Editors’ Picks: Hodinkee Secret Santa – The Best $50 We Ever Spent

Ah yes, ’tis the season for strained holiday party chatter and forced office cheer. Lucky for us, we more or less like each other around these parts – so when it came time for ye olde office secret Santa, everyone was pretty kind of excited.

The rules were simple: Spend up to $50, and send it to your person anonymously in the appropriate window of time. The gifts didn’t have to be watch-related, but as you will soon see, most of them were. And this story is the big reveal where the editors learn the identity of their Santa!

We hope you’ll read this and walk away with a little affordable gift-giving inspo – plus a better sense of just how weird and delightful the H staff truly is.

Gift I Received: The gift I received was extremely thoughtful: a CASIO Data Bank, the calculator watch, with a note from Marty McFly himself telling me to protect the watch at all costs. I consider myself a worthy opponent to Danny Milton when it comes to movie references around here, and I think the word is finally getting around. An awesome watch with a reference to one of my favorite movies of all time, and one of the best gifts I’ve ever received!

Gift I Gave: My challenge was to find a gift for editor Mark Kauzlarich. Like most companies, we have Slack messaging and different channels to talk about random subjects – and of course one of them is about clothes, or threads, if you will. I did a bit of snooping around and it didn’t take long to find Mark’s rosebud. When I saw it, I looked over at my colleague Jonathan and said “I feel the need, the need for tweed.” I went straight to Etsy and found a tweed watch strap in a smoky dark-greyish complexion.

A few days later, Mark shared the gift on our slack channel and I was so happy to find out that he actually liked it. I was taking a big leap that it actually worked well on any of his watches, or that 20mm would be the right size. I think the lesson here is you can’t go wrong with tweed, ever.

Gift I Received: I love fall and winter. If I could live in a sweatshirt and a beanie all year long, I would. But as I’ve gotten a bit older, I’ve learned to embrace dressing up every once and a while. I feel the need, the need for tweed. (Editor’s Note: They really did both say this separately). There’s an episode of Seinfeld where George Costanza proclaims “I would drape myself in velvet if it were socially acceptable!” That’s how I feel about tweed.

Apparently, that didn’t go unnoticed by my Secret Santa, who bought me a herringbone tweed strap, perfectly sized for my Black Bay 58. A classic Ralph Lauren tweed black-and-white sport coat was my first big-boy jacket purchased a few years back – and while it doesn’t fit me as well as some later purchases, this strap fits like a (slightly-scratchy woolen) glove. If I had to guess my Secret Santa, I’d imagine it’s either James or Logan, but apparently my love of tweed is so well known at this point that it could be anyone.

Gift I Gave: There are certain things that you can never have enough of – knickknacks, gadgets, a phone charger for every bag and backpack – and for someone working in watches, a good spring bar tool. I’ve been stuck on trips and shoots realizing I left my spring bar tool in the hotel when I needed it the most. That’s why when I heard that our beloved ex-newbie Sarah Miller hadn’t ever heard of a spring bar tool – let alone the fact she was hoping to change a strap without one. I guess I kind of overlooked the whimsical aspects of Secret Santa and immediately ordered my favorite tool from the Hodinkee Shop. Sometimes you just need a good practical gift. Hopefully, it’s the first in a collection of dozens of watch-related gizmos and gadgets and snaps in Sarah’s future.

Gift I Received: As a recently graduated newbie, the list of things I have no idea about is long. So you can imagine my frustration when I got a dive watch to review and it had a bracelet that didn’t fit me and a strap that would fit me that I liked a lot better anyway. How was I supposed to get this thing off and get the other thing on? In the end, I used my fingernail. It worked. But it did not prevent me from complaining about the experience in Slack. And so it stands to reason that my Secret Santa would’ve gotten me a spring bar tool. I mean it is really the clear choice. 

I can’t imagine who it could possibly be from, because honestly it could be anyone except for Charlie, our interim social media editor. Little did the Secret Santa know that Charlie had already taken it upon himself to send me three of these. So now only do I not need a spring bar anymore, I could open a spring bar boutique!

