The Groom’s Guide to Wedding Day Accessories

A wedding is often the perfect catalyst to finally invest in a serious timepiece. While your tailor-made suit is designed for a single weekend, the watch and accessories chosen for the altar are meant to last a lifetime.

At New Cavendish Jewellers, we have spent over forty years on Marylebone High Street helping grooms manage this exact purchase. As an independent boutique and official agent for some of the world's most revered watchmakers, our goal is to help you find an heirloom that authentically fits your lifestyle and career. From coordinating metals and case sizes to finding a meaningful thank-you gift for your Best Man, here is our practical guide to wedding day elegance.

Choosing Your Wedding Watch

Selecting the best watch for a groom goes beyond matching your suit. In our experience, grooms are usually looking to solve one of three styling needs when they visit our boutique. Here is how we help them find the right fit:

The Watch for the Office and Beyond. For many grooms, the goal is to find a watch that smoothly transitions from the romance of the altar back to the daily demands of the boardroom. If you need a reliable, classic all-rounder, look to timepieces with clear, organised dials and a strong Swiss pedigree. A piece from the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control collection provides a sophisticated, historically rich aesthetic that sits perfectly flush under a tailored cuff. Alternatively, the precision of an IWC Portugieser Automatic 40 acts as a universally recognised symbol of achievement, balancing office and evening wear flawlessly.

The Minimalist, Design-Led Choice If your everyday wardrobe leans toward clean, functional minimalism, and you generally avoid too complicated or flashy accessories, your wedding watch should follow suit. The award-winning Bauhaus geometry of a NOMOS Glashütte Orion offers a remarkably pure, understated profile. Or, for a display of radical, ageless elegance, the legendary rectangular silhouette of a Cartier Tank Louis Large Model serves as the ultimate sartorial statement against a sharp tuxedo.

The First Major Watch Investment. For younger grooms, the wedding is often the perfect milestone to justify purchasing their very first luxury Swiss watch. If you want a piece with a strong storytelling background that feels like a significant, lasting upgrade, look to brands with deep horological history. A revered aviation icon like the IWC Pilot's Watch Mark XX provides exceptional durability and heritage, ensuring your first major watch is one you can comfortably wear every day and eventually pass down.

Elevating the Best Men and Groomsmen

Your wedding day is as much a celebration of your future as it is an acknowledgement of the friends and family who have stood by your side. Consequently, the tradition of presenting gifts to your groomsmen and Best Man has evolved from an afterthought into a meaningful gesture of gratitude.

When it comes to the groom's party, cohesion is vital, but uniformity isn't strictly necessary. An excellent groomsmen gift idea is to present your party with matching luxury cufflinks on the morning of the wedding. For instance, gifting your ushers classic Sterling Silver cufflinks ensures a brilliantly unified look in group photographs.

As the groom, subtly set your attire apart by choosing a slightly elevated version of the same shape, perhaps selecting 9ct Yellow Gold Cufflinks set with Onyx or a pair featuring Yellow Gold Cufflinks with Blue Enamel and Blue Sapphire to complement elements of the bride's aesthetic (and can also be your something blue for a twist on traditions).

For the Best Man, many grooms are now looking toward horology for a truly unforgettable "thank you." The vintage-inspired design of a Tissot watch offers incredible Swiss-made heritage and serves as a spectacular milestone gift that he will wear long after the wedding day.

Perfect Pairings: Coordinating Your Watch and Cufflinks

One of the most frequent requests we receive in our boutique is how to match a watch and cufflinks without looking overly coordinated. Follow these two simple rules of thumb:

1. Harmonise Your Metals. Your accessories should converse naturally. Stainless steel, silver, and platinum watches pair best with Sterling Silver or White Gold cufflinks. Conversely, Yellow or Rose Gold watches should naturally be paired with matching warm-metal cufflinks. While your wedding band doesn't have to match perfectly (mixing a steel watch with a gold band is highly common today), keeping your watch and cufflinks in the same tonal family creates a sharp, deliberate aesthetic.

2. Balance the Complexity. If your watch is highly complicated or features a bold dial, such as an IWC Portofino Chronograph, keep your cufflinks elegantly understated, such as plain oval discs. If, however, you have opted for a highly minimalist dress watch, you can afford to wear a more intricate cufflink to draw the eye and add a touch of celebratory flair to your French cuffs.

Begin Your Journey in Marylebone

We invite you to explore our luxury gifting guide online, or better yet, visit us in person. Find the perfect finishing touches for your wedding day with New Cavendish Jewellers.