Women's Watch WITHOUTH Display Case Back?? (Engraving)
My girlfriend is about to be a Dr. ! (Occupational Therapy). She graduates next month, and I was wanting to get her a watch engraved with the date of her graduation and "Dr. [First Name, Last Name]".
I'm having difficulty though finding a good ladies watch (around or under $1K) that doesn't have a display caseback. The Longines Presence and the Tissot Chemin Des Tourelles both seem like her style - but they have display casebacks. Ideally I would like something mechanical, just to introduce her to that world.
She occasionally wears a couple cheap quartz watches (one Fossil and one brand I've never heard of and don't remember), but she enjoyed following my new watch obsession. I thought getting her a nicer watch of her own, with engraving commemorating the event would be a nice start for her (potential) watch journey. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Family connections to Fossil had me interested and involved in watches from a very young age, but my journey into Watch Enthusiasm as a hobby truly began in 2021.
What a lovely gift to give her!
Are you set on a new watch or would you consider second hand?
Do you want to get her something she can wear every day or for special occasions?
check out the nurse watches on Amazon. Professionals need the proper tools for their trade.
maybe get the rotor engraved? You might need a custom rotor for that, which would drive the cost up, but it sure would look good and be something special.
Get her a nice quartz. Baume et Mercier Hampton perhaps.
check out the nurse watches on Amazon. Professionals need the proper tools for their trade.
Bro!
One: She's not a nurse.
Two: If someone said their male partner was graduating as a doctor would you recommend a nurses watch? 🙄
If you feel in your opinion she needs something robust then let's talk G-shocks. 👍
What a lovely gift to give her!
Are you set on a new watch or would you consider second hand?
Do you want to get her something she can wear every day or for special occasions?
Great questions - I'm open to second hand. And it would definitely be more for special occasions based on how infrequently she wears jewelry and watches (I'd guess it would be worn 2-3 times a month).
maybe get the rotor engraved? You might need a custom rotor for that, which would drive the cost up, but it sure would look good and be something special.
How/where would you even go about that?
That sounds AWESOME but I wouldn't even know where to start.
Would a Nomos be too big? L2L is kind of long.
I see the 36mm Club Campus with the steel caseback for $1500 on their site.
I agree with Randy on the nice quartz watch. People who are not watch nerds like us just want the watch to work vs us making the watch work (mechanical/auto) so I would go with a Junghans MaxBill. This one is 32mm, quartz, and has a solid case back at 799. So, no one can argue that you got her a crappy watch with that name on it, she would not have to worry about setting the time, and you stay under your budget...plus it has a "medical" look to it.
Would a Nomos be too big? L2L is kind of long.
I see the 36mm Club Campus with the steel caseback for $1500 on their site.
Free engraving too.
I was going to recommend Nomos Tangente Doctors without Borders but that might stretch your budget a little further)
Or a Stowa Partitio if you can find a engraver
Maybe go to a decent watch place and look at options (maybe you have already and narrowed your options down already) and explain what your trying to do - I'm sure they would have great suggestions. Good Luck !
Have a look at the (deep breath) Longines Asthmometer-Pulsometer Chronograph. Its a bit over the $1k budget but as Oscar Schindler once said 'nice things cost money'. You get to give a nice watch to your gf and be a bit of a smart alec at the same time! Although it I a display cashback, the rotor is quite roomy if you were to take @Chronomasters advice. Becoming a doctor is no mean feat. Tell her some random weirdo on the Internet says congratulations!
I bet you could get a watch maker to put a plain case back on a watch which you could then get engraved. Maybe worth an ask?
Some suggestions which you may not have already thought about (though some of these come with fancy case backs so you'd have to see about the engraving thing):
Ball watches:
The Fireman I think may be in the price range, especially second hand. Lovely watch, shock resistance, magnetic resistance if she's in hospitals (some models more than others), smart but can be worn every day as is tough enough, ladies and larger sizes depending on her taste.
