Watches for Him | New Cavendish Jewellers Christmas Gift Guide
Christmas, a Gift Guide; the Men’s Edit
Literally spoilt for choice, the market for luxury goods is saturated with options and gift ideas for men can become an entirely confusing affair. At New Cavendish Jewellers, our team of watch experts are here to help you select the perfect timepiece that your loved one will love for years to come.
The main goal is choosing a watch that you will appreciate but will be perfect for him. Exploring his taste, style and ambitions, we can help you navigate to the perfect choice; it need not be the most expensive but rather the right watch.
From seasoned collectors to frequent travellers or professionals who appreciate design, we have curated this Christmas gift guide to aid you in choosing from Cartier and IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre all the way to Tissot.
The Afficionado
Arguably the hardest man to buy for, as he will, no doubt, be incredibly particular in his tastes and choice, we hope we may still give him reason to raise an eyebrow in appreciation of this well thought out gift.
In our lineup, two brands stand out in hitting the right notes for a collector of men’s luxury watches. Most collectors buy what they love but the heart strings are invariably pulled by horological significance.
First up would be Breguet’s Tradition Retrograde Date. Breguet remains as important as ever, if not quite trendy, those who know….know. His first pocket watch was built of a souscription basis, and the skeletonised layout gave birth to this modern interpretation.
Delivered in White or Rose Gold, the date playfully jumps back to one in a retrograde fashion while the inner workings gleefully dance away for all to see. A horological nativity scene if there was one.
Breguet though beautiful, carries the expectant price tag, especially as exclusively offered only in precious metals. Moving towards stainless steel for daily wear yet taking away none of the breath-taking art of watchmaking, we recommend the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Calendar.
The first time in the modern era a limited series has been made in this line up, we see a wonderful, patterned dial adorn this graceful complication. An accurate annual calendar captures the heart with its powerful mechanics including an accurate moonphase while the textures of the dial draw the eye of the aesthete. A perfect choice for Christmas with its backdrop of a starry night while only 500 examples being made, the scarcity factor will be thoroughly appreciated.
The Enthusiast
We all have that one friend who is always hiking, or biking or jumping off something into something else, never in one place for too long, the definition of highlight reel. For him, we would recommend watches that are functional and robust but stylish as they will no doubt enjoy a hash tag.
The easiest and obvious choice will be IWC, mainly because you could choose from a number of models but our suggestion would be the Pilot’s Chronograph Collection. Delivered in either 41mm or 43mm, the style of blue, green and black dials is married with serious watchmaking.
An easy quick change strap system allows the wearer to go from water resistant rubber to luxurious leather in a flick of the thumbs, turning the track into a ballroom in an instant with grace. The enthusiast’s appreciation for technology will be piqued while the Brand’s heritage guarantees his new watch will be taken seriously. If it’s good enough for Brad Pitt…
For the adventurer who sees a little Stallone in the mirror, Panerai would be our weapon of choice. Born of military heritage, Panerai offer an arsenal of watchmaking artillery that are designed to be robust and resistant to the bumps and bruises of his active lifestyle yet are all powered by modern hi-tech calibres.
For 2025, their most famous Luminor family enjoyed a revamp in their fan favourite 44mm collection. Lighter, tighter in font and with an exhibition case back (without reducing the water resistance), these watches come in a handful of colours and even a new titanium option for added lightness.
The entire series, including the stainless steel bracelet variant, are delivered with rubber straps that again, can be switched out very easily meaning our friend has one go to watch for all his travelling needs. From the boardroom to the beach, he will think gratefully on his gift as his new watch traverses all the environments thrown at it.
Mr. Cool
Watches have grown into icons, from style to defining eras. Our Mr. Cool buys into this idea and hopes he can emulate the greats. He carries himself effortlessly, no loud brands or colours but timeless elegance. We would recommend collections that have spanned generations and outlived fads.
The go to choice is without doubt, Cartier. For over a Century, Cartier has mastered the art of shapes. Adoring the wrists (and necks) of royalty and cinematic maestros, Cartier has never been far from the scene when it comes to style.
The Santos de Cartier has gained more visible recognition in the past few year but as a gift choice, we would recommend a Tank. From precious metals to steel, mechanical and quartz, the Tank family define the idea of effortless grace. Quintessentially Cartier, every true fashion icon would greatly appreciate the gift of such a revered timepiece.
However, an important facet of trendy gentleman is understanding price does not equal cool. For this, we offer the new quite exquisite Tissot PRX in titanium. Heralded from the golden era of the hard edged integrated sport watch design, the PRX collection captures the DNA of this concept but at a very value based price point.
At 38mm, a new size for the Tissot PRX series and a nice angle for gifting, the titanium is soft and light, comfortable on the skin while a gorgeous blue dial matches with most outfits. Without breaking the Christmas budget, Tissot provide a wonderful collection of watches that are effortlessly Swiss, and in turn, effortlessly cool.
More watches for him at New Cavendish Jewellers
We have showcased just a small selection of perfect Christmas gift options at our boutique. NOMOS Glashutte provides the small town charm of rural Germany, while the Reverso from Jaeger-LeCoultre provides a parallel dimension to the Cartier Tank. Chronographs abound across the brands, with dual times and other complications also eagerly awaiting being unwrapped come Christmas morning.
Visit our boutique on London’s iconic Marylebone High Street to explore these watches and plenty more in person or let us organise a magical delivery to your doorstep.
