Hmmm — what to get the jaded watch collector?
This is a tough one. Many of us are in the blessed condition of owning more than enough wristwatches. Heck — some of these may even sit, lonely and confused, in a safe somewhere, wondering why they aren’t getting worn.
For the person in this particular guise of horological bliss, there’s only one gifting solution: Namely, a watch that isn’t a wristwatch. That’s why we’ve curated a list of some of the most beautiful pocket watches, desk clocks, and other timekeeping devices this holiday season. The former, beautiful as they are in their own right, can be easily engraved with your mark’s initials, while the rest can stand beautifully on their own, adorning a desk, table, or other position of pride within a home or office.
Timeless and beautiful, these splendid creations continue to delight watch collectors around the world. With their beautifully decorated movements, gorgeous dials, and elegant cases, pocket watches are an especially thoughtful way to honor the wristwatch collector. Check out some of the best pieces in the Analog:Shift inventory below, and don’t hesitate to reach out to us if there’s something specific you’re looking for.
Omega "Exact Time" Table Clock ($3,060)
Omega "Exact Time" Table Clock - IN THE SHOP
This awesome reference clock from Omega is meant to telegraph the time in as accurate and legibly as possible to passersby — but it’ll also perform the same function in a home office. Dating to the 1950s, it’s housed in a 6” x 6” x 2.5” lacquered case with an applied ‘Omega’ wordmark below and an acrylic crystal and features a silvered dial with yellow gold, applied quadrant ‘Arabic’ indices and yellow gold dart indices, a yellow gold dauphine handset, an inner ‘railroad’ minute track, an applied Omega logo, and an ‘Exact Time’ wordmark above 6 o’clock. Powered by the hand-wound Omega Calibre 53.7SC-6720 movement, it’s in stunning condition and ready to bring a smile to its new owner’s face.
Movado Pocket Watch ($1,450)
Movado Pocket Watch - IN THE SHOP
On the hunt for a vintage pocket watch to gift a friend — but not quite ready to drop ‘Patek Philippe’ money just yet? What about this handsome piece from Mavado? Dating to the 1930s, it features a 45mm stainless steel case with a coin-edge midcase, an ornamental bow, a ridged crown, and an acrylic crystal. But the kicker is really the dial: Having patinated to a pleasing eggshell color, it features an outer applied minute track with a set of beautiful applied ‘Breguet’ numerals, plus a blued steel ‘fleur de lis’ handset and a subsidiary seconds track above 6 o’clock. Powered by a hand-wound 15-jewel movement, it exemplifies classic 1940s styling.
Dunhill Sterling Silver Lighter Clock ($3,500)
Dunhill Sterling Silver Lighter Clock - IN THE SHOP
In our grandparents’ day, table lighter, ashtrays, and bowls of cigarettes were common sights in many households and offices. Though we don’t necessarily mourn the loss of cigarette haze, there’s something mesmerizingly cool about a well-designed table lighter — and what better example for a watch lover than one with a built-in clock?! This spectacular sterling silver piece from Dunhill is a thing of sturdy beauty: Featuring engraved flanks and a wonderful Swiss-made timepiece with a silvered dial and applied ‘Breguet’ indices, it’s sure to instantly become the centerpiece of any table arrangement.
Gruen Art Deco Pocket Watch ($1,450)
Gruen Art Deco Pocket Watch - IN THE SHOP
If you’ve got someone on your holiday list who longs for the days of American manufacturing glory, then this Art Deco-style pocket watch from Gruen is in order. Dating to the 1930s and housed in a stainless steel case with a nifty stepped bezel, it features one of the most compelling pocket watch dials in our inventory: A ‘tuxedo’ design, it consists of an outer black hour track with Arabic indices in silver; a railroad minute track; an inner silver section; and a large subsidiary seconds register above 12 o'clock. Fitted with a set of steel leaf hands, it's finished with the Gruen wordmark in a lovely Art Deco typeface.
Omega MG 1135 Olympic Rattrapante Stopwatch ($1,650)
Omega MG 1135 Olympic Rattrapante Stopwatch - IN THE SHOP
This piece is a particularly neat example of Omega’s legacy in Olympic timing: An Omega Ref. MG 1135, it’s a rattrapante (split-seconds) stopwatch housed within its correct red Olympics protective housing. Dating to the 1960s, it consists of an oversized 65mm chromed stopwatch with a prominent winding crown and dual pushers at 11 and 1 o'clock. Powered by the hand-wound Omega cal. 1210 movement, it boasts a white enamel dial with an outer 30/60-second register in black and red, a subsidiary 15-minute totalizer, and a central split-seconds handset for timing simultaneous events. What could be cooler?!
Cartier Pocket Watch ($7,600)
Cartier Pocket Watch - IN THE SHOP
Want to get a special someone a personalized gift this holiday season? You could do much worse than this spectacular gold pocket watch from Cartier — especially once you engrave its solid caseback with a message or initials! Measuring 45mm in yellow gold with a wide, curvaceous bezel, a triangular bow, a ridged winding crown, and an acrylic crystal, it measures just 6.5mm thick. Behind the crystal, a silvered guilloche dial features a peripheral ‘railroad’ minute track, ‘Roman’ indices along a silver track, a stylized, blued-steel handset and a ‘France’ signature at 12 o’clock. Powered by a hand-wound European Watch Company movement, it embodies all the charm of the Jazz Age — and then some.
Jaeger-LeCoultre 8-Day Art Deco Clock ($2,380)
Jaeger-LeCoultre 8-Day Art Deco Clock - IN THE SHOP
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s clockmaking is as storied and attention-worthy as its watchmaking. Need proof? Look no further than this incredible 8-day Art Deco-style clock from the 1940s. Housed in a 5.7” x 7.48” x 1.37” glass, wood, and chrome case with a chrome winding key and a chrome winding crown, it features a fabulous, transparent glass dial with bronze quadrant and ‘bar’ indices, plus a wildly cool, stylized Art Deco ‘dauphine’ handset. Powered by the hand-wound Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 222 hand-wound movement with eight days of power reserve, it’s a horological object sure to delight even the most accomplished of collectors.
Movado Ermeto Moonphase Travel Clock ($2,850)
Movado Ermeto Moonphase Travel Clock - IN THE SHOP
“The Movado Ermeto is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” (Ok, Ben Franklin didn’t quite say that — but he might have, had he lived through the 1970s!) This 1940s Ermeto is no standard purse clock, but rather a triple-date version equipped with a whimsical moonphase display. Wound by closing and opening its leather-clad case, it features a silvered dial features an outer applied minute track, applied 'dart' indices, an inner radial date display, day and month apertures, a moonphase display at 3 o'clock, and an 'alpha' handset with pointer-date hand. It even includes its signed red Movado presentation box!
Heuer Stopwatch ($2,585)
Heuer Stopwatch - IN THE SHOP
For the Heuer collector — or the sports timing or stopwatch aficionado, more broadly — this vintage 1940s piece from Heuer is the perfect gift. Likely dating to the 1940s-1950s, it feels older, marrying as it does a big-ole’ ‘onion’ crown, a ‘doorstop’ pusher, black ‘Breguet’ indices, and a blued-steel ‘Breguet’ handset with a dual-register chronograph in an ‘up-down’ configuration. Check out the 1/5th-seconds track design and you can see where later wristworn chronographs received their influence, while a 30-minute elapsed-time register allows for easy tracking of passing minutes. If you’re lucky enough to own a vintage car, this is the accessory to pair with it!
