Coach · Men's Watches
Jackson Chronograph Watch
First real watch energy without the first-real-watch price.
$100–$250
Shop the Pick →The Boyfriend Watch Box · /mens-watches/
The Boyfriend Watch Box: how to make him a watch guy
Almost nobody becomes a watch person on their own. It usually takes one gift, worn for a month, at which point the phone stops being how he checks the time and the whole thing becomes a problem you will be funding for years.
The tiers below are the ones that matter. Under $250 to find out whether he wears one at all. Around $500 for a statement. Four figures for the mechanical watch he keeps. Buy in that order and nothing is wasted.
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Tier one — find out if he wears one
A chronograph face and a designer name he has heard of, or a slim three-hand that disappears under a cuff. Either answers the question for a couple of hundred dollars.
Michael Kors · Men's Watches
Slim Runway Three-Hand Watch
The thin black dress watch that disappears under a cuff. Never overdressed.
$100–$250
Get It Here →
Tier two — the statement
Gold, bracelet-set and unapologetic. For the boyfriend who dresses to be looked at.
Versace · Men's Watches
Anteo Gold Bracelet Watch
For the boyfriend whose wrist deserves a personality. Loud in the right way.
$500–$1,000
Shop the Pick →
Tier three — the one he keeps
Mechanical, repairable, and correct with a suit or a hoodie. This is the watch that gets handed down.
TAG Heuer · Men's Watches
Carrera Chronograph Automatic
The fastest way to make him a watch guy. Wears with a suit or a hoodie.
$1,000+
Shop Now →
The other kind of watch
If he is more likely to wear a computer than a chronograph, this is the version with a near-total wear rate.
Apple · Tech & Gadgets
Apple Watch Ultra 3
Our most-saved Christmas pick. He will wear it every day and think of you.
$500–$1,000
Get It Here →
Tier four — the pre-owned luxury tier
Above about ten thousand dollars the market is pre-owned, because steel sports models from Rolex, Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe are effectively unbuyable at retail. These are carried over from our sister site loryn.com, each a single authenticated piece with its reference and condition stated.
Rolex · Ref. 18038
Day-Date President 18038 36mm, Champagne
Solid 18k gold President with a champagne dial and fluted bezel — the reference Tom Cruise wears in Rain Man.
- Condition
- Pre-loved
- Case size
- 36mm
Price at Amazon
See It at Amazon →
Rolex · Ref. 116520
Cosmograph Daytona 116520, Black
The steel 116520 with a black dial — the Daytona that ran for fifteen years and never sat unsold.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 40 mm
$25,000
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Rolex · Ref. 126720
Sprite GMT-Master II 126720 40mm, Black
A pre-loved 'Sprite' GMT-Master II — the left-handed green one.
- Condition
- Pre-loved
- Case size
- One size
Price at Amazon
See It at Amazon →
Rolex · Ref. 126710BLNR
GMT-Master II 126710BLNR, 'Batman'
The blue-and-black Cerachrom bezel — the Batman, on Jubilee.
- Condition
- Excellent
- Case size
- 40 mm
$22,900
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Cartier · Ref. WHSA0026
Santos Skeleton WHSA0026
The Santos with nothing to hide — skeleton dial, steel and ADLC.
- Condition
- Excellent
- Case size
- 40 mm
$21,900
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Audemars Piguet · Ref. 77247BC
Millenary 77247BC, 18K White Gold
The off-centre Millenary dial in white gold — Audemars Piguet's most architectural face.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 39 mm
$20,400
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Rolex · Ref. 116523
Cosmograph Daytona 116523, Grey Dial
Yellow gold and steel Daytona with a grey dial — the two-tone reference.
- Condition
- Good
- Case size
- 40 mm
$20,000
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Rolex
Oyster Perpetual Submariner Starbucks Date Automatic Watch 41
A pre-loved Submariner.
- Condition
- Pre-loved
- Case size
- One size
Price at Amazon
See It at Amazon →
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$1,000+
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Origin Intelligent Home Observatory
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Men's Watches FAQ
Should I buy him a new watch or a pre-owned one?
Below about $5,000, buy new — the pre-owned discount is small and the warranty is worth more. Above roughly $10,000, pre-owned is the normal way these watches are bought: the steel sports models people want have multi-year waiting lists at authorised dealers, so the secondary market is the market.
What is a good first watch for a man?
Something under $250 with a simple dial. The point of a first watch is to find out whether he actually puts one on in the morning — that is a habit question, not a horology question, and it is expensive to answer with a Swiss automatic.
What is the best watch to gift a boyfriend?
The TAG Heuer Carrera is the safest four-figure choice: mechanical, real motorsport history, sized to work with a suit or a t-shirt, and it never looks wrong. If the budget is lower, a slim three-hand dress watch is the most wearable option.
Automatic or quartz?
Quartz is more accurate, cheaper and needs a battery every few years. Automatic is mechanical, more expensive, needs servicing, and is the one people become sentimental about. Buy quartz for utility and automatic for meaning.
What size watch should he wear?
Broadly 38–42mm for most wrists. The case should not overhang the wrist bone. If you are buying blind, err smaller — oversized watches date faster than small ones.