Certina:
The DS range is tough enough to handle what she throws at it and great water resistance on the 'action' range. Quartz, but that's not necessarily a bad thing as grab-and-go can be great.
And if you want something classy and not necessarily everyday, plus willing to hunt about online for second hand...
Begat and Co:
Thoroughly Swiss classy brand which is unusual and something a bit different. This brand was created by one of the few women in the Swiss watch industry whose been making her way in the male dominated field for many years and worked for the top brands until deciding to make her own watches. 💪 The 'number 3' is their most popular and has old school art deco class with Cartier vibes. The '8' is their logo and represents prosperity and good luck. You will need to have a hunt for these though to get in budget, but can be done.
Ultimately you know her best so are the best to judge her style, and as mentioned, I think you could swap the case back.
Great question. My wife loves her Rado True 30 mm; it has a closed engravable case back. It has a very smooth finish and we’ve found Rado ceramics to wash up easily and be durable. I’ve worn mine in the clinic. This would push your budget to $1500. Congratulations to your fiancée!
The Nomos Orion 33 gold is another option. Available with a solid caseback and free engraving.
Thinking about her as a medical professional, I'd go for a medic watch, I happen to know only about the Vario medic watch; but it might be a little bit to big (especially on the bundstrap) since it is a 40/20 although having wire lugs might help it look smaller.
https://vario.sg/collections/1918-trench-medic/products/1918-medic-white-dial-with-white-lume-1
If considering a more office/formal piece a good choice might be a Seiko presage from the SRP8 range of models, several colors, all amazing although these come with an exhibition caseback.
For new, I’ll suggest Squale 500m since I don’t see it here yet. Spec heavy and awesome dial options.
For used, watch lots on eBay are often full of overlooked and awesome womens watches. Solid casebacks are the norm.
So, when folks ask for recommendations I will invariably throw up a picture of an over the top Invicta. Little Invicta joke, no one is hurt. (Hublot works too.) All the Invicta posted on WC are from the "Restrained and Tasteful" Collection. I REALLY THOUGHT THAT THE JOKE WOULD TAKE OFF AND I WOULDN'T BE THE ONLY ONE DOING IT. Sadly, I must maintain this tradition alone.
Here me out:
It has an engravable back. It is really not bad looking. It is quartz and comes in a variety of less restrained combinations. Now, I don't vouch for the brand. I have no personal experience positive or negative. I also don't know your GF's tastes (or my wife's, judging from unworn jewelry and watches in her jewelry case).
Bro!
One: She's not a nurse.
Two: If someone said their male partner was graduating as a doctor would you recommend a nurses watch? 🙄
If you feel in your opinion she needs something robust then let's talk G-shocks. 👍
LOL, as a male nurse I feel compelled to comment (despite not being invited). First, I think his heart was in the right place and doctors and nurses have the same needs in a watch. That said, you are correct: she's a doctor, not a nurse and I think the distinction is important. As you imply, there are a lot of assumptions made about the two professions and gender. As a person who is often mistaken for a doctor (last night in fact), I will say I don't appreciate it but understand how it happens. I once told a patient I was a nurse not a doctor, and after a pause, she said "Oh...well, you'll get there". I didn't have the heart to tell her I wouldn't because that wasn't a place I had any interest in going. And finally, while a G-Shock probably doesn't fit the bill, it's a great work watch and they are two of the three I wear for work.
Cheers.
EDIT: Ah, I jumped the gun on this one. I see you mention that she doesn't like rectangular watches. Personally, I also like the medic watch too.
Allow me to present the Hamilton doctor's watch. Yes, it's a men's watch, but I believe the old-timey sizing would work well for a modern woman. Prices vary, but it looks like you can pick up a nice example for under $1,000/ And yes, this isn't something you probably want to wear to work, but I think it's cool and would be a nice piece to commemorate her accomplishment. I imagine she's already got a good work watch, but if she needs another, pick up a G-shock as well.
