Is there anything more classic and elegant than a well-made, analogue watch? Let’s just say, as a child of the ’80s, this fact completely escaped me for many years. When I were a lass (and all this were fields, err, mines… and coal… factories?) all I wanted was a digital watch with the most number of features humanly possible. I distinctly remember staring at the Argos catalogue, comparing the number of functions each watch had to the other, and trying to work out what was the best one my parents would let me get away with. Waterproof – yeah, but HOW DEEP COULD IT GO? Calculator? But how many time zones does it cover? And how many buttons does it have? And, DOES IT HAVE A STOPWATCH?

Nowadays, we all have phones to do all that for us, and in twenty years time I guess another girl will be updating her holographic diary about how she loves retro smart phones, but at least her robot companion can cook dinner and play movies from his forehead. For now, though, let us admire the sleek, simple, stylish lines of the humble, yet sophisticated, wristwatch…

You might have seen a few other bloggers raving about the beautiful watches from Daniel Wellington, a company whose style is both preppy and vintage, and manages to be modern and classic at the same time. The company has recently expanded, and I’m sure we’ll be hearing more about them as time goes by – these watches are truly beautiful. The first watch that caught my eye was the Classic St Andrews Lady – I’m a sucker for brown leather and gold – especially rose gold!

Classic St Andrews Lady

What sets Daniel Wellington apart, though, is the use of Nato straps on their watches – brightly coloured striped bands which give the brand a distinct personality and sense of playfulness.

Classic Oxford Lady

I love this great colour combination! Nato straps are certainly nothing new for watches, but I’ve never seen them so elegantly presented as they are here. Even better, the Nato straps are interchangeable, and you can purchase additional straps so that you can constantly update your look. Here’s the strap named after my home town of Southampton!

Southampton Strap

What a brilliant idea – and it makes you feel better about investing in a watch that is so versatile! Check out the site at www.danielwellington.com and tell me which one is on your Christmas wish-list!