Watches to mark the biggest occasions in life, the wedding anniversary

Tom Austin

Life is full of milestones, be it in your family, work life, or education, but one kind is a tradition that spans centuries. Celebrating wedding anniversaries can be traced back as far as ancient Rome, but it was a little later in the Victorian era when we began popularising the custom of celebrating wedding anniversaries with symbolic gifts. Over time, this standardised into the current format we know today, with the first year celebrated, then every five years up to 30, then every ten after that, if you’re lucky enough to make it there. The good thing for us watch lovers is that each of these milestones can be marked with something special, and there are plenty of watches which fit the bill perfectly. Let’s check them out.

Baltic Aquascaphe Classic White – 1 year, paper

The threads within paper symbolise a blank slate, referencing the beginnings of something new, something clean and fresh. Those of us who are married know that the first year can be rather financially stretched, so we’ll start out at the lower end of the market with a classic from Baltic. The Aquascaphe Classic White is a modern dive watch with all the trimmings that has that vintage appeal and doesn’t break the bank. Importantly, it has that all-important white dial with a grained texture reminiscent of paper. Baltic is known for experimenting with some cool dial textures, and the Aquascaphe is no exception, with this finely textured example. It features a 39mm stainless steel case, unidirectional sapphire bezel, a double-domed sapphire crystal, and a screw-down crown, all the ingredients for an excellent dive watch with a 200-metre water resistance. It oozes vintage cool, too, with the small indices on the bezel and the large lume plots on the dial. Price: €580 (~US$645), available from the Time+Tide Shop

Ralph Lauren 42 MM Chronograph Steel Wood Bezel – 5 years, wood

After five years, wood is next on the list. It represents strength, wisdom and deep roots. Although these days, five years seem to feel more like two, I must say. Now, for new wooden watches, our choices are a little limited, so for this, we have the Ralph Lauren 42 MM Chronograph in steel with a wooden bezel. Now bear with me, I could have gone for a full wooden watch off Amazon, but it’s not 2006 anymore, thankfully, or we could have gone super high end, but we’re still only on the second item on this list, we’ve got to save that stuff until the end. This isn’t the first foray into using wood as a material for Ralph Lauren, but it’s probably one of the more visually appealing in the range, especially if you like large watches. It comes in 42mm of stainless steel, with huge, swan-necked lugs connected to a chunky steel bracelet; inside lives an automatic RL650 movement, visible through a sapphire caseback. The large black dial has beige printed hour markers and white chronograph sub-dials. As far as chronographs go, it’s a well-laid-out watch that is clear and easy to read. Finally, the watch is finished with an amboyna burl wood bezel. It’s a unique feature which actually I could see fitting in quite well with that preppy Ralph Lauren look. Price: US$9,800

I have to give a notable mention here to Rolex wooden dials, too, if the budget allows – these vintage pieces can be a little difficult to source and seem to be getting rarer, but if you’re looking for a real high-end luxury watch with a wooden theme, these are fantastic alternatives.

10 years – Tin – Christopher Ward Twelve Titanium

Tin is a metal that is not commonly used in watches. It can be quite brittle, especially when cold, so we need to think a little outside the box about this one. For anniversaries, tin represents durability and strength, which is very much required for a decade of marriage in most cases. What is also strong and durable, however, is titanium. So, for this choice, we’ll go with the titanium Christopher Ward Twelve. The Twelve was released in 2023 to much fanfare as an affordable, stylish piece in keeping with the recent trend towards integrated bracelet watches. Later on in its life, Christopher Ward branched out and introduced this super-light titanium version. At 40mm wide and 8.95mm thick, it’s a well-sized, relatively thin sports watch with finely brushed and polished surfaces, making it eye-catching and look a lot more expensive than it actually is. This is especially prevalent when you look a little closer at the details, such as the astral blue pyramid relief pattern on the dial. Price: US$1,895

Baume & Mercier Riviera 39mm – 15 years, crystal

Crystals, unlike diamonds, can sometimes be delicate, and that even goes for the sapphire crystal found on a lot of watches these days. Don’t ask me what happens if you catch your watch just right on that door handle… So, with that, crystal for a 15th anniversary can serve as a reminder to nurture and care for the relationship to prevent it from breaking. We could pick most watches for this, but I wanted to select something with a little extra sapphire crystal, the Baume & Mercier Riviera. The Riviera importantly features a smoky blue transparent sapphire crystal dial, allowing you to see some of the inner workings, along with looking deceptively unique. Another integrated bracelet sports watch, the Riviera comes in either 39 or 42mm, crafted from stainless steel with an interchangeable rubber strap or link bracelet. Price: US$4,100

