new year, new me. It’s very common to use the new year as a starting point for instilling better, healthier habits that you can hopefully keep up over the year. Whether it’s for yourself or for a loved one looking to become more active in 2021, what better gift than Sequent’s latest SuperCharger2?
Sequent’s latest watch is the answer to those hesitating between daily wearables or investing in a luxury watch. Labelled as the world’s first truly hybrid smartwatch, the SuperCharger2 houses a unique self-charging mechanism, visible through the sapphire caseback, that uses your wrist’s movements to power the movement as well as track your activity. On the dial side, you can check the time as well as your daily step count via its subtle step indicator or via the Sequent app. I tested it a few weeks ago and was very pleasantly surprised at how accurately it tracked my activity while still looking like a normal, mechanical watch rather than a fitness tracker. An ideal gift to find under the Christmas tree!
Golay Spierer – Heroica Tempus
When it comes to gift giving, it’s the thought that counts more than the price tag. And nothing shows thoughtfulness as much as a unique piece, personalised to the wearer’s desires. Golay Spierer does just that with its Heroica Tempus collection, where each piece is uniquely tailored to the client with the signature of a historical figure repurposed on the dial of the watch. The first example was the Napoleon Bonaparte watch, which was meticulously assembled with the original handwritten signature of the famous military commander, taken from a letter dating back to 1807. The watch was sold at a Sotheby’s auction in October of this year, but Golay Spierer is planning a whole series on this theme, with the next piece planned to feature Albert Einstein’s signature. And the possibilities are endless: Picasso, Frida Kahlo, an American president… a chance to wear a piece of history on your wrist!
Louis Vuitton – Tambour Damier Graphite Race
You have someone who loves fashion as well as watches? Louis Vuitton remains a brand that, along with an undeniable legacy in fashion, has an equally strong watchmaking division. Their most popular collection, the Tambour, sees its dial donned with the classic grey Graphite Damier pattern, contrasted with fluorescent green accents on the dial and strap. Sporty, chic with a touch of bold attitude, it’ll be hard to go unnoticed during New Year’s Eve with this on your wrist.
Maurice Lacroix – Aikon Automatic Label Noir Limited Edition
Revealed a mere few weeks ago, this new limited edition is the result of Maurice Lacroix taking it’s iconic Aikon (excuse the pun) changing its design in collaboration with the Geneva-based company Label Noir, which specialises in watch customisation. The most notable change in the Aikon Automatic design for this limited edition is its matt grey dial. Typically, the Aikon’s have had a hobnail pattern for a textured dial, but in this 50-piece limited edition, the dial bears a lacquered matt grey finish, contrasting with the shiny hour markers, black bezel and sandblasted grey DLC coated case middle. Available exclusively online on the brand’s website, and for the competitive price of 2,300 Swiss francs, the Aikon Automatic Label Noir Limited Edition watch makes a beautiful gift for someone looking to acquire their first watch, with plans to grow their collection.
Patek Philippe - Ref. 6301P Grande Sonnerie
And last but certainly not least, what would be the ultimate gift for any true watchmaking fan? Probably Patek Philippe’s latest complication, the Ref. 6301P Grande Sonnerie, the maison’s first commercially available Grande Sonnerie. It’s the first time the historic brand is producing a Grande Sonnerie complication that isn’t in a limited edition; appropriate for a historic brand that, as best said by our Editor-in-Chief Suzanne Wong in her article on this very watch, remains “the greatest single reference for minute repeaters in watchmaking today.” It’s also the first time Patek Philippe has created a chiming watch without any additional bells and whistles—compared to the Grandmaster Chime, which had a day-date function, an alarm, a travel-time mechanism and a repeater complication on top of being able to chime, the Ref. 6301P is pared down, but just as finely executed. It fills the gap for those who want a chiming watch without any extra functions, other than the time, of course. Yours for roughly 1.1 million Swiss francs—a bargain compared to Patek Philippe’s more grandiose complications.
