Christmas Gift Guide for Men: Pocket Watches, Cufflinks and Hip Flasks
Why Pocket Watches Make Great Gifts
Every December we watch the same thing happen at fobandco.com.au: blokes who normally buy their dad a slab of beer or a $50 Bunnings voucher suddenly go looking for something with a bit more weight to it. Christmas has a way of making people want to give something that lasts longer than Boxing Day. A pocket watch does that job better than almost anything else in a gift catalogue, because it’s not disposable and it’s not generic.
The other thing worth saying plainly: a wristwatch says “here’s a watch”. A pocket watch, chain, and vest combo says “I thought about this”. It’s a bit theatrical, sure, but that’s exactly why it works for Christmas morning. You’re not just handing over a box, you’re handing over something the recipient will actually stop and turn over in his hands before he even reads the card.
We sell a lot of these into groomsmen parties throughout the year, and the crossover into Christmas gifting is obvious once you see it: fathers, father-in-laws, grandfathers, and the mate who’s impossible to buy for because he “has everything”. None of them have a decent pocket watch. That’s the gap this guide is built to fill.
How to Choose the Right Gift
Start with who you’re buying for, not what’s on sale. A tradie dad who’s never worn a watch in his life is a different brief to a grandfather who collects clocks. The good news is the range at fobandco.com.au’s pocket watch collection covers both ends without you needing to be a horology nerd about it.
Three questions narrow it down fast:
Does he already wear a wristwatch? If yes, a pocket watch is a novelty piece he’ll keep on a shelf or bring out for weddings and Melbourne Cup. That’s fine, it’s still a great gift, just don’t expect daily carry.
Does he wear a suit or vest for work or occasions? If he’s in a trade, an open face watch on a sturdy chain is more practical than a case that flips open, because there’s less to catch on gear.
What’s the budget? This is where a lot of people trip up. Our watches start at $99, most of the range sits between about $100 and $190, and it climbs from there through a few hundred dollars to a small number of pieces above $1,000 — all of them legitimate Christmas gifts, they just send different signals. We’ll get into pricing properly under “What to Consider Before You Buy” below, but as a rule of thumb, don’t buy the cheapest thing on the page just because it’s Christmas and you’re rushing. A watch that stops working by February undoes all the goodwill.
If you genuinely can’t decide between styles, the Classique range is the safest middle ground: traditional look, reliable movement, and it photographs well for the inevitable “look what I got” family group chat photo on Christmas Day.
Top Styles and Options
Pocket watches aren’t a single product, they’re a small category with real style differences, and picking the wrong one for the wrong bloke is the easiest mistake to make.
Full Hunter
A full hunter case has a hinged metal cover over the dial that snaps shut, so the watch face is fully protected when it’s not in use. It’s the most “traditional grandfather” look of the lot, and it’s the one people picture when they hear the words “pocket watch” at all. Browse the full hunter pocket watches if you want that classic click-open moment built into the gift itself.
Open Face and Classique
No cover, just the dial sitting there ready to be read. It’s the more practical option for someone who’ll actually use the watch day to day, and it tends to sit a bit slimmer in a pocket. The Classique collection leans into this style with clean dials that don’t try too hard.
Metal and Finish
This is where personal taste actually matters more than anything else on this list. Gold-tone cases read formal and a bit old-world, which suits a grandfather or a father who’s spent decades in a suit. Have a look at the gold pocket watches if that’s the vibe. Brass sits somewhere in between, warm without being showy, and it’s popular with groomsmen sets for exactly that reason (the brass pocket watch range is worth a look). If he’s more rugged than refined, a black-finished case reads modern and understated, and it won’t look out of place next to work boots. The black pocket watches get picked a lot by younger sons buying for younger dads, if that’s a useful data point.
Build the Full Set
A watch on its own is a great gift. A watch with cufflinks and a hip flask is a proper Christmas moment, and it doesn’t cost as much extra as people assume. Have a scroll through the accessories range for chains, cufflinks and flasks that pair naturally with whichever case finish you’ve picked. Matching the metal tones (brass watch with brass cufflinks, for example) is the easy way to make a bundle look deliberate rather than thrown together at checkout.
