Behold, The Engagement Watch

Giving engagement watches is a fairly new practice, with web searches and press coverage tracing back to 2016. The practice has grown more popular in recent years because of several reasons.

First is that women are growing more interested in watches — even donning pieces that were traditionally made for men. Women who are into watches, or want a more functional piece that is also beautiful and meaningful, tend to express their preference for a shiny new watch over a diamond ring.

It’s not just women who are receiving engagement watches, too. With more and more women choosing to propose to their partners, it only makes sense for them to do so with watches, as these tend to be more of a wardrobe staple for men than rings are.

Engagement watches are also often given by women to their partners as a way to reciprocate an engagement ring – a way to express their “Yes!” and commitment with the same sense of generosity.

So what makes an ideal engagement watch? Much like an engagement ring, it symbolizes a couple’s history together, and the beginning of a family. They’re for keeps, just like your union. This symbolism often drives the giver of the engagement watch to choose a piece that is timeless rather than faddish.

For women, we suggest going for pieces that pair well with daytime and evening festivities alike. Iconic pieces such as the Lady Datejust, the Cartier Tank, Cartier Panthere, and the Omega Constellation will fit in her wardrobe rotation well after the last dance.

Future brides also tend to want both a watch and some sparkle, so we suggest pieces with those all-important diamonds – usually placed around the bezel, lugs, center links and hour markers.

Meanwhile, every man tends to have a dream watch or a “holy grail” watch – a timepiece that they’ve had their eye on for a while. The engagement watch is a gift that your future husband can wear on the wedding day, and every day after, so it’s well worth the splurge. It’s also customary for men to pass on their timepiece to their sons, so you can also think of it as an heirloom piece.

When buying a watch for the groom, you can’t go wrong with iconic sport pieces like the Rolex Submariner and GMT-Master, while quintessential dress watches like the Patek Philippe Calatrava and Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso are timeless and engravable options. If you’re after a heritage piece that won’t break the bank, the Omega Speedmaster is the perfect choice.

Something that has been practiced for longer is the wedding watch, where the bride and groom give each other timepieces as gifts for their wedding day. While some couples simply get the watch that their partner has requested for, many couples do take it a step further by getting matching and complementary watches.

His-and-her watches are very rarely sold as pairs. Thus for wedding watches, there is typically a larger and more masculine “his” version” and a typically smaller and more decorative version for her — but this doesn’t stop couples from getting the same exact watch, especially now that women wear men’s sized watches.

The fun part comes in selecting a duo of watches that each party can enjoy as individuals. This further demonstrates the importance and power of truly versatile watch designs.

Engagement and wedding watches are beautiful ways to celebrate these important milestones, and for couples to constantly remind themselves of the promise to spend a lifetime together. Explore our wide selection of luxury watches for men and women at SwissWatchExpo.com