are often welcome as gifts - but in some cases, have real symbolism. For example, in Spain, just like many other Western countries, it is traditional for men to present women with engagement rings when their proposals are accepted. However, Spanish women often return the gesture by presenting their future husbands with designer watches. This is only one of the more unique ways in which mens watches are presented as gifts.

A Short History

Designer watches and luxury watches have actually been around for about 500 years, although they were usually signs of status or a tool of one's trade, as was the case for railroad mens' pocket watches and dive watches. The first men's watches appeared around the time of Martin Luther in the mid-16th Century; they were essentially miniature versions of the spring-wound wall clocks that had been invented less than a century earlier. Rather large and unwieldy, these early men's watches were worn around the neck, fastened by a chain.

'Bracelet watches,' which were the first true wristwatches, were not mens watches at all; first appearing shortly after the American Civil War, they were actually intended to be worn by women. Men used pocket watches exclusively. It wasn't until the invention of the airplane that it became necessary to develop a time piece that allowed pilots to tell time without removing their hands from the stick.

Louis Cartier, who later became well known for the production of luxury watches, was actually the first to come up with a practical mens watches designed to be worn on the wrist for the benefit of those early aviators.

Citizen watches are yet another famous name in luxury watches. These were first manufactured in 1918 by a Japanese company, Shoshoka Watch Institute, which changed its name in 1930. To this day, Citizen watches are considered some of the finest and most accurate timepieces in the world.

However, the standard by which true luxury watches are measured is Movado. Watches by this famous Swiss company have been famous since the first one came out in 1912. Movado diamond watches and Movado gold watches are known not only for exceptional quality, but for sleek, minimalist design. Women's come in almost 100 different designs. Movado mens watches also come in many different designs - so if you are planning on presenting one as a gift, it may take you some time to decide on which one to buy!