Some people post Instagram stories professing their love to their significant other on Valentine’s Day, andother people buy flowers or write ornate messages in Hallmark cards. There’s truly no wrong way to show love. Here at Hodinkee, we sit around and ask existential questions about what a Valentine’s Day watch is or should be. If you’re the type of person who likes to give watches as gifts on occasions such as these, maybe our answers will prove to be of some use to you. In any event, we hope our choices surprise and delight. So without further ado, here are our favorite watches for this most romantic holiday. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone.Â
Grand Seiko Hi-Beat ‘Yuka Momiji’ SBGJ273
As a happily married guy, I see Valentine’s Day as a chance to up the concept of a date night with my wife. And within that methodology, I would certainly be thinking about what watch I might wear for a little getaway, be it for a great dinner together or maybe something a little more far-flung.
The watch in question has to be at least a bit dressy, something special, and if it’s got a bit of red in the color palette, then all the better. As such, I went with a recently released and rather red GMT from Grand Seiko, specifically the SBGJ273. It’s a handsome watch with a gorgeous red dial and yellow GMT hand tucked inside one of the brand’s lovely 39.5mm steel cases. It’s the sort of watch that can suit any date night or weekend getaway but also serves as a year-round reminder of home – just check the time on that little gold GMT hand.
With a movement that ticks at 36,000 vph while offering a local-jumping GMT function, it’s a handsome and versatile design that doesn’t skip on qualified mechanical watchmaking in the pursuit of providing a distinctive and well-finished watch for everyday wear. Add to that a lovely red dial, and you’ve got a great watch for a hopefully great Valentine’s Day.
– James Stacey
Nomos Metro 33 Muted Red
While I’ve long admired the work of  NOMOS Glashütte from afar, Mark’s recent article on the German brand amplified my petty fascination into a full-blown crush. Be still my beating heart!
When asked for my thoughts on Valentine’s Day watches, there was no hesitation – it had to be the Muted Red Metro 33. Debuting at the tail end of 2023, NOMOS released a trio of new color variations for its bite-sized, cosmopolitan-inspired line, and with its charming mix of burgundy with bubblegum pink accents, this model asserted itself as the clear winner among the bunch (at least in my mind).
Aside from its color palette that’s as delectable as the perfect glass of red wine, this preciously sized timepiece woos with NOMOS Glashütte’s textbook of tricks: namely, the Bauhaus-minimalist design ethos, slim and dressy profile, sleek round case in brightly polished stainless steel, and its date-free countenance. And while many brands tend to skimp a bit in the movement department on their more petite offerings, NOMOS wouldn’t dream of such a thing. The brand’s in-house mechanically wound Alpha caliber lies within, and you’re free to admire this sophisticated display of German craftsmanship in all its burning glory through the exhibition caseback.
It’s timeless without pomp, minimal without sterility, and playful but not over the top. All in all, a compelling and on-theme choice for the most saccharine of Hallmark card holidays, but versatile enough to enjoy well beyond Valentine’s Day.
– Erin Wilborn
Swatch What If? Or Simpson’s Sweet Embrace
Oh honey, please don’t buy me a watch for Valentine’s Day. Just get me chocolates or a gift card to Massage Envy instead. In return, I promise not to buy you, my dearly beloved, any wrist candy for this most romantic of commercial holidays.
But if we must indulge, let’s try to keep it to around 100 bucks, shall we? A rose by any name or price is just as sweet, or so the Bard says. For that, I’d head to the Swatch Store, and no need to spend $400 or wait in line for some bioceramic imitator that might not even be in stock.
No, no. Surely, you’re intimately familiar with all of my musings on this very site, even the most esoteric of thoughts, and are well acquainted with my love of the Swatch Clearly Gent Jellyfish, an update of the original Swatch from 1983 and my pick for Best Swatch of All Time. So I won’t bore you with the same old story like an old married couple.
Instead, let’s look at something new. I’m enamored with Swatch’s square “What If” collection. Fun idea, cool marketing, good-looking watch, and just $110. Lucky for us, they just released four new pastel-colored versions. Of course, it’ll be the “What If” Rose for us this Valentine’s Day, and a single stem is just fine, no need to splurge for a whole bouquet.
Or, if you’re feeling particularly naughty, perhaps the Simpsons Sweet Embrace is more our fun-loving style? With an image of Homer and Marge kissing on the dial, it shows that, if you’re truly in love, you never really age, even after 30-plus years in the spotlight
– Tony Traina
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tuscan Copper
I’ve been thinking about the Bulgari Octo Finissimo for a while now. For probably a little more than a year, I’ve been pondering whether, in the next twenty years, we’ll look back to see the Octo Finissimo as the iconic design and platform of this generation. My heart generally gravitates toward the more muted tones of my natural inclination to wear black and grey (or, in the Octo Finissimo’s case, in matte grey titanium) every day. And yet, there’s this watch…
When I was thinking about my Valentine’s Day watch, my gut reaction was toward something pink. Oris makes two pink options, which are very, very vibrant and saturated – hard for me to wear on a daily basis. Sure, there’s the Patek 5270P in salmon, which is also iconic but way out of my price range. So what to do?
