need watch suggestions for graduation gift for my son..

[snowflakeluvr]

my son will graduate in may. he has worn a school uniform always and other than that, soccer gear. NOT into fashion at all. had a dance over the holidays cancelled due to snow-jeans and new shirts still in the bag...
so, with this kind of a kid, is there a simple, classic watch(under $500, even less if you know a good one) that would be a good gift for his graduation? he will be going away to college this fall and still will probably wear mostly warm-up stuff, nike t''s, that sort of thing. unless he gets bit by the fashion bug before then? he is very clean-cut and hygienic, just all jock, tall and slender. also, he is type 1 diabetic and as yet, hardly wears his engraved dog-tag that he will most definitely have to get used to wearing that once he''s driving and away from home... just wanted to give some background on his lack of fashion interest. maybe a watch isn''t even a good idea????
any suggestions are appreciated. thanks!

 

[omieluv]

Personally, I love watches, but I am not your son's age. I have heard that women in their 20's use their cell phones in place of watches, but I am not sure what guys do. However, my brother, who is 25, does not wear a watch. If you have your heart set on getting him a watch, I would stick to something sporty, especially if he will be wearing "jock" clothing while at college. If you had your heart set on a dress watch, maybe save that for when he graduates from college.

 

[snowflakeluvr]

thanks omieluv,
wow-i think you might be right. ds has a cell phone but he rarely uses it! he''s just not that social yet, so other than school and sports practices/games, he is at home. i''ll look into a sporty watch maybe but you''re right about the fancy dress watch-thanks for your input. i appreciate.
our dd graduated two years ago and girls are sooo much easier to shop for...

 

[omieluv]

No problem Snowflake! Also ensure the watch has a sapphire crystal. Sapphire crystals stand up to wear and tear much better than mineral crystals. This will be important, especially if your son is more active.

Here are some sporty watches that could be dressed up a bit:


http://www.eu.forzieri.com/usa/product_view.asp?l=usa&c=usa&pf_id=rw27476-005&id_valore1=&id_valore2=&id_valore3=&id_valore4=&id_valore5=&dept_id=33&AID=10273657&PID=1609763

• http://www.eu.forzieri.com/usa/product_view.asp?l=usa&c=usa&pf_id=rw27477-002&id_valore1=&id_valore2=&id_valore3=&id_valore4=&id_valore5=&dept_id=33&AID=10273657&PID=1609763
  
  
  
• http://www.shopathometv.com/catalog/product.jsp?N=1102047+13&Ne=5&Nty=1&categoryId=4479&gpCategoryId=4117&pCategoryId=4156&productId=27001650
  
  
  
• http://www.watches-outlet.com/watches/3363/luminox_ultimate_field_watch_802.html
  
  http://jomashop.com/victorinox-swiss-army-pro-500m-v251039.html
  
  
  
• http://www.ewatches.com/SwissArmy/24024.html
  
  
  
• http://www.shopnbc.com/product/?familyid=J174205&cm_mmc=LS-_-A-_-DF-_-DF&LinkID=q5QZHUbCIj8-ieBpvM0pKWPR7sBs8lX.Og

 

[Sundial]

My college age son has a Tissot watch that he loves. He wears it daily and it has held up nicely. They are available in a number of styles in your price range.

 

[jewelerman]

Tissot is a good choice i have owned one since 1984 and it still is going strong.I own several seikos and think that citizen eco-drives are are a nice quality watch that is affordable and will give many years of service.Get an all stainless model that is at least 50mm water resistant so he can wear it all the time.

 

[Diamond*Dana]

I bought my husband and Accutron for our anniversary, it is a nice watch and he loves it (he is not much of a watch person, but he does like this one). I used to wear a watch all the time, but now I just use my cell phone. I have had Seiko''s and Citizen Eco-Drives, all are nice!

 

[Kissmark]

Since your son is quite sporty and will most likely dress very casual for school, I think maybe a sporty watch like G Shock. It also has alarm function so it can remind your son to take his medicine everyday (not sure if that''s necessary for his condition).

 

[door knob solitaire]

Wish you had some way to combine the emergency dog tag info by engraving a watch back or some part of it.

Since he will be away and be using the roads I think a membership to AAA is always appropriate. An emergency jump or wrecker service or a gallon of gas or a key lock out is just a call away. Also if there are any turnpikes that he will frequent...a prepaid pass would be appreciated.