Gift I Gave: I was watching a video and Brandon was wearing a hat. And I was like, “Oh, Brandon looks really good in that hat but I bet he would look even better in a black cashmere hat.” So I bought him one. And actually we met very briefly in a parking lot to do a watch handoff, both of us wearing masks because I had just gotten off of a plane, and he was wearing the hat and it looked awesome on him, even in a mask,  and I wanted to say something but I restrained myself!

Gift I Received: I received a black cashmere beanie from J. Crew and I couldn’t be any happier. It’s getting cold in Los Angeles (is 60 degrees considered cold?) so I’ve been wearing it on a daily basis. Hair seems to be running away from my big ol’ head so this really helps to keep me warm. It even made an appearance in a few of my A Week On The Wrist videos. 

If I had to guess, I’d say our thoughtful editor Mark Kauzlarich, pulled my name because a few weeks ago he made a comment about my often-worn purple Los Angeles Lakers beanie. I forgot exactly what he said (it was a compliment from what I remember; he’s such a nice guy!), but was that a subtle hint that he got me a replacement? Maybe. Or was it our uber-cool Style Editor, Malaika Crawford, hooking me up with a much-needed beanie makeover? I don’t know. I do know the suspense is killing me. When will this article come out already!?

Gift I Gave: When I pulled Jonathan McWhorter, our brilliant Video Producer,  I immediately knew what to get him. I already figured it’d be difficult to get anyone anything watch related without overspending, but car-related items are close enough. Right?

I know Jonathan loves Porsche (he owns quite a beauty), and he recently became a homeowner so I assumed he’d enjoy some Porsche-related reading material that could double as home decor. I ended up getting him a hardcover book titled Porsche Unseen: Design Studies. I’ve never read it, but it got pretty good reviews online and the cover looks cool so I think it could be coffee table worthy. I just pray it didn’t make it to bathroom reading material. I really hope he likes it. Nonetheless, Merry Christmas my dude!

Gift I Received: I received the Porsche Unseen coffee table book from my Secret Santa. It was a really nice surprise because originally I thought the criteria we all agreed upon was that the gifts were going to be watch related. But also, aside from this initial shock, it is because this particular book is incredibly fascinating, albeit to a very particular group of people (it’s me, I’m particular).

The book details concepts and design studies from Porsche’s design studio in Weissach, Germany. Many designs featured in the book haven’t seen the light of day, which is one of the coolest things a younger version of me could imagine; as a kid, I dreamt of one day designing cars for a living, and later becoming specifically interested in Porsche as a brand. So, to have this show up in an Amazon box with no return address and no idea who it was from was a very cool surprise. This book is a very specific thing to pick out for someone, showing a lot of thought by my Secret Santa, which is truly what counts.

Great gift, 911 out of 10.

Gift I Gave: I gave Logan a gold magnifying loupe! On a team full of detail-oriented folks, Logan is certainly the winner of the Most Detailed superlative. As a preface, what you must know is that on multiple Zoom calls I have witnessed this young man, unprovoked, using a loupe for who-knows-what unrelated-to-the-call purpose in the background.

So why did I give him a Secret Santa gift that he clearly already had covered? Well, Logan is not afraid to outdress any setting that he will grace with his presence. I have personally born witness to more brightly colored paisley shirts in a single suitcase than I considered possible for one person to pack. So when Logan is out visiting a trade show an auction, I can’t let my man be dressed to the nines with a pedestrian black plastic loupe! No! This is Logan Baker! It must be shiny, and it will be gold.

But not real gold because we had a budget.

Gift I Received: Yes, that is a loupe in my pocket, and yes, I am happy to see you. I’m that guy. I carry a loupe pretty much everywhere I go. But honestly, I really don’t care if you call me a nerd, I’d rather be prepared and have a loupe on my person at all times in case of impromptu meetings with fellow horological folk. You never know what you might see while at the office, or who you might run into during an evening event. I think it’s just good practice to always have a loupe within arm’s reach.

