Gifting Ideas (For the Uninitiated)

curtaincall

Not necessarily looking for specific watches (but won't turn them down either hehe) but moreso reaching out for thoughts and ideas to help my own. 

It probably depends on the person, but let's go with the base of someone that doesn't know anything about watches beyond how to tell the time with an analogue setup.

Quartz is probably the safest bet. Would you even entertain the possibility of mechanical at all? Manual would probably be out of the realm of possibility, let alone vintage pieces.

#gifts #presents #ideas
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LumegaudAnar
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I have actually had some luck gifting mechanical watches to my wife and other members of my family. I make sure the watch has at least an exhibition case back, if not an open heart or a skeleton watch. I have found that being able to see the movement sparks interest. However, age is also a factor, I would not gift a mechanical watch to a toddler. 😀

Psylo88
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A Seiko 5 (image credit: rescapement.com) would be a welcome gift in my opinion if you could stretch to an auto. Quite a versatile little number as well, it would fit in for a variety of different occasions.

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Mr.Dee.Bater
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I'm going to make a highly controversial suggestion:  Gift fake Rolexes, PP, AP, and VC.  But, only to people who a) can afford the real deal, but simply choose not to buy them, b) will enjoy the frisson of excitement from having an illicit black market good on their wrists, c) will wear them ironically, and d) who will enjoy telling everyone that they have a fake luxury watch.

  • I bought a Chinese super rep Daytona 116500 for a buddy, sent him a photo, and said, "Yo, man, I got this for you for your birthday.  These sell for ~$40k on the grey market"
  • His response:  "Oh, cool.  That's so nice of you."  This buddy makes 7-figures.  He makes so much money that being told that he was being gifted a $40k watch elicited nothing more than a yawn
  • I then told him that it was a fake from China, and sent him a Watchfinder YT video showing how accurate the fakery was
  • His response:  "Oh my god!  This is the best!  I'm going to wear this every single day.  I can't wait!"  
  • I asked him, "Okay, so when I told you that I got you a $40k watch, there was zero enthusiasm.  When I told you I got you a $350 fake, you lost your mind with excitement.  Why?"  
  • His answer:  "Anybody can throw money at a gift.  But, this took real research.  You had to find the right vendor from China.  You had to wait weeks for it to arrive and potentially deal with customs.  Hell, I could report you to the authorities, and you'd do jail time!  And now I can tell everyone that I have an amazing, illegal fake!"

Potentially, he could just be written off as a weirdo outlier.  After all, he makes 7-figures, but also drives a Chevy Sonic.  Nonetheless, based on his enthusiast response, I then bought and gifted 30+ fakes to friends and family as stocking stuffers for Christmas.  All these old, law-abiding, buttoned-down, proper people LOVED having these black market fakes on their wrists!

curtaincall
·
Mr.Dee.Bater

I'm going to make a highly controversial suggestion:  Gift fake Rolexes, PP, AP, and VC.  But, only to people who a) can afford the real deal, but simply choose not to buy them, b) will enjoy the frisson of excitement from having an illicit black market good on their wrists, c) will wear them ironically, and d) who will enjoy telling everyone that they have a fake luxury watch.

  • I bought a Chinese super rep Daytona 116500 for a buddy, sent him a photo, and said, "Yo, man, I got this for you for your birthday.  These sell for ~$40k on the grey market"
  • His response:  "Oh, cool.  That's so nice of you."  This buddy makes 7-figures.  He makes so much money that being told that he was being gifted a $40k watch elicited nothing more than a yawn
  • I then told him that it was a fake from China, and sent him a Watchfinder YT video showing how accurate the fakery was
  • His response:  "Oh my god!  This is the best!  I'm going to wear this every single day.  I can't wait!"  
  • I asked him, "Okay, so when I told you that I got you a $40k watch, there was zero enthusiasm.  When I told you I got you a $350 fake, you lost your mind with excitement.  Why?"  
  • His answer:  "Anybody can throw money at a gift.  But, this took real research.  You had to find the right vendor from China.  You had to wait weeks for it to arrive and potentially deal with customs.  Hell, I could report you to the authorities, and you'd do jail time!  And now I can tell everyone that I have an amazing, illegal fake!"

Potentially, he could just be written off as a weirdo outlier.  After all, he makes 7-figures, but also drives a Chevy Sonic.  Nonetheless, based on his enthusiast response, I then bought and gifted 30+ fakes to friends and family as stocking stuffers for Christmas.  All these old, law-abiding, buttoned-down, proper people LOVED having these black market fakes on their wrists!

You know the phrase "It's so crazy it might work?" I believe your controversial ploy may just fit the bill haha. And on the off chance they get caught, they can play it off as a gift... without lying... genius!