Christmas watches – the wrist's ”ugly Christmas sweater”?
Christmas is here, and as a watch enthusiast the thought immediately arises of which watch I should wear over the Christmas holiday. In my research into Christmas watches I was surprised by how many Christmas watches have been produced over the years.
Text: Andreas Johansson
Christmas is here, as a watch enthusiast the thought is immediately awakened of which watch I should wear during the Christmas holiday. In my research into Christmas watches I was surprised by how many Christmas watches have been produced over the years.
The watch industry of course marks the big holidays in different ways, but it is above all one brand that has over the years gone in for specific Christmas watches, little surprised it is Swatch. In their collection we find loads of Christmas watches with different themes, everything from the Simpsons to the watch ”Golden Merry” which has bells in the bracelet, a watch that has a snow globe and various Christmas motifs on the dial. The whole idea with the Swatch ”Xmas Collection,” resembles the idea with ”the ugly Christmas sweater” that is to say an idea about having fun Christmas paraphernalia that is not so serious.
Other brands too such as Timex have a recurring Christmas theme on watches, Timex has over the years worked with Snoopy motifs in its dials. In addition to these two well known watch manufacturers there is naturally a plethora of unknown brands that make watches with Christmas motifs and alternative design in the shaping case.
If you now don't want a kitschy Christmas watch, but still want to keep within the frame of the colour codes of Christmas, you can of course justify your Christmas watch in other ways. First and foremost, what is a traditional Christmas colour? The most classic colour is red, the red colour is one of the most prominent Christmas colours and symbolises both warmth and love. It is often linked to Father Christmas, who traditionally dresses in red, and to the festive atmosphere of Christmas. Green is another central Christmas colour and symbolises life, hope and rebirth.
Green is associated with evergreen plants such as spruces, mistletoe and juniper berries, which are all common decorations during Christmas. White which is associated with snow, which for many is an important part of the Christmas spirit, especially in countries with a cold climate. Gold is a colour that represents wealth, joy and honour. During Christmas gold is often used in decorations to give a festive and grand impression. Silver is a colour that is also used to give a feeling of elegance and solemnity. It is associated with light and stars, and in certain traditions it represents the moon or the heavenly world. Blue is not as traditional as a Christmas colour but occurs in certain Christmas decorations, especially in Christian contexts where blue symbolises heaven.
If we follow the colour coding above there is one category that feels given at Christmas time and that is the gold watch, or for that matter the ”dress watch”. A classic gold watch is often synonymous with timeless elegance and can have a sentimental value. Often this type of watch has a simplicity in the design and therefore it also suits most of the clothing choices during Christmas.
The sports watch is well another category where it is well only the imagination the limit for what suits Christmas. Personally I think is a Rolex Oyster Perpetual with a green dial would suit excellently at Christmas time, the green dial gives a lively and fine depth and it has a surface that reflects the light in a way that makes the colour change depending on how the light hits it. It can be a deep, emerald green tone or a more lighter, almost citrus like green when it catches the rays of the sun. With this watch you get a feeling of both modernity and tradition and with Rolex's robust case you have a reliable watch that can handle the surprises of Christmas such as spontaneous snowball fights.
Another way to get Christmas spirit on your watch is naturally to simply swap the bracelet for something more Christmassy. There are plenty of options, why not have a look at our friends at Wristbuddys and see if you find a strap that suits your intended Christmas watch.
My personal choice during the Christmas holiday, or above all Christmas Eve, will be my grandfather's Tissot SeastarSeven. A golden dress watch with a blue strap feels like a good colour combination for me. I also make the choice of that particular watch for nostalgic reasons, my grandfather always wore that watch at holidays and it of course feels given to keep that tradition alive. Which watch do you choose for Christmas?
