RedBar 2022 Holiday Gift Guide
For many watch collectors, the choice of timepiece is a very personal one, so choosing a watch as a gift to a collector may fill a gift-giver with anxiety. To alleviate that holiday stress, we’ve compiled a list of non-watch gifts for the watch aficionado in your life (and a few things you might want to get for yourself).
Accessories
WOLF x Analog:Shift 1976 Collection 8-Piece Cork Watch Box
Every collector needs a place to store their watches, and it’s better when the watch storage is as good-looking as its contents. Analog:Shift carries an array of watch boxes and trays that would look great on any shelf or dresser, including the WOLF x Analog:Shift 1976 Collection 8-piece Watch Box in an unusual and very cool cork material. Shop the whole storage collection at Analog:Shift.
Molequin Mimosa Square Scale strap
You can never have too many watch straps, as the adage goes. But sometimes you want something a little outside of the typical range of blue, brown, and black straps. Molequin stocks straps in a wide range of leathers and colors, including this sunny yellow alligator strap with square scales, sure to bring some brightness to the dreariest of winter days.
Discommon The Watch Roll 2
When traveling or attending a watch collector meetup, it’s best to secure multiple watches inside a watch roll. There are many fantastic choices, but The Watch Roll 2 from Discommon is a standout that combines quality materials, streamlined impact protection, and a cool alternating position design that fits watches of all sizes without making the roll bulky on one side. It’s been my go-to watch roll for years.
Books
Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngart
Noted author and avid watch collector Gary Shteyngart often incorporates his fascination with watches and watch collecting into his storytelling. His books are also great reads, with a combination of humor and sadness that get to the heart of what good literature can do: take you on an emotional journey. Lake Success, which chronicles the journey of an outwardly successful hedge fund manager on a quest to find himself, and Our Country Friends, about a group of friends who come together in the Hudson Valley during the pandemic, are two such novels, as likely to make you guffaw out loud as they are to bring tears to your eyes.
About Time: A History of Civilization in Twelve Clocks by David Rooney
Those watch and clock aficionados who also happen to be history buffs would be the perfect recipient of David Rooney’s About Time: A History of Civilization in Twelve Clocks. The book, as they say, does what it says on the tin, revisiting pivotal moments in history through the stories of twelve clocks. As Rooney says, a history of clocks is a history of civilization, and this book takes you on a journey through that history.
Other Interests
Sother’s Garden Party bitters
Because we’re RedBar and bar is, in fact, half the name, we’d be remiss if we didn’t have some alcohol recommendations for the watch aficionado on your holiday shopping list. For the cocktail fan who’d like to get a little more into at-home mixology, our friend Sother Teague has you covered, with a collection of personalized signed books, limited edition bitters, and even a puzzle in his online store. Start your evening with a cocktail called the Waterproof Watch in his book I’m Just Here for the Drinks, get your holiday cocktail party sorted with Let’s Get Blitzen, and stock up your home bar with his Garden Party and Driftwood bitters.
COTE Wine Club Gift Box
For the collector who prefers to sip a glass of fine wine while admiring their watch collection, we suggest the fantastic COTE Gift Boxes from Convive Wine & Spirits. Curated by Master Sommeliers Victoria James and Mia Van de Water of COTE, the gift boxes will impress both novice wine drinkers and experienced wine aficionados. If you’re feeling particularly generous, you can also purchase a gift subscription to the COTE Wine Club, a monthly delivery of three hand-selected wines.
