James Porter & Son 2023 Christmas Watch Guide

And just like that, it's that time of year again. The decorations are coming down from the attic, work Christmas parties are fast approaching, and you've probably planned where to get the turkey from this year. The holiday season is a unique opportunity where friends and family can come together, and like many significant moments, it's great to know the watch on your wrist is an appropriate piece to create future memories. At James Porter & Son, we pride ourselves on providing professional, considered advice when you step foot in our Glasgow stores, and online, we're no different. So, as Mariah Carey begins to ring around your house, here's our robust guide to watches this Christmas.

Hamilton

American Classic Boulton Small Seconds

If one watch style excels during the holiday season, it's the dress watch, and Hamilton's Boulton is as classic as they get. Measuring 27.3mm x 31.1mm, you may assume it's exclusively a women's watch, but it's remarkably unisex. Sure, when held next to some of the other watches on our list it appears small, but therein lies its charm. With a rectangular case, timeless white dial with black Roman numerals and blued hands, the Boulton is a winner when dressed up for a Christmas party or even the big day. Its mid-century charm is also a refreshing contrast to Hamilton's tool watch excellence.   

Khaki Field Expedition

Maybe one of the latest and greatest slices of excellence mentioned above is more your speed? While the Boulton is for the formal moments, think of the Khaki Field Expedition as the go-to for walking off the pigs in blankets. Released this year to much fanfare, the Expedition is an extension of the Khaki Field family, and it introduces a rotating compass bezel. Powered by the H-10 calibre that boasts 80 hours of autonomy and at 37mm wide, it's a worry-free watch for the holiday season. With only the hours, minutes, and seconds, the Expedition is ideal for disconnecting from our information-heavy world.

Oris

ProPilot X Calibre 400 Laser

In recent years, the ProPilot X models have been some of the most compelling out of Oris. Rather than going down a 'vintage inspired' root, the watch looks forward, with contemporary touches such as angular design, titanium construction, and versatility. With the holiday season being about celebration and parties, the newest ProPilot X, the Laser, is one piece that's not afraid of being bold. With a dial created using a novel laser technique not seen before in watchmaking, this ever-changing dial gives off a rainbow effect when different shards of light hit it. Under the Christmas lights, this is one special piece.

Cotton Candy in Green

Sticking on the colourful theme, Oris rolled out their Cotton Candy Sixty-Five collection from bronze-only cases to steel this year, and although we love them as summer watches, the reality is that these pieces excel all year round. With a steel bezel to match the case and bracelet, all attention is drawn to the eye-catching yet subtle dials, and at just 38mm wide in a svelte profile, they're a brilliant, playful choice this winter. Our advice? If you want to get fully into the Christmas spirit, go for the green reference.

Sinn

356 Pilot Classic W

If chronographs are more your style, Sinn's recent 356 is easily one of the stand-out picks this winter. This Pilot Classic W is a monochromatic beauty, featuring an arctic white dial with contrasting black numerals, sub-registers, hands, and printing. As a bicompax chronograph, it has a little more clarity than a tri-compax, and with beautiful proportions, once on the wrist, it isn't easy to take off. Better yet, its pump pushers make timing the roast potatoes a breeze.

T50 GBDR

Wearing a rugged and highly functional diving watch over Christmas may seem a little overkill, but it makes a lot of sense with the Goldbronze 125 bezel of the T50. Featuring 1/8th gold, the bezel of this titanium take on the U50 is a unique bronze alloy. The result is a lovely muted golden hue that pairs with the titanium tone of the case and bracelet. Furthermore, thanks to the ultra-readable monochrome dial, legibility with the T50 is fantastic. A touch of gold from the T50 makes for a unique and unexpected way to enjoy the holiday season. 

Seiko

'New Regatta Timer' Retro Colour Collection

Red and green. No other colours scream Christmas quite like these two, and with the perfect rich shade of both, the Seiko SRPK13 makes a great choice this year. With its SKX-inspired case form, this reference is actually a call back to regatta timers from the 1960s. Here, the colours act as nods to this history, but they contribute greatly to season wishes this Christmas. Paired with your go-to Christmas jumper, the SRPK13 is a hit. 

King Seiko KSK 'Kiku' 6L Limited Edition - SJE095J1

Depending on where you are in the world while reading this, a white Christmas could be a given, a possibility, or zero chance of happening. Nevertheless, it's difficult to argue with the romance of snowfall in December. That said, while this SJE095J1 has a dial inspired by a flower, its arctic-like appearance is hard to resist. Marking a return of the King Seiko name, this limited edition of 600 with a seven-link bracelet is an elegant and striking piece on the wrist. There's even a hint of gold colouring to the Seiko signature - just like the star on a Christmas tree.

Grand Seiko

Spring Drive "Snowflake" SBGA211G

A seasonal-centric story wouldn’t be complete without Grand Seiko and, of course, the Snowflake. Arguably the dial texture that simultaneously propelled Grand Seiko deeply into the hearts of the collectors and the public spotlight, its textured dial replicates freshly fallen snow in a remarkably visceral way. Its case is titanium, and along with razor-sharp dial furniture, its finishing is an outlier at its price point. Better yet, with the automatic Spring Drive calibre behind a sapphire crystal, get cosy on the sofa this Winter and marvel at the finishing and technology behind this innovative movement system.

'Yuka Momiji' Mechanical Hi-Beat GMT SBGJ273

From the unassuming to the eye-catching, the Yuka Momiji SBGJ273 from Grand Seiko is unapologetically in the Christmas spirit. Although the original inspiration for the dial comes from Japanese autumnal scenery, we can't deny its rouge colour and complementary golden GMT hand aren't giving at least some hints of Christmas time. At 39.5mm as well, the SBGJ273 is one that all wrist sizes can enjoy, whether paired on its standard steel bracelet or swapped out with a leather strap from your collection. If tinsel were a watch, it would be this SBGJ273.

