Holiday Highlight – A Perfect Gift for the Husband

Moving through the holiday season, today ChasingTreasure.com will highlight another terrific gift idea, this time for the husband of many years.

This particular treasure are locking watch boxes with display windows.  These make a great husband’s gift due to expense, the type of products that it protects, and usefulness to the recipient.  Assuming he does not already have a watch case, here are three reasons why this is a wonderful gift idea.

1    He likely has at least 3 watches, at least one of which is very expensive.  And some men have accumulated a lot more through the years, who have a watch for various activities.  He’ll have a one for business casual, business professional, knock-around on the weekends, sporting events, a dive watch, and a pilot’s watch with tachymeter and stop-watch.  This collection can be securely stored in a watch case that includes removable padded holders, lined interior, and lock.
2.    As a gift, the high-end watch case is both thoughtful and functional.  It is something that he’ll see, use, and appreciate daily.  Larger watch cases can hold up to 20 watches, which can easily accommodate his & hers collection.  This alone makes the watch case a practical addition to the bedroom too.  All are hand-finished and come in various colors from neutral dark woods, to lighter tans, and dark black ebony to fit any décor.
3.    A watch case as a luxury gift is also unique:  because it reflects the higher value tastes of one who collects multiple timepieces, it is for a very distinct niche that includes those who appreciate the finer luxuries. That does not mean that the watch case itself is expensive, however.  Almost all of the higher quality boxes that can hold up to 10 watches are well under $200.

In discussing watch holders, we will briefly touch upon watch winders, which are for the very high-end watches:  those that are automatic.  This simply means that the watch does not need a battery or manual winding, as their mainsprings are wound by movement of the wearer’s arm.  The watch-winder not only protects these expensive timepieces (expensive due to the craftsmanship needed) but also keeps them wound when not worn.

For the wife whose husband has (almost!) it all, consider a watch case as the perfect treasure for him!

Luxury Watch Case:  10 + Coin Drawer

Holiday Highlight – The Perfect Gift for the Wife of Many Years

As we go through the holiday season, we’ll highlight a particular luxury product that we know is a wonderful gift for the wife of many years.

The treasure that we'll discuss is a Standing Jewelry Amoire, which falls under the luxury jewelry box category for three reasons:  the size, practicality, and expense.  Under the assumption that she does not already own one, here are three reasons why this makes a great gift for the wife of many years.
1.     She has accumulated a sizeable jewelry collection, and likely a very diverse collection.  She’s received annual jewelry gifts over the years (birthday, anniversary, Christmas, Valentine’s Day), as well as heirloom’s passed on from family members, such as brooches and rings.  It’s also likely that she has not gotten rid of any of her jewelry, especially gifts, unless to give away to a daughter or special family member.  As the fashions change, she’ll upgrade to stay with the times, but not want to discard pieces that have sentimental value (especially for necklaces and earrings, re:  large hoops and heavy chains give way to multiple small earring studs and chokers).  After 15 years, it’s reasonable that she’s collected close to 50 separate pieces.  A large jewelry armoire has the space to securely store all of that, and continue to grow.
2.    The desire by an attentive husband is to find a gift that is both thoughtful and functional.  A standing jewelry armoire does both.  It is something that she’ll see and appreciate every day.  A large jewelry armoire also includes up to 8 drawers, the bottom 5 of which are larger and can hold delicates and undergarments as well as jewelry.  This makes the jewelry box a very practical addition as bedroom furniture too.
3.    As an established family, a standing jewelry armoire as a luxury gift is truly unique, as they normally cost hundreds of dollars and have a niche purpose:  to store large jewelry collections and small clothing pieces.

So as a husband who has been married for many years, consider the Jewelry Armoire as the perfect treasure for her!

Luxury Jewelry Box for Women

Origins of Santa Claus

With the Christmas season kicking off in full-force, we at ChasingTreasure.com want to wish everyone a Happy and Safe Holiday Season!  And in thinking about this time of year, we’d like to give a brief explanation of how Santa Claus came to being.