What to Consider Before You Buy
A few practical things that don’t get talked about enough in gift guides, because they’re not as fun as picking a case style, but they’re the difference between a watch that gets worn and one that ends up in a drawer.
Movement type. Quartz movements are battery-powered, accurate, and low-maintenance, which makes them the sensible pick for someone who wants a watch that just works without fuss. Mechanical movements need winding and, frankly, a bit more patience, but they’re the ones that feel like an heirloom from the first day. If he’s the type who still winds a wall clock, go mechanical. If he just wants to know the time without thinking about it, quartz is the right call.
Engraving. This is the single biggest lever you have to turn a nice watch into an unforgettable one, and it barely adds to the price. A name, a date, or a short line on the case back changes the whole nature of the gift. If you’re buying for a father or father-in-law this Christmas, look specifically at the engravable pocket watches and get the order in early, because personalisation takes longer to turn around than a standard shipment, especially in the lead-up to Christmas when everyone else has the same idea.
Chain length and attachment. A pocket watch without a chain is only half a gift. Chains vary in length and clip style (some use a T-bar for a waistcoat buttonhole, others clip to a belt loop), so check what he’ll actually be wearing it with before assuming one chain style fits all.
Budget without guilt. If the year’s been tight, the clearance section and the clearance Classique range both carry genuine, well-made pieces at a lower price point, not seconds or rejects. There’s no shame in a budget pick here; a lot of the emotional weight of this gift comes from the gesture and the engraving, not the sticker price.
Who’s it actually for. One request we get a lot around Christmas that doesn’t fit the “pocket watch” mould at all is a gift for a nurse in the family. If you’re buying for a nurse rather than the traditional pocket watch recipient, a clip-on fob watch from our pocket watch and fob watch range is the far more relevant gift, since it clips to a uniform rather than sitting in a vest pocket.
Tips from the Experts
A few things we’ve picked up from years of packing these under trees and into groomsmen boxes.
Buy the chain and the watch together, from the same finish family, rather than mixing metals you found separately. It looks intentional instead of accidental, and it saves you a second delivery closer to Christmas Eve.
Don’t over-polish the surprise by asking too many “hint” questions in November. If you genuinely don’t know his style, ask his partner or one of his mates instead of tipping him off. A generic Classique open face in a mid-tone metal is a safe fallback if you can’t get a straight answer.
Order earlier than you think you need to, particularly for anything engraved. Watchmakers and jewellers everywhere see a spike in personalisation orders in the first two weeks of December, and turnaround times stretch accordingly, a pattern retail bodies flag every year in their history of the pocket watch as a keepsake gift going back well over a century.
If you’re buying for more than one person (a father and a father-in-law, say), don’t buy identical watches. Vary the case finish or the style so each gift feels chosen rather than duplicated off a list.
Finally, keep the box and the little care card that comes with it. A quick wipe with a soft cloth and keeping it away from moisture is genuinely all the maintenance most of these watches need, and it’s the kind of detail that reassures someone who’s nervous about “looking after” a nice thing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best pocket watch to give as a Christmas gift?
There’s no single “best” watch, it depends on the man. For a traditional dad or grandfather, a full hunter case in gold or brass hits the mark. For someone more practical or younger, an open-face Classique in a black or brass finish tends to get worn more often, which matters more than looking impressive under the tree for five minutes.
How do I know which pocket watch is the right Christmas gift?
Think about how he already dresses and whether he wears a watch at all. A suit-and-vest kind of bloke suits a full hunter on a chain, while someone more casual will get more use from an open-face style he can slip into a jacket or jeans pocket without a fuss.
What should I look for when buying a pocket watch as a Christmas gift?
Check the movement type (quartz for low-maintenance accuracy, mechanical for that classic wind-up feel), make sure a chain is included or matched separately, and seriously consider engraving. A name or date on the case back is what turns the watch from a nice object into a keepsake he’ll keep for decades.
Are there budget-friendly pocket watch gifts for men?
Yes, and they’re not lesser products, just simpler ones. The clearance Classique range carries genuine pocket watches at a lower price point, and pairing a modest watch with a thoughtful engraving usually lands better than an expensive watch with no personal touch at all.