But what kind of loupe makes the best everyday carry (EDC)? That’s a tough question. The quintessential handheld loupes that most watch collectors deal with (not counting the hardcore crowd) generally fall into two categories – there are the throwaway plastic loupes that might be sitting out by the dozen during an auction preview or watch meet-up, and then there are the higher-quality wooden loupes that brands tend to give away as commemorative gifts. Neither of those, unfortunately, make for a great EDC option.

That’s where my Secret Santa came in with the perfect surprise – a gold-tone metal loupe with a 10X lens, a diamond-cut external finish for better grip, and a clever folding system that protects the lens from dust and grime when it’s not being actively used. It also has the right amount of heft to handle pocket duty with ease; I can’t wait to see what kind of patina it might develop after a few years of daily use. Oh, and did I mention it even comes with a keychain clasp and its own travel-ready leather pouch?

Gift I Gave: Annette Roldan is one of the behind-the-scenes heroes involved in the production of all the amazing visual content you see on Hodinkee every day. So when I drew her name in Secret Santa, I knew I wanted to get her something special, like a watch. But how special of a watch could I find for less than $50? I was stumped, so I used a lifeline and phoned a friend: Kaitlin Koch. 

If the name sounds familiar to you, it’s for a good reason. She’s a former Hodinkee team member with an incredible collection of vintage ladies’ wristwatches, ring watches, and pendant watches. She also maintains a close eye on all the best online listings in those categories. (Kaitlin was generous enough to allow me to profile her collection in Hodinkee Magazine, Volume 11.) A few minutes after I texted asking for her guidance, Kaitlin hit me with an eBay listing that contained what felt like an incredible gift for Annette – a badass mid-century Timex Electric with a unique spherical gold-tone case and matching mesh bracelet. I absolutely adore the dramatic execution of the brushed case finish that really helps play up the offbeat globe shape. And the best part of it all? It was only $35.

Gift I Received: I got this gorgeous vintage Timex from my lovely Secret Santa. Whoever got this for me definitely knows my personality and taste better than I do. It’s dainty, fun, and elevates any basic outfit. A black tee, blue jeans, and this watch? I would already look far more stylish and put together than without it! Though I love it, I’d probably never get this for myself. It clearly stands out in my small (yet growing!) collection. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t want it if I saw it in a store, because I would! It just has an air of coolness and elegance that I didn’t think would easily suit me, but definitely does. Because of this, I’m going to guess this is from our style editor/queen, Malaika Crawford.

Gift I Gave: In turn, I chose a Timex for Nick! This one has has a funkiness to it that I believe he represents. He loves a statement piece, which this can be, but it also has the simplicity for everyday wear (while still being fun). It was in our price range, and in good condition, so it was an easy choice from the moment I saw it! I had a bit more cash to spare, so I got this singular watch roll as well from Etsy. I remember Nick mentioning once that he doesn’t have a proper way to store his watches, so I wanted to get this so he can travel with a special one at any time. Plus, who doesn’t love some customization? Altogether, this was about $55. 

Gift I Received: When I opened my Secret Santa stocking, aka a box with a Post-It note that appeared one day on my desk, I was delighted to find a monogrammed, snap-shut leather watch case. What a gift! Thoughtful, useful, personal: the trifecta. Upon unsnapping, I realized that a second gift was tucked inside the first gift. The second gift was a watch. A wonderful time-only black-and-white Timex of unknown vintage or provenance, with numerals just slightly fancier than they need to be – which I admit is an accurate summation of my personal style.  

Although I did not particularly mind that the watch came with a cracked crystal, I did mind that it came on a stretchy bracelet with the structural integrity of cooked linguine. So I paid a guy in Herald Square exactly $5 to remove some links. After he thought he was done and the bracelet was merely al dente, I asked him to remove even more links. Despite clearly believing that our transaction should by now be over, and possibly wishing a slow death upon me, he agreed to take more out. The thing now fits and I like it more than multiple watches I have purchased for myself. 