The concept of a Father Gift-Bringer (Father Frost as well) has been in existence in Europe for thousands of generations as a mid-winter celebration.  In the northern European latitudes during winter, it would be dark most of the day, and this celebration was a way of lifting spirits.

Originally it was not Christian-based, but was connected to Odin, the Nordic father of all gods (as an aside, Odin had many sons, including Thor, god of thunder of the marvel comics and recent movies), with the reindeers being compared to Odin’s eight-legged horse.

As these mid-winter festivals were Christianized through Roman influence into Europe, Saint Nicholas replaced Odin as Father Christmas around the 4th century.  Why Saint Nicholas (Nicholas of Myra as it happens)?  Simple:  he was known for his charity to the impoverished and pious.  The translation of Saint Nicholas into the Flemish/Germanic Sinterklaas easily becomes Santa Claus when translated into English.

As the centuries went by, the mid-winter festivals merged with the birth of Christ in Christian countries as a time to recognize His birth while maintaining the practice of joyful gift-giving during the long winter days.  Over the last century, the commercialization of Christmas has become significant (obviously!), while also becoming more secular, with a greater focus on non-denominational Santa Claus.

And where did the term “Yule” originate?  It is in reference to Nordic terms that described mid-winter items and religious activities that were eventually absorbed into Christian festivals.

So from all of us at ChasingTreasure.com, have a wonderful holiday season!

What Makes a Great Gift, Part Two

In continuing with our “What Makes a Great Holiday Gift” theme, we’ll talk about womens luxury jewelry box or mens watch cases as a gift that will cover all aspects of what makes a great gift:  thoughtfulness, usefulness, quality, and value.

The usefulness is obvious, as almost all women have some collection of jewelry, and almost all men have at least two watches (and many have more to fit the occasion:  business, casual, adventure).  And, of course, a luxury mens watch case can store both his and hers.

Quality and economic value go hand-in-hand with jewelry boxes for women, and cost will mainly be driven by the size of the jewelry box, as well as the material.  A large jewelry collection, especially one with many necklaces, may require a floor-standing armoire, which can also be used to house undergarments and other delicates in the lower drawers.  And a watch case can carry from two to 20+!  As an aside, watch winders are a terrific complement to a luxury watch collection, most of which auto-wind, meaning that they self-wind as the wearer walks, and require a similar type of movement when not worn to ensure the date, etc remain accurate.

Thoughtfulness will always be the key factor.  Luxury jewelry boxes and watch cases will be highly visible and useful to the recipient, and will most likely be purchased after much thought goes into determining the design, color, fit with décor, size, and cost.

For these two types of items, jewelry boxes for women and mens watch winders, the usefulness of the gift along with the value and beauty are a perfect combination of personal touch & quality that will be appreciate for years by a wife or husband.

So as you march down your Christmas Shopping path, keep in mind that usefulness, beauty, and the quality that you’ll get with a higher expense are some top considerations for luxury gifts.  As always, though, make sure the retailer has an excellent return and warranty period, normally 30 days and 1 year, though at ChasingTreasure, we allow returns for purchases made in November until January 5th.

What Makes a Wonderful Holiday Gift?

So what makes a wonderful holiday gift?  There are two main perspectives:  1) It’s the thought that counts, and 2) The value of the gift as perceived by the recipient:  thoughtfulness of the giver, quality, usefulness, economic value, or (most likely) a combination of all.

The “It’s the thought that counts” instance is best seen as the child who makes a gift for a parent; a craft made at school for example, or a drawn picture.  That keepsake can hold tremendous emotional value for both giver and receiver that far outweighs any measurable value such as practicality or dollar worth.  Likewise, it could be a simple gift from one adult to another of a happy memory, such as a framed picture or Ramen Noodles and hotdogs from an old college roommate.

The second perspective is the most likely case and the one that can cause the most consternation:  what to get a loved one or significant other that expresses thoughtfulness, quality, fit, and economic value.  While these are related (higher economic value generally denotes higher quality for example), we’ll address each individually.

Usefulness should be fairly straight-forward, especially when given to one you know well.  If a decoration, will it provide lasting pleasure or be a fleeting fad?  Think a Monet print versus Dogs Playing Poker for the bedroom.  If for practical use, will the recipient use it daily, monthly, annually?  Generally the more frequent the use, the more value, with exceptions (see thoughtfulness below).