Citizen

Promaster Tough Green Dial BN0241-59W

On the surface, this might seem like a not-so-obvious pick for Christmas, but hear us out. Firstly, the Promaster Tough from Citizen is easily one of the ultimate field watches in the biz. With a monobloc case construction, solar movement, titanium build, and high-contrast dial execution, it won't give you any problems. But it's not just the configuration of the dial we love, but also its expressive green hue and lovely eye-catching visual texture. They say a pet is for life and not just for Christmas; the same applies to the Promaster Tough – it might just be the only field watch you'll ever need to own.    

Series 8 880 Automatic Limited Edition NB6032-53P

You've probably picked up on the different types of watches on this list by now. First, we have reliable, no-stress, capable watches. Next are stand-out daily ready comfortable watches. And finally, some pieces favour sophistication, typically in the form of dress watches. Well, this Limited Edition Series 8 880 from Citizen gives us a slice of everything with an extra serving of gold. Now, this isn't solid gold but steel in gold tone - perfect for a worry-free time with the family and plenty unique enough for the big day. Its dial is reminiscent of a snowy texture (we still can't get the idea of a white Christmas out of our heads), and its brown-like bezel tone feels reassuringly familiar.   

Casio G-Shock

40th Anniversary Remasterpiece Series DWE-5657RE-1ER

Carrying the reference number DWE-5657RE-1ER, this G-Shock square is a part of the 40th Anniversary Remasterpiece Series, and it's simply a wonderful celebration. Firstly, each year since the G-Shock was introduced in 1983, noteworthy references were released; if you need to know these at a glance, you'll find them throughout the entire strap. Secondly, the watch's display is completely clean, with no indications, just the timekeeping display. And finally, the watch also comes with a round case – just like the 5700 did – which can be swapped out. With the icing on the cake being a golden colour strap keeper, this is a must for anyone intrigued or obsessed with the original tough watch.

Mr-G Origins Series MRG-B5000D-1DR

Nothing makes you feel more like a child on the 25th of December than unwrapping a big and bold watch, and with this Mr-G Origins G-Shock, that feeling is better than ever. As the creme de la creme of the G-Shock world, this MRG-B5000 brings an all-metal titanium alloy appearance to the classic square G. Furthermore, it's packed with functionality, including a world timer, alarms, stopwatches, Bluetooth, which links to your phone and its solar-powered. Better still, its timekeeping is radio-controlled for the ultimate accuracy. It's essentially a grown-up G-Shock, and with all its functionality it's the perfect piece to spend time over Christmas playing with. 

Frederique Constant

Slimline Gents Small Seconds FC-235M4S4

At 37mm wide, with a rose gold plated case, guilloché silver dial, black numerals and hands, the Slimline from Frederique Constant is a hard dress watch to beat for its price. With a quartz movement powering it, the rosy hue truly comes alive on its alligator print brown strap. But above all else, it's simply a timeless classic appearance, perfect for those all-important moments around your loved ones this Christmas. 

Classic Index Premiere Limited Edition FC-301SWR3B6

The Classic Index Premiere picks up where the Slimline Gents left off, this time in an all-steel appearance. The Roman numerals, black hands and guilloché dial remain, but the piece offers additional depth through a multi-layered dial this time. There's now an automatic movement, a slightly larger case at 38.5mm, and a central seconds hand. We're still within the realm of dress watch here, but with the Classic Index Premiere, we're keeping things monochrome.

Nomos Glashütte

Metro 33 Muted Red 11

At 33mm wide, you may think this Metro from NOMOS is only suitable for smaller wrists. However, the Metro line is famed for not only having creative dial details but also prominent industrial-esque wire lugs. As a result, the 33mm case of this red-coloured example wears very well on many wrist sizes. NOMOS refer to this dial colour as muted red, but to get in the Christmas spirit, we'll call it 'Mulled Wine Red' for now. Ideal for the dressier holiday occasions and those cosy days when you load up a Christmas film and devour some chocolate. 

Club Sport Neomatik 39 Smoke 764

Over recent years, the Club has become the superstar of the NOMOS lineup, and with its bracelet, light grey dial, and fantastic proportions, this 764 is one of the latest examples. The dial is galvanised, which carries a lovely smoke-grey appearance and is paired with a steel construction and accompanying monochrome elements. It's the perfect grab-and-go choice for pairing with an eye-catching Christmassy outfit; we can already see the tree lights sparkling in this unassuming, stealthy slice of Bauhaus.

Doxa

200 C-Graph Whitepearl

Out of all of the current Doxa models, the Sub 200 C Graph II is one of the most distinctive due to its more conventional configuration compared to the Sub 300, and with the holiday season fast approaching, it's a cracking choice. Firstly, it's comfortable at 42mm with a short lug to lug. Secondly, its automatic calibre means you can throw this piece on and not worry about it while you're distracted by board games and present opening. And then there's the obvious. The Whitepearl edition selected here with its silvery dial gives us all of those white Christmas vibes, whether snowfall on the 25th is a given or simply a wish.

Army - 785.10.031G.26

Christmas is a nostalgic time. It's often when the extended family get together, catch up, and reminisce. It's also something we find commonplace in the world of watches, and Doxa's Army is the brand's most nostalgic-inducing piece in the collection. The Army was initially issued to Swiss Army Divers in the 1960s, and while its origins were long shrouded in mystery, this modern steel edition is loved by many. With its green bezel insert and matching green rubber strap, the tie to Christmas here is relatively on the nose, and we're making no apologies for it.

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