"Um, What Watches?!" and Other Gifting Qs Answered

It’s that sneaky second gifting season of the year (dads, grads, retirements, anniversaries…you get it!), and we’re here to answer your calls for help. Ooh, speaking of calls: Want to leave us a voicemail at 833-632-5463 and share any thoughts/feelings that demand our podcasting attention?

If it’s time to gift someone a watch: Max Bill for Junghans and Baume & Mercier Classima are classics and about $1k. Uniform Wares has minimalist vibes and top out around $500. Check out Fewer Finer for some vintage options! We also recommend looking into a sporty/casual vintage watch from Casio or Seiko—Foundwell and eBay are great places to explore (this one, this one!). Also: Swatch does custom. If you’re looking for a watch for a little, Flik Flak’s still got it (see: their recent Hodinkee collaboration), and Parchie and Mini Kyomo are cute for kids, too. For true watch experts, turn to Hodinkee and Dimepiece.

For men turning 40 whose watch taste is too $$$: We love the idea of a signet ring, and Kathryn Bentley does great ones. We also recommend a record player (and personally endorse Plus Audio and Technics by Panasonic Direct Drive Player System via eBay). To add to the record collection, maybe gift a subscription to Vinyl Me Please or round-up albums that came out during their birth year. Related gift: fancy speakers like the ones by Oda. Nice luggage is also a good call—we love Want Les Essentiels, Porter-Yoshida, and classics like Rimowa, Tumi, and Calpak. For hobby gifts, how about a surfboard, a film camera from Photodom, ceramics classes (s/o to Artshack near us!), or pickleball gear from Recess or Nettie (on the topic of pickleball, this New York mag profile of Connor Pardoe). Last but not least, NORMALIZE GIVING MEN FLOWERS! 

For retirement gifts: Ask close coworkers to participate in something personal—maybe use Tribute or Padlet or go old-school and collect pictures and letters to make a scrapbook. We also love Storyworth! Or how’s about helping them get oriented with a new hobby: For the dad in our VM, maybe a Backroads Bike Tour or a Bianchi bike (find them and other snazzy bikes used on Bike Exchange). There’s also personal training: For a virtual option, check out Future (a good review). 

When someone’s having a baby but not their first one: Set the parent up with a massage (maybe an at-home one through Zeel) or food delivery from Ipsa, Three Owls, or The Culinistas. Treat them to a robe, slippers, a weighted blanket from Bearaby, or a bed tray (Chairish and 1stdibs for cool vintage ones and West Elm, and Offi for new ones) Or: Get something to keep the sibling busy! Non-messy craft projects like needlepoint/sewing kits (love Unwind Studio and LittleExplorersPlay) or a subscription to The Picture Book Club. For the new baby, what about a not-hand-me-down, home-from-the-hospital look from Makie or Lewis? Or something keepsake that second (and third and fourth) kids tend to get less of like a handknit blankie or a puzzle name stool from Damhorst Toys.

What to maybe, possibly ask for when you move into a new home: A return-address stamp from Paper Source or custom house numbers from House Number Lab or Casson. Outdoor stuff can be pricier than expected, so ask for plants from Fast Growing Trees, Plant Gem, and David Austin Roses, a local-nursery gift card, or gardening tools from The Floral Society or Terrain. What about a Solo Stove or a Barebones Living Portable 30" Fire Pit? Or a grill! We like the Weber Spirit II E-210 LP and the Lodge Sportsman’s Pro Cast Iron Grill. Get into composting with an indoor bin from Bamboozle. Entertaining stuff is a good call—think an Insalata Serving Bowl or platters from Conran Shop, Bitossi Home, Christian Lacroix, Farmhouse Pottery, vintage spongeware from The Six Bells, and vintage Limoges on Etsy. Ooh, and framing, c/o your local frame shop or Framebridge! Finally, stools: Artek, TipToe, Bed Bath & Beyond, Metal Lab, and ChezRai ones specifically. For other relevant recs, check out our Secret Menu wedding-registry guide.

Share your gift ideas or quandries with us at ​​833-632-5463, [email protected], or @athingortwohq. For many more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership.

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