Quality of the gift is the next value attribute.  Generally speaking, the higher the cost, the better the quality, but as the old adage says:  let the buyer beware.  Potential issues arising from poor quality can be mitigated by a solid return policy, money back guarantees, and reputable manufacturers.

Thoughtfulness is probably the most difficult attribute.  Usefulness is important, but the value of the use should also be considered (a nose hair trimmer versus foot massager for example, or cologne versus deodorant!).

It should go without saying that the thought put into a gift should focus on how the recipient views the gift, not the giver.  Take a look at ChasingTreasure's luxury jewelry boxes and watch cases to help get the idea juices flowing.

Happy Holidays and shop early as stores' inventories deplete quickly in December!

Watch Winders & a Brief History of Automatic Watches

In the age of electronic watches, why a watch winder as a gift?  Well, watch winder may be a slight misnomer, unless you really understand how the most modern of watches work.  Watches that do not require manual winding OR a battery are powered by the movement of the arm while walking and are oftentimes referred to as automatic watches.

A watch winder simulates the walking movement by rotating in circular patterns.  This keeps the watch “wound” when not being worn and ensures accurate time, especially for watches that keep perpetual calendars or moon phases.

So how do those watches work?  In a nutshell, there’s a weighted pendulum that swings and transfers energy to wind a mainspring.  Early moderns only moved 180 degrees so would only wind when the arm swung in a single direction.  As these movements were limited by restraints, they were referred to as “bumper” designs and would keep time for ~12 hours after movement stopped.  As these evolved, Rolex designed a pendulum that would swing the full 360 degrees while simultaneously increasing the amount of energy stored; these would keep time up to 35 hours.

The final evolution was the introduction of ball bearings which increased the weight of the moving winder, significantly increasing efficiency, and remains the standard today.

Wondering when these innovations occurred?  Well, the first automatic watch was developed in the 1770s in France, and the final ball bearing solution was developed in 1948.  Automatic watches remain the mark of a high-end, luxury watch, though, ironically, because of the size and weight needed to keep wind the mainspring, many luxury watch makers continue to build manual wound watches, which is the simplest design.

So as you look at someone who keeps and enjoys luxury watches, it’s likely that at least one is an automatic watch.  Need to think of a gift for him or her?  Try a watch winder.  You can visit ChasingTreasure.com where we have many examples of the most modern and elegant watch winders.

Watch Box - Great Christmas Gift for a Man

Wondering about a great gift for a man in your life?  Consider a luxury wooden watch box!  Most men have at least two watches:  business and casual.   And many have quite a few:  for business, casual, date night, outdoor adventure, SCUBA diving, flying, a family heirloom, and a high-value watch for very special occasions.  Wardrobe-conscience men may have multiple watches to match a specific attire as well.

When looking to purchase a watch box, consider these three main concerns:
1.     An excellent return policy and warranty period
2.     Color and style to fit your décor
3.    Price

Return policy and warranty periods should be at least 30 days and 1 year, respectively.

Color and style are obvious; if your room furniture is modern, traditional, or antique, most wood watch cases will fit in, but, like any item that you will have for years or decades, you’ll want to make sure that it will continue to fit in with changing bedroom styles.  Middle grain colors such as cherry fit well with dark or light motifs.  Coffee or black work for more modern bedroom designs, and light woods for well-lit rooms do well.

Next look at price.  The vast majority of wooden watch boxes fall between $100 and $300.  With the average dollar spent per Christmas gift item around $200, this gift, while a luxury item, is well within the normal range.  Most importantly, the value of a wooden watch box is exceptional.  For a man who likes his watches, this gift will last for the rest of his life, and provide excellent protection for his collection.  Finally, it provides a great idea for next year:  another watch to expand the collection!

So whether it holds two or ten, a wooden watch box can be a perfect gift almost any man.  These types of cases look terrific on the dresser and all luxury watch boxes have a glass display top to show off the collection, as well as heavily padded sleeves and individual sections to protect against scratching.  Many are locking, and a few have gliding drawers in which to place pocket items such as pens and keys.  Why wood as the material?  For the same reason as wooden hangers:  to absorb moisture.

