Our Expert's Wishlist – Mark Toulson, Head of Watch Buying
By Mark Toulson | 4 minute read
This article is part of our series of wishlists for the festive season. We have selected a range of buying experts, journalists, and influencers to share with us their wishlist for themselves, as well as friends and family. This Christmas curate your own dream wishlist here to share with friends or family and be in with a chance of winning up to £1,500 towards it. The perfect gift, perfect time at Watches of Switzerland. Click here for more details.
Despite the chill in the air, festive drinks keep cold hands warm on dark nights and the streets are illuminated with the brightest of lights. Excitement is in the air and it’s a wonderful reminder that the festive season is upon us and the gift of giving and sharing is just around the corner.
A celebration of love and a show of appreciation for those who have been by our sides, gifting a luxury timepiece can make Christmas time extra special. Memorable and symbolic, a watch has lasting value as it becomes a personal daily companion.
Here at the Watches of Switzerland Group, we asked our Head of Watch Buying, Mark Toulson, to curate his holiday wishlist. As the first in our wishlist series, Mark highlights key gifting pieces for his family members alongside suggestions for everyone, from adventurers to partygoers. It is the season of giving after all.
My wife would love this TAG Heuer Aquaracer. It's perfectly sized and makes for a great accessory for any occasion. Mark Toulson, Head of Watch Buying
TAG Heuer's Aquaracer 300 allows a seamless transition from a day in the office to drinks after work with friends in a flash thanks to the style and sophistication of these timepieces. Blending high performance with a sports-lux design, the TAG Heuer Aquaracer is a true investment worth making.
A vibrant blue unidirectional ceramic bezel matches the robust case and beautiful dial, complete with 8 elegants VS diamonds. True to the iconic Aquaracer heritage, the new 36mm slim case combines brushed and polished surfaces with sharp geometry.
My mother usually opts for a round dial so this would be top of my list for her as an introduction to rectangular watches. The Roman numeral dial adds to its timeless elegance too!
With painted Roman numerals, blue steel hands and a small second’s sub dial at 6 o’clock, the Longines DolceVita is inspired by its vintage silver dial. Presented within a rectangular 20.80mm stainless steel case and secured with a stainless-steel bracelet, this model optimises precision and performance.
Retro looks, but with bang up to date technology with the Master Chronometer movement housed in a lustrous bronze gold case. Perfect for any sporting occasion!
OMEGA first introduced the Seamaster 300 in 1957, designed especially for divers and professionals who worked underwater. Today, the collection has been upgraded with new materials and movements, including this model in OMEGA's new bronze alloy.
The 41mm case and bezel are crafted from 9K Bronze Gold, while the brown ceramic bezel ring includes a diving scale in vintage Super-LumiNova. Presented on a brown leather strap with a 9K bronze gold buckle, this timepiece includes a transparent sapphire crystal caseback, enabling a clear view of the OMEGA Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8912.
I’d gift this piece to my daughter. She's in her early 20's and just starting to appreciate watches so this would be perfect for her. It's a classic.
Smooth in feel. Chic in design. Premium in value.
Born in the 80s but more contemporary than ever, the Panthère de Cartier is a true style icon for women who wish never to go unnoticed. Cased in 18K yellow gold and steel, the crown is set with a blue sapphire, silvered dial and blue-steel sword-shaped hands. Cartier sure are fulfilling their core value: to sophisticate how we tell the time.
The ideal choice for the traveller who needs to know the time in several places with its stylish red and blue GMT bezel.
Part of Tudor’s iconic Heritage Black Bay collection, this Black Bay GMT model sports a distinctive blue and burgundy bezel around its durable 41mm steel case. Driven by self-winding mechanical movement, the watch provides approximately 70 hours power reserve, whilst also being water resistant to 200m. Complete with a riveted steel bracelet that fastens to the wrist with a folding clasp and safety catch, Tudor’s Black Bay GMT is perfect for diving with style and ease.
This piece would make a perfect gift for my father: an imposing watch for an imposing man! Great dial legibility, which is a good thing as he's getting old now! A go anywhere, anytime piece with a unique look, just like him really!
Originally designed for the commandos of the Italian Navy, the iconic Luminor collection from Panerai has since been reinvented in many ways, whilst maintaining the traditional features that made the range so famous such as the crown-protecting bridge and cushion shaped case. Proving that sports-lux design can be incredibly stylish, the Panerai Luminor Marina Watch is always ready for action, on land and beneath the waves.
I'm not a scuba diver but I love that ‘look’. This really appeals because the cushion shaped case has a very cool retro vibe about it and the aquamarine dial says warm summer days to me. A perfect holiday piece!
An authentic divers watch built to withstand the toughest of challenges, its cushion-shaped case is made of 316L stainless steel. With a diameter of 45 mm, the SUB 1500T is rated at 150 ATM for dives at depths up to 1,500 meters. Paying tribute to the SUB 300T Conquistador, it features the same patented unidirectional rotating bezel and integrated helium relief valve as its legendary predecessor.
