10 of the best Valentine’s Day watches from humble to extravagant

Jamie Weiss

February is here, which means that you’d better start thinking about Valentine’s Day! Attitudes in watch communities can sometimes seem a little bit adversarial to partners, feeling the need to lie about new watch purchases or lamenting the lack of shared interest in the hobby. Valentine’s Day offers a chance to remedy that tension, or just to reinforce the existing love with whatever love language you’re fluent in. If your love language is gift-giving, here’s a list of the best Valentine’s Day watches you can buy now.

Swatch x The Simpsons Sweet Embrace

Marge and Homer Simpson’s relationship since 1989 hasn’t always been the smoothest sailing – with the pair even getting a (very brief) divorce in Season 8 – but no matter what comes between them, they always end up back in each other’s arms. This Valentine’s Day special collaboration from Swatch and The Simpsons shows Homer and Marge in a wholesome hug and kiss. The picture continues from the dial to the case and even to the strap, where we see Marge’s lifted leg in the heat of passion. The 41mm case in bright red bio-sourced plastic is a great unisex size for any lovers of The Simpsons, or lovers in general. Price: US$115

Mr Jones Berry Late Again!

You really can’t force a hobby on someone if they’re not naturally drawn to it, which a lot of us may dread. You might think that if you could only just find the right watch, your partner would jump down into the rabbit hole with you! Well, it’s not likely. Thankfully, Mr Jones’ brand of eccentric animated dials is a perfect solution. This “Berry Late Again!” model produced in collaboration with artist Ana Dias is tongue-in-cheek enough to be enjoyed by even the most cynical people, and the ironic message only lines up once per hour thanks to the creative use of transparent disks. You can still tell the time on it, too, with the whole strawberry marking the hours and the bitten strawberry marking the minutes. It makes the perfect gift for the time-blind loved ones in your life. Price: US$295

Second Hour Mandala Mk3

There’s nothing more romantic than supporting an Australian microbrand… Or is that just us? In any case, the Mandala Mk3 from Second Hour, seen here in ‘Bull’s Eye Red’, is sure to put a smile on your special someone’s face. Featuring a hypnotically textured dial, a surface-hardened steel case rated to 1200 Vickers, a silky 7-link bracelet and powered by a reliable Miyota 9015, this is more reliable than a box of dethorned roses. Price: US$670

Time+Tide x Dennison DateNight

Self plug alert (or should that be self love?) The Time+Tide x Dennison DateNight marks two important premieres for the revived brand: its first-ever mother-of-pearl dial, and its first use of marquetry. From the beautiful mind of fabled designer Emmanuel Gueit comes a design that sees rectangular filaments of the Australian mother of pearl hand-inlaid onto the dial. This creates an irregular, iridescent surface that shimmers and shifts with every movement. For Time+Tide, this watch represents a debut in dress watch territory… And the name says it all. Because, let’s be honest: date night is the only time most of us reach for a dress watch. Plan a nice dinner for Valentine’s Day and surprise your loved one with this one – or don it yourself for the occasion. Price: US$995, exclusively available in-store at our Time+Tide Discovery Studios in London and Melbourne

Raymond Weil Millesime Automatic Burgundy

Still riding high from its 2023 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève victory, the Raymond Weil Millesime collection has grown into a force to be reckoned with. Its stunning sector dial explores space, texture, and colour with such perfect proportions. There are two burgundy Millesimes currently available, both in gold PVD: a 39mm model with a leather strap, and a 35mm model with a bracelet. This presents a fantastic opportunity to buy two as part of a couple’s watch pair, or just a standalone classic in the colour of love. Price: US$2,075 (39mm on strap), US$2,250 (35mm on bracelet)

Brellum Duobox 39 Chronometer MOP

We’re not normally fans of “shrinking it and pinking it” when it comes to women’s or Valentine’s Day watches, but this mother-of-pearl dial Brellum is too tastefully done to ignore. A Valentine’s Day limited edition of just 17 pieces worldwide, this COSC-certified chronograph boasts a column-wheel-utilising, La Joux-Perret-based calibre and a subtle pink face that’ll get your heart racing. Price: US$3,856

Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur Moonphase Aventurine

If you haven’t spent a night gazing up at the stars with your lover, it’s a beautiful and natural way to connect. Let the majesty of the universe wash over you with all its romantic notions, whether they be drawn from religious or scientific roots. In honour of that feeling, I’ve nominated the Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur Moonphase Aventurine as a Valentine’s Day watch in the luxury bracket.  This was an early example of a watch picking up on the stone dial trend, even though this kind of aventurine is a man-made glass rather than a natural stone. Spending large sums of money on a gift doesn’t equal loving someone, but if you’ve got the wealth to flaunt, you might as well make it count. Price: US$25,100

Blancpain Villeret Saint-Valentin 2026

For the 26th year running, Blancpain has marked Valentine’s Day with a dedicated limited edition Villeret, and this year’s edition is particularly sweet. Limited to just 14 pieces in a symbolic reference to February 14th, this edition features a 21.5mm white gold case with a diamond-set bezel, an indice-less mother-of-pearl dial save for a heart-cut diamond at 12 o’clock, a heart engraved on its automatic rotor and a varnished alligator leather strap in Blancpain’s signature “Chérie red”. Diamonds are forever, after all. Price: US$25,800

Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Pont des Amoureux

Speaking of diamonds… As a brand that has prized both the technical and artistic sides of watchmaking, the Van Clef & Arpels Lady Arpels Pont des Amoureux is a culmination of expertise in gem-setting, complications, miniature sculpture, and grisaille enamel. All of the metal you see is rhodium-plated 18k white gold, and all of the jewels are, of course, brilliant-cut diamonds for a total of 12.41cts across 388 stones. Its ValFleurier Q020 movement uses a retrograde module to gradually move a pair of lovers towards each other on a moonlit bridge in Paris, meeting for a fleeting kiss twice per day. It may be heartbreaking to see them fly apart once more, but it’s a reminder of love’s cyclical nature and the rewards of patience. Price: US$381,000

Time+Tide Timeless Pick: Louis Vuitton Fiery Heart Automata

This one’s not for anyone with shallow pockets, but the Louis Vuitton Tambour Fiery Heart Automata is certainly on point thematically for Valentine’s Day. Not only is the dial a true work of art in enamel, gold sculpture and guilloché, but it’s full to bursting with classical depictions of romance. The roses and flaming heart are symbolic not just of love’s beauty, but also its ferocity, as demonstrated when the animations are sent into action. Given the handmade nature of these watches, you’ve probably missed the deadline to find one before Feb 14th this year, but maybe you could plan ahead for next year? The original retail price was set at US$370,000, but if you’re open to purchasing a second-hand one, you’ll likely need half a million bones if recent sales data is anything to go by.