Buying a Rolex as a Gift: A Practical Guide

A Rolex is one of the few gifts that will outlive both of you, which is exactly why getting it wrong matters. The two things people get wrong are size and taste, and both are solvable without asking a single suspicious question.

Sizing without asking

Measure a watch they already own. Case diameter across the dial, and lug-to-lug from the top of the upper lugs to the bottom of the lower lugs. Match those numbers rather than guessing from their wrist.

If they have no watch, a soft tape or a strip of paper around the wrist while they are asleep is the traditional method. Under 16cm, look at 28-34mm. 16-17cm, 31-36mm. Above 17cm, 36-41mm.

Choose a model that will not date

The Datejust and the Oyster Perpetual are the two safest choices in the catalogue. Both have looked correct for seventy years and will look correct for another seventy. Our Datejusts start at £3,550 and Oyster Perpetuals at £2,600.

Avoid buying someone else's statement piece. A gem-set gold watch is a very specific taste and an expensive way to discover it is not theirs.

Play it safe on dial and metal

If you are not certain of their taste, choose a silver, white or black dial, a smooth or fluted bezel and steel or two-tone. It is the combination that suits the widest range of people and the easiest to live with.

Note what jewellery they already wear. Someone who wears yellow gold will not thank you for steel, and vice versa.

Get the returns policy right before you buy

This is the single most important practical step. Buying from a UK business, the Consumer Contracts Regulations give you 14 days from receipt to cancel an online or telephone order. Confirm in writing that a return is possible if the size is wrong.

Also ask whether the bracelet can be resized after the gift is given, and whether links are included. A watch that does not fit and cannot be adjusted is a problem, not a present.

Engraving: don't

An engraved caseback reduces the value of a Rolex substantially and cannot be undone without refinishing the case. If you want the sentiment recorded, engrave the box or write a card.

The same applies to aftermarket diamonds. Whatever the intention, it costs money and it cannot be reversed.

Budget honestly

We hold 262 watches under £5,000 and 1258 under £10,000. A well-chosen Datejust at the lower end of that will be worn every day for thirty years. A stretched-for sports watch that does not fit will sit in a drawer.

Buy the right watch, not the most expensive one.

Browse the collection

Browse the Datejust and Oyster Perpetual collections, or the full range of 2376 watches from £3,070.