LOL, as a male nurse I feel compelled to comment (despite not being invited). First, I think his heart was in the right place and doctors and nurses have the same needs in a watch. That said, you are correct: she's a doctor, not a nurse and I think the distinction is important. As you imply, there are a lot of assumptions made about the two professions and gender. As a person who is often mistaken for a doctor (last night in fact), I will say I don't appreciate it but understand how it happens. I once told a patient I was a nurse not a doctor, and after a pause, she said "Oh...well, you'll get there". I didn't have the heart to tell her I wouldn't because that wasn't a place I had any interest in going. And finally, while a G-Shock probably doesn't fit the bill, it's a great work watch and they are two of the three I wear for work.
Cheers.
I agree, G-shocks would be an awesome choice 👍
My reply was more based on the sexist undertones I felt in his comment rather than suggesting only nurses should have these "nurses watches". The only use I see for those is with a 'bare below the elbow policy'. I shall retain hopeful positivity and presume he was actually trying to find a 'tool watch' for her. No health professionals I know use this 'scale for pulse measurement' though. Do you? Round where I am it's either the second hand or the pulse ox 🤷
I've never heard of a nurse watch, so I searched Amazon. Some of them are labeled for "medical professionals," so they've cottoned to the fact that not all women medical professionals are nurses. "Nurse watch" is unfortunate shorthand from a bygone era that needs to die. In any case, everything I saw was cheap, nasty quartz.
If you can swing $1500, I think the Nomos Club Campus mentioned above might be the ticket. As the name implies, they're made for students and graduates, they're make for engraving, and Nomos will even engrave them for free. They're very unisex, and come in two sizes and a variety of colors. And they're excellent, well respected watches, a very good start to a collection, if this is where this is going.
https://nomos-glashuette.com/en/campus-engraving#/en/watches/families/club/club-overview
Would it make sense to pick a few options and then let her choose? Watches are very personal, and you don't want to spend a lot of money only to have her think, well it's the thought that counts.
It's funny that nurse watch is shorthand when it's proper name (fob watch) is actually shorter and quicker to say
It's funny that nurse watch is shorthand when it's proper name (fob watch) is actually shorter and quicker to say
Most of the "nurse watches" are wrist watches.
I agree, G-shocks would be an awesome choice 👍
My reply was more based on the sexist undertones I felt in his comment rather than suggesting only nurses should have these "nurses watches". The only use I see for those is with a 'bare below the elbow policy'. I shall retain hopeful positivity and presume he was actually trying to find a 'tool watch' for her. No health professionals I know use this 'scale for pulse measurement' though. Do you? Round where I am it's either the second hand or the pulse ox 🤷
I was trying to agree with you while giving the other person the benefit of the doubt...I may not have been successful there. As for a "nurse watch", that's an affront to nursing. If you can't take a pulse for 15 seconds and multiply by 4, I have a hard time taking you seriously as a professional. I wear a dive watch or G-shock at work, but either way it's not a "nurse watch" so much as a useful tool that I also like looking at.
That said, I like the Vario trench watch, not as a work tool, but just as something that looks good and represents an interesting time for watches. It seems to be a copy of watches from that transition period between pocket watches and wristwatches.
And as for the G-shock, I believe his original intent was something fancier than a work watch, so I assumed that wouldn't work.
Cheers.
Remember the age group here we are talking about. Get her a cheap quartz and a new Iphone which she would appreciate more.
Remember the age group here we are talking about. Get her a cheap quartz and a new Iphone which she would appreciate more.
You’re right, I guess you do know my girlfriend better than I do!
Congrats to your girlfriend!
How about a Timex Marlin 34mm Hand-Wound? Mechanical movement (but manual winding, which shouldn't matter too much since she'll have to wind/set an automatic anyway if she's only planning to wear it a few times a month, super cool design, solid caseback, and way under budget. teddybaldassarre.com has one for $199 right now.
Um. This might be the winner right here.
Great find!
Every watch brand that does display casebacks should offer solid ones for engraving.
How did it go?