The Tuscan Copper dial here is a bit softer, a bit more reserved, and a bit more “me”. The sunburst finish dances in the light while maintaining some level of muted color that makes it a versatile option. Similarly, this isn’t the high-polish steel case that Bulgari has done in the past, which I find a bit too loud. As a tall guy, I don’t need to draw extra attention to myself, but that shouldn’t stop me from trying to add a little flair to my wardrobe. It’s all about the right balance. This is the perfect way to encapsulate the Octo Finissimo in almost all ways: balanced.
– Mark Kauzlarich
Vintage Saint Laurent Heart Watch
If you’re gonna celebrate Valentine’s Day then why not just lean in? Fall into a fantasy of red roses (hold the baby’s breath), spaghetti slurp kisses under the stars and… heart-shaped watches.
This vintage Saint Laurent watch from the ’80s/’90s is perfectly kitsch. I google it every year on Valentine’s day. Sometimes I think about pulling the trigger, other times I remember that unlike Isabel Adjani in One Deadly Summer, I am just not a heart-shaped anything kind of girl. The design of this watch is charming and weird and retro. It’s stretched out, kind of like a Crash, but more like an Exaequo Softwatch. Instead of numerals on the dial we see exploding letters which spell out Saint Laurent in a Roman font. There’s a roman numeral 12 and a tiny YSL logo beneath that. The symmetry created as the bottom point of the heart lines up with the edge of the band satisfies something deep in my soul. It’s seriously well designed.
This watch eclipses its horological identity and becomes a perfect vintage fashion relic. It’s so saccharine and so nostalgic, but in an amazing ’90s Fran Drescher in The Nanny kind of way. It comes in a ton of variations, all of which you can find pretty easily online. There’s one on a bangle, one with heart shaped links, one on a black leather strap. I say go full cheese and pick red.
– Malaika Crawford
Bulgari Bulgari
So my pick doesn’t go the typical “watches are red…” and therefore associated with Valentine’s Day route. In fact, I find gold to be far more romantic a color than red. It’s also a far more expensive color so maybe I should rethink that. But my choice here is beyond even the yellow gold-ness of the choice itself. The new Bulgari Bulgari released at LVMH Watch Week this year has stuck with me since I was able to go hands on with it ahead of the show (on the Hodinkee-exclusive brown leather strap no less). There is something very stylish about this watch that plays on my love of vintage. It speaks to the past and yet feels timeless. It’s a historically significant from a horological perspective and also fashionable. And that’s where we get to my definition of a Valentine’s Day watch.
This year Bulgari released the Bulgari Bulgari in two sizes – 38mm and 26mm. One watch for each member of the relationship. And there aren’t many watches out there that play on this idea as effectively. Of course, Rolex does it across the board from the Yacht-Master to the Explorer to the Datejust to the OP. But those are ubiquitous watches, where the Bulgaris stand out from the pack in a different sort of way. These feel special and worthy of a romantic holiday such as this from the gold in the case to the simple layout of the dial that harkens back to the ’70s and ’80s. I mean, look,  there aren’t too many romantic gestures in the world of watches. If you’re going to give a Valentine’s Day present, you might as well get a watch for yourself.Â
– Danny Milton
Hermès Arceau Squelette With Smoked Sapphire Dial
Roses are red, I’m thinking of something with style. My Valentine’s day watch is the Hermès Arceau Squelette With Smoked Sapphire Dial.
No, but seriously, it is. The Arceau, in its many iterations, has always intrigued me from afar until I saw this iteration in person last fall and was officially sold on it. While I always had a deep appreciation of what I would consider to be the maison’s modern watchmaking era, the Arceau is just simply unabashedly classic Hermès. Despite not a single trace of pink or red on this watch (save for some of the rubies in the movement), to me this is what I want on the day of Cupid.
The case is immediately distinct, drawing inspiration from stirrups vis-à -vis Hermès’ deep equestrian roots, and the typography feels somewhat timeless, as if pulled straight out of a boutique window 100 years ago. The star of the show here, and what makes it distinct from the other models in the Arceau family, is clearly (no pun intended) the smoked sapphire dial. With the deep black gradient framing the silvered hour markers and the mechanical movement revealed in the center, it’s a punchy yet somehow subdued execution of a “skeletonized watch.”
At the end of the day, I think I gravitate towards this watch because it’s kind of perfect for the occasion. It’s elegant, old-school luxurious, and encapsulates great design while remaining subtle – perfect for a romantic night out. And let’s face it. The day should be celebrating the love between you and your significant other, not for you to think about silicon hairsprings and lever escapements.
– TanTan Wang
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Hodinkee is an authorized retailer of Grand Seiko, Hermès, NOMOS, and Bulgari watches.Â
Bulgari is part of the LVMH group. Although LVMH Luxury Ventures is a minority investor in Hodinkee, we maintain complete editorial independence.