It sounds as if he is not a clothes horse...nor a jewelry fan...so you may have to hit him with practicality. A computer camera phone to call home would be cool. You can see his face as he is talking to you and it may not feel as if he is so far away. Just can''t think of much else. Hope you find the perfect fit!! §

 

[snowflakeluvr]

thanks everyone for the great ideas! i really thought a cool watch would be a great gift, but now i dunno???? our first born son is heading only 35 minutes(praise the Lord!) away to a state university. our dd however, is out of state, over 3 1/2 hours away and it stinks. so this mama(even tho he''s not a mama''s boy-him being D1 is a big deal) is really pleased he chose a school that is close to home. he also has a 4 year old brother who WORSHIPS him and frankly, i don''t know how HE is going to handle big brother''s departure...
i so appreciate all of your ideas. i am stumped. dh and i will have to mull this over. our son just got into the i-pod thing very lately and he has a basic camera/cell phone but i know there are new electronic technologies happening every day...
girls are sooo much easier to shop for, cuz they want EVERYTHING. thank you all. i''ll let you know if i find a great watch for this great guy.
(this is such a wonderful forum and i''d love to share pics of my few diamond pieces but i am computer-inept and can''t seem to downsize my pics for sharing-sorry wwaahhh)

 

[Diamond*Dana]

I do think that a watch is a great idea for a graduation gift...it is something that he can always have! My DH''s Aunt bought both her son and daughter watches when they graduated from high school...she got a Coach and he got a Seiko. They both graduated within 5-7 years ago and still wear them. I do not remember them wearing wathes beforehand. If you think that your son would wear one, I think that a watch is wonderful!

 

[snowflakeluvr]

hi diamond dana,
his soccer team just won the state title in november and their championship rings are coming in in early february. his school mascot is "irish" almost like notre dame, but not quite, so the stone will be green. he did not want a class ring, so i am anxious to see if he''ll wear this. if he does, then maybe a watch is back in the pool of ideas.
thanks for being so nice, everyone! i just love this kid so much and dd received a tiffany engraved key chain with a little personal message engraved(private joke from me to her) which was a big surprise, because she chose a coach bag and we had a really nice, catered party for her, so she didn''t expect anything else, and the keychain was something she''d always have with her at school and would remind her of us. she was so tickled with that surprise that i''d like to do something similar for my wonderful son. have a great day, all

 

[Hera]

In a heart beat I would suggest this Tag Heuer watch. My husband has one and it's both refined, sporty and will last a long time. My husband bangs it up all of the time and it can take a beating. I did find it $39.00 over budget but I think it's worth it and with more shopping you may find it less expensive.

http://www.amazon.com/Heuer-Formula-Steel-Watch-WAH1112-BA0850/dp/B000QVQIRW/ref=sr_1_33?ie=UTF8&s=jewelry&qid=1201302330&sr=8-33

 

[monarch64]

Date: 1/25/2008 6:09:46 PM
Author: heraanderson
In a heart beat I would suggest this Tag Heuer watch. My husband has one and it''s both refined, sporty and will last a long time. My husband bangs it up all of the time and it can take a beating. I did find it $39.00 over budget but I think it''s worth it and with more shopping you may find it less expensive.

http://www.amazon.com/Heuer-Formula-Steel-Watch-WAH1112-BA0850/dp/B000QVQIRW/ref=sr_1_33?ie=UTF8&s=jewelry&qid=1201302330&sr=8-33

That''s a great watch heranderson! I think that is the one Belle just got for her DH using part of her PS gift for making 10,000 posts! She has a thread about it over in Hangout. It certainly is a great watch and the sporty style would be perfect for snowflakeluvr''s son...I love Tags--DH and I have matching Link styles (mine has diamond markers though, lol

)

 

[Hera]

Date: 1/25/2008 9:33:04 PM
Author: monarch64

Date: 1/25/2008 6:09:46 PM
Author: heraanderson
In a heart beat I would suggest this Tag Heuer watch. My husband has one and it''s both refined, sporty and will last a long time. My husband bangs it up all of the time and it can take a beating. I did find it $39.00 over budget but I think it''s worth it and with more shopping you may find it less expensive.

http://www.amazon.com/Heuer-Formula-Steel-Watch-WAH1112-BA0850/dp/B000QVQIRW/ref=sr_1_33?ie=UTF8&s=jewelry&qid=1201302330&sr=8-33

That''s a great watch heranderson! I think that is the one Belle just got for her DH using part of her PS gift for making 10,000 posts! She has a thread about it over in Hangout. It certainly is a great watch and the sporty style would be perfect for snowflakeluvr''s son...I love Tags--DH and I have matching Link styles (mine has diamond markers though, lol

)

I have a Tag too(link style) and I love it. Running over to Hangout to read Belle''s thread