I’m guessing that my Secret Santa was production coordinator Annette Roldan, because it’s a producer’s job to ensure that shoots come in on budget. And it’s a pretty remarkable feat to deliver a handsome watch like this plus a monogrammed case for less than 50 bucks.

Gift I Gave: I know Malaika loves vintage Pierre Cardin. And I know she loves yellow gold. And I know she wears her jewelry chunky. This watch is only sort of gold, but it’s definitely got strong chunk appeal – and with its costume-y design, it seems to me like it should pair nicely with her many fabulous rings. Guess we’ll see!

Gift I Received: I was so very touched by the gift I received. Turns out one of my coworkers has actually been listening to me / following my Instagram and knows I have a mild obsession with vintage Pierre Cardin timepieces. I tore open the very anonymous-looking envelope which contained a small white box. Kind of romantic? I opened it up, and there she was – my new  teeny tiny Pierre Cardin watch. A perfect gift for me, Hodinkee’s Style Editor: Fashion meets watch world and within budget too! Buying me something to wear is a brave move; I commend this anonymous giver of stylish gifts. I tried on the watch immediately and felt a warm Christmas glow as I gazed at the Pierre Cardin logo on the dial. 10/10 to you, my new favorite colleague. Insert heart emoji here.

Gift I Gave: I had originally planned a completely different gift for Kaan. I hesitate to mention the gift here because I don’t want him to feel let down by what landed in his mailbox. Turns out L.L. Bean monogramming takes longer than one would imagine (thank you festive season rush). I panicked and asked his closest coworker what to do. Yup, I cheated! I wanted to get him something practical, but I still wanted it to be fun. After the L.L. Bean shipping saga, I only had two days to make this work. I found out he had just purchased a Nintendo Switch, so I went for the wackiest, most colorful but still practical accessories I could find. Kaan, you might end up with two gifts – let’s see how my refund request goes!

Gift I Received: My Secret Santa either did some much-appreciated investigative research or is the other video editor in this article who knows I just impulse-bought a Nintendo Switch this past month (eyes on Joe Wyatt). My gift comes in two parts: The first is a storage system for Nintendo Switch games designed as a Mystery Box from Mario. It’s a fun design and will come in handy for keeping my developing hobby organized. The second part is a holder for the console itself, so my Switch can live in it when not being played, or I can use it as a stand for when I want to lean back and play from afar.

These are very thoughtful gifts due to the timeliness and functionality of both items, but I also really appreciate the wholesome designs of both the cartridge and console holders. There’s a major nostalgia factor in seeing the Mystery Box, especially since my older sister and I played a lot of Nintendo as kids, and now that I’m reintroducing myself to Nintendo, it comes back full circle and reminds me of the joy and light-hearted spirit these games bring.

Gift I Gave: Being James Stacey’s Secret Santa is a bit intimidating. Knowing that he’s the longest-tenured writer on the team, with many years of experience, I challenged myself to at least try and pick something that could impress him for under $50. I looked at his Hodinkee profile and noticed he’s the owner of a 2000’s Rolex Explorer II 16570. He appreciates a Rolex, but unfortunately $50 is a bit shy from what I needed for another watch with the same level of wow factor. 

I then looked at his recent stories and was able to easily pick up that he’s heavily into cars. Being the video editor of our recent Reference Points on the Rolex Daytona, I learned that Rolex sponsored the Daytona International Speedway in 1964 in an effort to attract the U.S. market to their then-new chronograph. The race on this track would later be known as the Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona, and I found a used hat from their 2003 race on auction. To me, and hopefully James, this hat represents both horological and automotive appreciation, and has some historical value since it’s from nearly two decades ago. Plus it’s white, so James can hopefully find a lot of ways to style it.

