Our 11th wedding anniversary is fast approaching and I feel grateful for my wife. I asked and researched around for ideas on a special gift. I desire to surprise her and show her my appreciation for putting up with me (really) all these years. In my research, I came across the list of wedding anniversary symbols, and for the 11th anniversary, the symbol is Steel. Which brought about the idea of giving her a watch. Buying a watch for me as a man is a no brainer, but for a woman is a different story. I realized their value looks over-engineering.
I have made a list of important questions to consider while selecting a watch for a female.
My kakorrhaphiophobia kicked in and so I geeked out about this subject and brought up insightful information.
#1 What is her Style?
Women value the development of their style. They work hard to communicate their personalities through their clothes and jewelry.
Here are some common style classifiers I found helpful.
- Does she like to impress others, diamonds, and bling?
- Does she dress conservatively and subdue?
- Does she value comfort and day to day activities?
- Does she value color, art, and geometric shapes?
You might ask yourself, why? ( so did I) Well, her watch needs to match most of her wardrobe for her to wear it often. -Ok, that makes sense.
#2 Does she care about brands?
If your wife is a label lady, she might enjoy a luxury watch. To give you clues about this, look at your credit card statement (alright, bad joke) but If you see a handbag with logos printed all over it, her sunglasses are name-brand, most likely she likes to wear designer. The logo you see the most on her wardrobe might give you a hint.
#3 What is her metal?
Yes, defining the metal that suits her skin tone is important ( What?!). Does she wear more gold or silver jewelry? Going through her jewelry box is a safe move. However, some women are allergic to metals and she rather wears fashion jewelry. In which case, you would need to opt for leather straps and other materials. If you know that a leather strap is preferred, then stick with black, brown, tan, or a neutral tone that will go with any outfit.
#4 Functionality
In this era of technology and apps, efficiency is valued by women. Potentially 50% of our lives are managed by an app. That being said, investing in a smartwatch is something your lady will value too. Many watchmakers offer the elegance of a watch but also integrate technology and I am leaning towards this. It could be something to bond about after all.
# 5 Quartz vs Mechanical
Most women do not care for the upkeep of the watch. Mechanical watches will be an added stressor for your woman. Unless it has been stated by her that she would like a mechanical watch, the quartz option is less cumbersome and will give you a wider array of styles and brands to choose from.
# 6 Size
The size of the watch case is to be considered. For a woman, the standard watch case measures 26-29mm and mini watches are typically 23-25mm in diameter. However, some women enjoy “bulky” cases 40mm and up. Guided by her style and other watches, you will be able to make this decision.
Finally, a piece of jewelry is given usually to celebrate a special occasion and tie the memory to it. This surprise gift search was no prosaic endeavour but it has been worth every second. I hope she will appreciate the research I have done.
Good luck!