Hey,

So I've been on the job 20 years. 20 happy and rewarding years I must say. And so this Christmas at the office party there will be a presentation marking the milestone for myself and a colleague (we started within a month of each other). I am happy that there is a fuss being made, and a round of drinks to go with it - and to be honest if that was all the attention I received to mark the occasion I'd go home content.

However I am being consulted by the office manager as to what gift I'd like, and I would love a(nother) Omega watch. However I am at a loss as to what watch to suggest. If I pitch something too expensive it will be overlooked (quite rightly) for a more modest gift. So I don't want to overshoot my mark, but suggest is something that is most likely to succeed on the office's budget. Something on the cheaper end of the scale with the caveat that it should be new, as I don't want to send them into the grey market where they have no experience looking for a bargain.

Budget wise I am thinking they might stretch to around the 4k Euro mark - (so limited options as that 'might' is doing a lot of heavy lifting in this scenario).

[Edit] After reading @JimInOz and @Martin_J_N
I am feeling rather greedy and entitled. If I was to pitch between 1k & 2k outside of Omega's range. Any exciting suggestions?

My 'collection' includes:

A vintage 'C' case Constellation day/date from 1970
A Planet Ocean 2201.50.00 42mm 2500C from 2007
And an FOIS from 2017.

Any help greatly appreciated.

 

How about a De Ville Prestige Co-Axial power reserve, comes in a variety of strap / dial combinations and would come in around your €4k budget.

For example;

 

Good luck with whatever you are awarded with.

My 20 years service recognition from the world's 4th largest defence company was a $100 (AUD) gift card.

Oh, and a little "gold" lapel pin.

I didn't hang around to see what 25 years would bring.

 

25 years got me £500 of shopping vouchers, mostly for shops i'd not used, and had no real interest in using - good luck to you if they are prepared to gift that sort of value

 

Gold pin and paper award at 10, and I had to work the event

 

A little more than they would want to spend, but if the manager of the office were savvy, bought two of them and negotiated well, they could probably get these for a little more than the 4k you are thinking....and to me this is the ultimate presentation gift.

https://www.omegawatches.com/en-us/...meter-small-seconds-38-mm-51112382002001?ab=0

 

I left the firm I worked for after 24 years and two months. Had I stuck it out for 10 more months, I’d have been eligible for the plastic Seiko desk clock with a plate welcoming me to the President’s 25-year club. During my career with the company, they were the biggest, most successful retail jeweller in Canada, and Rolex dealers! I took the buy out. Two years later, they were t _ _ s up! When I left them, I owned ten Rolex watches.

 

Think Omega need to launch a new Speedmaster LE to commemorate the occasion.

 

Don’t give them yet another reason

 

I work for an IT company which in April 2018 became a 100 billion dollar company and this year celebrated its 50th year. Guess what each of its employees got ? A cheapo quartz watch (thats made by a company that comes under same parent group). Although we are a workforce of close to 450 K employees but still...
What skill sets do I need to join your organization ?

 

Maybe have a look at the tax implications of receiving a gift from your employer as well.

In the UK a long service can be awarded of £50.00 per complete year of service with a minimum of 20 years service. So 20 years = £1000.00 tax free gift. Any gift over that amount would therefore be added to your salary and would incur income tax on it.

 

How about a 1999 speedy?

 

After 22 in LE, I got a signed uniform shirt, a party, and about $400 in cash, which I then put towards purchasing my Breitling SOH.

 

That is a rally great suggestion, but this send them into the grey market and traversing that minefield. So I don't think I so. It's a big ask for anyone to go there and come out without disappointment. Also, it isn't just about price - it should be something 'new', whatever the gift is I think. I am a traditionalist, and I don't think getting a 'second hand' or 'used' gift is appropriate in the circumstances. It is the messaging as much as anything else from a company standpoint.

I should probably drop the idea of an Omega. It would be lovely, of course, but perhaps too much of an ask. Looking now at something like this.

 

Is there a reason you couldn't do the research?

 

I’d ask the manager’s secretary what the budget is, s/he will be the one to go buy it anyway.

Edited to include apostrophe (talking about higher education and all that)

 

I work in higher ed and got a $40 USD Timex for 20 years.

 

I got a faux-silver cake lifter for 10 years (WTF?), maybe I’ll put in another 10 and go for the Timex

 

20 years got me nothing, at 21 years I was made redundant and escorted off the property.

I’m glad you have found a career and coworkers where you’ve had 20 years that have been rewarding and happy.

 

If I were in the same shoes, I would mention NOMOS Glashütte very often. They make quite a few nice watches in and below the 4K EUR price range and even do custom engraving if the company wants to mark the occasion and the watch.