Gift I Received: For this outing of the edit team’s Secret Santa, my gift was delivered in a cardboard box entirely devoid of hints as to its origin. It’s a white souvenir hat from the 2003 24 Hours of Daytona, which is a 24-hour endurance race sponsored by Rolex. For a few moments, after I removed the hat from its box, I couldn’t figure out why it had been sent to me or if I had ordered it in some sort of a fugue state. Then it hit me. 

Seeing as I orchestrated the name-drawing for our Secret Santa, I knew that Kaan had gotten the task of buying for me – and I think he did quite well. Not only do I love cars and many motorsports, but I own a white-dialed Rolex with black accents that is also from the mid-2000s. They look pretty good together, don’t you think? I’d love to tell you that the hat fit my truly gargantuan head, but I’d hate for that lie to land me on the naughty list. Thanks, Kaan!

Gift I Gave: I assigned myself Nora, as I had recently found an Etsy seller with some very cool ring watches that wouldn’t exactly work well on one of my fingers. As much as a silly gift is sometimes the move for such a task, I eventually settled on a ring watch I thought she might actually enjoy and even wear from time to time. 

It features a gold-tone flower-like cap of genuine “pearls” and engraved detailing used to cover a simple and tiny roman numeral display. This Villereuse model uses a 17-jewel mechanical movement and I certainly hope it works, even if I figure the dial is too small to be useful during the sort of outing where one might wear such a piece. 

In short, I think ring watches are cool, I know Nora is cool, and I hope she enjoys this ring watch at least as much as I enjoyed the process of finding it.

Gift I Received: I opened a very blah package to find an absolutely beautiful ring watch nestled inside. It is a large, ornate gold (plated I’m guessing) ring with pearls that pops open to reveal a stunning and small watch. The watch itself has a tiny dial with roman numerals and an art-deco text and feels like a very special secret. This is the sort of over-the-top needlessly glamorous gift that I always hope someone is going to get me. It kind of makes me want to smoke a long cigarette out of an even longer cigarette holder and check the time dramatically while someone pours me a gimlet. I love this watch and am genuinely touched that James thought of this, but he is a second-hand shopping master and super observant guy so I shouldn’t have been surprised. 

Gift I Gave: Putting this story together has made me realize I’m a bit of an a-hole. Everyone gifted these super thoughtful and useful or at least very nice gifts. I, on the other hand, put together a gift that made me laugh. 

I drew Danny Milton, who I consider a bud, and one thing about Danny is that he is a great sport. He’s also extremely easy to rile up. So knowing this I set about making a 500-piece puzzle of a variety of truly odd photos of Danny that I collected from around the site. I included the Play button on one image since he has an incredible eye for visuals and I knew it would drive him crazy. It also says “World’s Best Dan” which is a play on “World’s Best Dad” that really cracked me up. 

Anyway, I feel like I should probably Venmo him $15 to make up for how silly this gift is, but the important thing is I had a great time making it and then imagining his reaction upon receiving it.

Gift I Received: I received a gift I never could have predicted. It is so random, it lured me into a Rodin-style stupor (clothed) for many minutes. I was puzzled. A puzzle? And not just any puzzle, but a puzzle with my face all over it. Who got this for me?? 

I’m not sure my ego needed any more fuel, but this had me on the floor laughing. It was the little details, like leaving the “play button” atop the lead image of my Talking Watches appearance, or the “lower thirds” text with my name on it from my Watching Movies video. Actually, part of the text is cut off, which makes it so much better. As if the picture of me with the Naked Cowboy isn’t enough, I’m left with a title card dead center in not one, but three different typefaces (one of which is the “marker” font I think). “World’s Best Dan.” Forget for a moment if that’s true but…nobody calls me Dan. 

The point is, I love this gift so much and will be spending time this holiday season putting the puzzle pieces of my face together. There’s a metaphor in there somewhere. Thanks, Nora.