Atelier Wen Porcelain Odyssey Hao – 20 years, China

Twenty years in, and yes, marriage can be fragile, but cared for, it can last a lifetime, so to represent this, we have China. Taking a small liberty here, we’ve gone for a watch from China that also features a porcelain dial, the Atelier Wen Porcelain Odyssey Hao. There’s just something about porcelain dials that evoke high-end luxury and craftsmanship, and that’s precisely what we get here from Atelier Wen. Atelier Wen is a relatively new watch brand, but one that has made a huge mark on the overly European watch market in the last couple of years. They have shown the world that Chinese watchmaking can be refined and intricate, and the Porcelain Odyssey Hao is an excellent example. Inspired by French and Swiss watches of the past and the famous Qing Hua porcelains, the watch captures this classic appeal while remaining affordable and accessible despite some very intricate dial work. Price: sold out, ~US$1,500 on the secondary market

Tudor Black Bay 58 925 – 25 years, silver

Silver is a truly underrated material for modern wristwatches. Silver represents the durability of marriage, in a tradition that goes back to Roman times, when husbands would give their wives silver wreaths for 25 years of marriage. There was one obvious choice here for this: the Tudor Black Bay 58 925. First of all, it’s a 39mm Tudor Black Bay 58, one of the most solid, vintage-inspired divers on the market today. It features everything you need as a diver in fastidious detail, but with the excellent quality we’ve come to expect from Tudor. Most notably, however, the stand-out feature here is the solid silver case satin brushed with bevelled edges, paired with a taupe dial and rotating bezel. These colours are unique to the silver model, and honestly, once the silver has taken on a patina over time, they look absolutely fantastic together. Price: US$4,650

Rolex Daytona – 30 years, pearl

Things are getting pretty serious now, and 30 years calls for a heavy-hitter. Mother-of-pearl symbolises love, wisdom and purity, along with time, as some pearls can take a long time to develop. For this, we’ve chosen a new entry to Rolex’s catalogue for 2024, the Daytona with a mother-of-pearl dial. The Rolex Daytona needs very little introduction. Considered a flagship piece by many, the latest version comes in white gold, either with a solid white gold Oyster bracelet, or a rubber Oysterflex. The case of the Rolex chronograph was recently updated to a slightly larger, more wearable proportion, and this particular model features diamonds set into the bezel, which, while making the chronograph hand slightly redundant, looks pretty awesome, given Rolex’s reputation for factory gem-setting. Each mother-of-pearl dial is completely unique, with some dials darker and more pearlescent than others. It’s certainly a statement piece, which is well deserved for 30 years of marriage. Price: starting from US$68,780

Cartier Santos-Dumont Rewind – 40 years, ruby

Ruby is the stone of choice for 40 years, and represents passion, loyalty and devotion. I can’t think of another watch brand that makes me think of passion more than Cartier, so its latest release, the Santos-Dumont Rewind, is the perfect choice in more ways than one. At a glance, we just see a red Santos-Dumont; however, look a little closer, and you’ll notice a novel change on the dial, as the Roman numerals count backwards. Then, after a few moments, you’ll notice the actual hands are running backwards as well! Running reverse gearing and having the watch run backwards is one of those unique quirks that just screams “because we can”, and while not hugely complicated, it does certainly make for a talking point. This platinum watch is, of course, finished with a red carnelian stone dial, but importantly, that red ruby cabochon on the crown, making this the perfect passion piece to mark 40 years. Price: US$38,400

Rolex Day-Date – 50 years, gold

Fifty years – that’s half a century – and a significant landmark that requires a significant watch to mark it by. By this time in your life, you’re ready for the big leagues, and you need a watch that represents things like prosperity and strength, which is incidentally precisely what gold symbolises. For this, there can only be one, the yellow gold Rolex Day-Date. Introduced in 1956, the Day-Date has become one of the most iconic Rolex models of all time, worn by the likes of the Dalai Lama, Michael Jordan, Tony Soprano, and of course, many US presidents. It remains relatively unchanged to this day, aside from some interesting dial variations, it retains the 36mm size, with the classic fluted bezel and that all important presidential bracelet. Arguably the GOAT of gold watches, the Rolex Day-Date has become synonymous with success, longevity and unmistakable prestige. Price: starting from US$36,500

Rexhep Rexhepi Chronometre Contemporain II Diamant – 60 years, diamond

Sixty years is a big one that many of us can only hope to reach, and it’s traditionally celebrated with diamonds. Representing strength, brilliance, and an unbreakable bond, the diamonds shine brightly in many watches, but one particular watch stands out as a piece that is important enough for this specific occasion: the Rexhep Rexhepi Chronometre Contemporain II Diamant.

Diamond-set watches can sometimes go a little too far, but the Chronometre Contemporain II Diamant is different. It’s a formal, time-only dress watch initially introduced in 2022 without diamonds. Created by the independent mastermind, Rexhep Rexhepi, the diamond-set dial is made from solid gold, and enamel fired for a deeper-than-deep black finish. It’s set into a 38mm platinum case and crafted with the assistance of the legendary Jean-Pierre Hagman. It features an exquisitely finished movement with double barrels and twin trains, one for the time and one for the deadbeat seconds, all finished with beautiful anglage and côtes de Genève. Extremely limited in numbers and particularly difficult to come by, the CCII Diamant is a watch that captures modern watchmaking perfectly but retains that timeless classic appeal while integrating some serious craftsmanship. Price: CHF 150,000 (~US$178,000)