An Extreme Form of Jewelry

An interesting tidbit about the extreme use of jewelry.

Are you familiar with  the elongation of the neck caused by neck rings?  This is the practice of women as young as 2 in certain African and Asian cultures of adding rings around their necks as they age to lengthen the neck.

In reality, their necks aren’t getting longer, their collar bones are compressing.  Normally, a person’s collar bones are angled upward.  As the women add more rings, the bones are slowly pushed downward. As they age and continue to add more rings, the bones of their rib cage will slowly compress downward as well, upwards of 45 degrees from normal.  This movement of the core body structure downward is what gives the illusion of the neck lengthening.  The purpose of doing this to accentuate the concept of ideal beauty associated with longer necks.

Similarly, jewelry can be used in non-bone structure areas such as the lip, tongue, and earlobes to elongate the skin and allow for ever larger rings and discs.  These are not only viewed as status symbols, but also as a sign of commitment to the culture.

Whether these women use specific types of jewelry boxes to store various styles of rings or discs is not readily known :).

Foot Styles for Standing Jewelry Armoires

Now that we've talked about leg design, a natural next discussion point is the foot design for standing jewelry armoires.  Like the leg styles, foot styles generally fall into antique, traditional, and modern.

Antique designs include Arrow, Ball, Block, and Bun.  All of these are designs that have withstood the test of time, over centuries, and remain both functional and attractive.

Traditional designs include the Bracket, Cylindrical, French, and Ogee Bracket Foot with French and Bracket Foot being two of the more popular.  The Pad Foot is a simple design that fits well with Cabriole legs (and are therefore popular foot designs).

For standing jewelry cases with no legs, the Onion Foot (and versions of it) as well as the Bracket Foot tend to be the most popular as, like the antique designs mentioned above, they are practical and visually appealing.

These styles tend to be used in designs such as Heppelwhite, Sheraton, Windsor, Chippendale, and Queen Anne.

Feet for modern standing jewelry armoires are generally square blocked at the bottom, as the legs are normally straight with little design and, as such, the feet become extensions of the legs.  In some cases, the feet are cut to points or notched to provide a visual break between the leg and foot.

Animal designs that are rarely seen include the Claw & Ball, Dolphin, Hoof, and Paw.

The attraction of any standing jewelry case is going to be a combination of all aspects of the design:  feet, legs, drawers, hardware, finish, wood, and wood design.  As you shop for a standing jewelry box, the integration of each one of these will create choices that will let you pick the perfect jewelry box for you!

Leg Styles for Standing Jewelry Armoires

As we continue to delve into the various styling aspects of jewelry cases as part of our “Jewelry Cases as a Great Christmas Gift”, we’re moving on to an important style aspect for standing jewelry cases or jewelry armoires, and that is leg design.

The most elegant floor model jewelry cases feature leg styles (meaning there is a 12 to 24 inch leg rather than the jewelry case extending all the way to the floor).  For antique or more traditional designs, these legs are normally curved and end in a foot design.  For example, Queen Anne designs feature Cabriole legs terminating mainly in snake feet.  A very traditional design, usually reserved for very heavy cases, is the fluted leg, which is modeled from Greek columns and taper from top to bottom; the flutes are concave.

Popular styles also include Saber legs or variations of the Saber leg.  These designs splay outwards at the bottom and are thin yet very sturdy.  They are normally associated with the early French Empire.

Reeded and Spiral legs are similar in design and can be found on standing jewelry cases, but are normally reserved for heavier furniture.  This can be a consideration when matching a jewelry case to existing décor.

The most common designs for standing jewelry cases are variations of the Cabriole Leg with Claw & Ball foot, usually for more antique designs, to Saber Leg designs as more traditional but not quite antique, to straight leg designs that end in a block foot.  These three shapes have stood the test of time for jewelry armoire designs.

So as you shop, keep in mind that the leg style plays a significant role in determining what style will fit your bedroom!