Gift I Gave: Before I even knew who I was getting a gift for, I was determined to buy them a watch and remain within budget. It just so happens I was “assigned” our video editor extraordinaire, Joe Wyatt. His name might not be known to you, but his work behind the scenes on such projects as Watches in the Wild and Watching Movies shows you his impressive skill set. He also happens to be one of the nicest guys I know, and a movie nut on a level I am fully on board with (yes, we’ve gone head-to-head in movie trivia at company events). And so my brain got to thinking “Movies, watches, budgets, lightbulb!” 

And so I sprang for the Casio CA53W1CR – which is as close to the original Casio watch from Back to the Future as you can buy on the market today. I may have gotten a bit carried away with the presentation of the gift, but I was so excited to get it for Joe.

Gift I Received: Whoever my Secret Santa is, I’m going to assume they know I love panda dials. Maybe I told them or it was a very lucky guess. I did not get a beautiful panda-dial watch since our budget was under $50, but I did get Panda Puffs, Rolex spoons, and a letter with very neat handwriting. Can’t wait to find out who my Secret Santa is so I can know who writes this neatly?!  

Gift I Gave: I was a Secret Santa for Will, who very much likes basketball and follows a certain team. Since we could only spend up to $50, what could I get for this person? Well, Will, I hope you like your personalized gift. I chose number 33 for the OG Larry Bird. I really hope I got this right because I do not watch basketball at all.

Gift I Received: Someone knows me well. What we have here is a personalized Boston Celtics blanket, and it’s great on a few levels. I’m a die-hard Celtics fan, dating to the ’80s – when the great Larry Bird (the “33” herein) led us to three NBA titles. It’s also huge, like 5 ft. by 6 ft., so I can wrap my now family of four in it as we watch this year’s Celtics bring home the title (apologies to any future Talking Watches guests). How many gifts keep you warm, take you back to your childhood, and bring your family closer together? Well done, Secret Santa (I’m looking at you, Brandon Menancio, if I had to guess). And just as a minor point of clarification, the “EST 1946” there at the bottom – that refers to the team, not the author.

Gift I Gave: Full disclosure, I don’t know our new-(ish) editor Tony Traina all that well – having only met over Zoom. What I do know, from reading his articles, is that: 1) he really loves watches; and 2) he really knows his stuff. Let the watch-geek-specific gift hunt begin. 

I had a few ideas – and spent a few anxious days making overzealous bids for cool vintage watches (I hard my heart set on a vintage Elgin for our Illinois-based Tony) on obscure auction sites, only to lose out in the end. In a moment of inspiration I remembered those movement prints that the Shop sells – which inspired a vision of this El Primero 3019 PHC gracefully filling a white-wall void the Trainas have long struggled with; the piece that really brings their place together! Or something like that. Happy Holidays, Tony!

Gift I Received: I received a Springs and Gears print of Zenith’s El Primero movement. Funnily enough, I already have a Springs and Gears print of a Rolex movement hanging up in my apartment – I’ve always liked the Brooklyn studio’s letterpress prints – so it’s a fitting gift. Honestly, I like this Zenith print more, and I’ll be swapping it on my wall soon. It’s a more historically important caliber, not to mention better looking, and now I can remind myself what a horizontal clutch is whenever I glance at it. 

I also like that on this print the automatic rotor is partially transparent so you can see the rest of the movement architecture below. Prints like this are a fun way to appreciate a watch or caliber that you might never personally own, but still want to feel like you have a small piece of.

Gift I Gave: Who needs a set of vintage Rolex silver spoons? No one, which is what I thought might make it a great Secret Santa gift. The Swiss retailer Bucherer used to give these Rolex spoons to customers who purchased a Rolex at one of their shops. You’ll find them engraved with a handful of different cities (for you New Yorkers: the silver spoon engraved “New York” is actually the rarest of the bunch, making it too expensive for this particular Secret Santa). 

We recently covered our favorite watch merch, and these little spoons have always been one of my favorites. And since I drew Tiffany, Hodinkee’s intrepid photographer, I figured that, at the very least, they’d make nice props for a shoot or two. Also, I had a few bucks left over so I threw in a box of cereal to eat with those new spoons – Panda Puffs, of course.