The Only Question That Matters
It is not which watch. It is how much, and the honest answer is less than you think. A friend who opens something expensive spends the next ten minutes working out what they owe you and the next year worrying about it. That is a strange thing to give somebody.
Between €50 and €70 a watch is unmistakably a real watch and unmistakably not a debt. That is the whole range, and almost nothing outside it improves the gift.
What Each Budget Buys
Prices from the shelf. Brand new, 1-year guarantee, brand box.
€50 to €60
The range that works for almost anybody. The Belonni Collection at €50, the Casio MTP-VD01 at €52 and the Daniel Klein 14190 at €59 are all real watches with a 1-year guarantee, and none of them puts anybody in your debt.
€60 to €70
For a close friend, or a birthday that ends in a zero. The Daniel Klein Premium at €64 is where most people stop, and stopping there is a decision rather than a limit.
Buy the Second Watch, Not the Better One
If they already wear something, do not try to beat it. You will not, and if you do they will feel it. Buy the one they do not have instead: a plain steel watch for somebody who only owns a sport watch, or the other way round.
This is also the reason the cheaper watch is often the better gift. A second watch gets worn on the days the first one does not suit, which is most days.
If you want one suggestion instead of a range, this is the one we hand people who say the word friend.
Presentation Does More Than Price Here
Everything leaves in its brand box with no price on it, which matters more for a friend than for family. If you want, we keep the receipt aside so they can change it themselves without having that conversation with you.
If the bracelet is loose we size it free at the counter, and they are welcome to come in on their own to have it done. That is true for watches bought online as well.
When Not to Buy a Watch
If they have not worn one in years, this is a present for the version of them you remember. If you do not know what they wear at all, that is worth admitting: the gift is meant to say you were paying attention, and a wrong one says the opposite quite loudly.
Tell us what they do for a living and what they had on last time you saw them. That is usually enough for us to narrow it to two, and two is a decision rather than a catalogue.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should I spend on a watch for a friend?
€50 to €70 is the range that works for almost every friendship. It is clearly a real watch and it is clearly not an obligation. Above about €100 a friend starts doing arithmetic about what they owe you, which is the opposite of what a gift is for.
Is a watch too personal a gift for a friend?
Less personal than clothes and more personal than a voucher, which is exactly why it works. It is worn rather than displayed, so it does not sit in their house as a monument to you. Steel and a plain dial keep it comfortable for both of you.
What about a friend who already owns a good watch?
Then buy the second one rather than a better one. Somebody with a dress watch has nothing for the weekend, and somebody with a sport watch has nothing for a wedding. Competing with what they already own is how a gift ends up in a drawer.
Can I have it boxed without a price on it?
Yes, and it is the default. Everything leaves in its brand box with no price anywhere on it or inside it. If you want the receipt kept aside in case they want to change it, we do that too and they can come in without you.
Tell Us About Them, Not About the Budget
Rruga Aleksander Goga, Durrës, open until 20:30 Monday to Saturday. Say what they do and what they already wear and we will send back two or three that fit, with the prices, and you decide in private.