WatchGecko's Most Wished For Items in 2024

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past few weeks, you’ll likely have noticed that WatchGecko were running a pretty big giveaway. As we revealed that we’d be hosting our first ever ‘Win Your Wishlist’ competition, the comments were quickly flooded by excited readers and even someone who thought I had potentially “lost my marbles”.

Fear not, Mark Spencer, I’m safe and well! We just felt it was about time we showed our loyal customers some love, and what better way to do it than with a giveaway!?

We made it super simple, all you guys had to do was add up to £500 worth of WatchGecko loot to your wishlists and we promised to pick a winner who would receive the entirety of said wishlist, catch-free.

The lucky winner was Max Murray, of Buckinghamshire UK, who took home the WatchGecko 400 Italian Rubber Divers Reversible Watch Strap in Capri Sea, a WatchGecko Leather Dual Zipped Watch Travel Case, the WatchGecko Faux Suede Pouch, Classic Highley Genuine Leather Watch Strap in Light Brown as well as an envy-inspiring collection of ZULUDIVER OctoPod straps and buckles.

Max’s wishlist got us thinking and after some thorough digging, I’m here to draw attention to the items most frequently added to customer wishlists during the Win Your Wishlist event. Whether you’re browsing for Christmas gift inspiration or simply looking to treat yourself, we’ve got you covered with WatchGecko’s Most Wished For; the most-wanted items on the WatchGecko store for the festive season and beyond…

No surprises here, the most wished for item during the event was our Original Vintage Highley! Having been tweaked and perfected over the years, the Highley has become a WatchGecko staple and one of our consistently bestselling collections. “What’s so special about it?” I can almost hear you ask, well, the Original Vintage Highley is a generous strap in every way. It’s thickly padded (6mm thick at the lug end) and made from the very best Italian vegetable-tanned, full-grain leather. The supple pull-up leather is oiled and will age with grace, picking up patina as it’s worn. This strap is well-suited to a huge variety of mid-size to large watches, from dive watches to pilot watches; and everyday wear watches so there really is a way to style it for every wrist. If we’ve got you wishing for a Highley of your own, why not check them out now.

Next up is another of our bestselling leather straps, the Simple Handmade. Participants were particularly drawn to the Light Brown and Black but the Simple Handmade comes in an array of seven different leather colours, including one with a quirky Pepsi stitch. Our Simple Handmade Italian Leather Strap offers timeless simplicity, making it a popular choice for anyone after a quality leather strap. With a 4mm to 3.5mm tapering thickness the Italian leather can stand up to a great deal of wear, whilst still being pliable from the outset and it conforms well to the wrist. The strap also comes equipped with quick-release spring bars for easy strap changes, and a stainless-steel buckle etched with the WatchGecko logo for reassurance of a genuine quality product. What’s not to love?

It seems our winner Max wasn’t alone in wishing for additions to his OctoPod collection. The ZULUDIVER OctoPod MK3 Buckle with a Brushed & Polished finish proved to be an extremely popular choice thanks to its versatility and timeless style. Crafted from salt-water resistant 316L stainless steel, all of our OctoPod buckles ensure durability and long-lasting performance. The Brushed & Polished finish combines a sleek, matte brushed surface with shiny polished edges and a recessed logo plate. It provides a balanced look that complements both modern and classic watch designs and is an ideal finish for those who appreciate subtle sophistication. It pairs well with brushed or mixed finish watch cases, adding a touch of elegance without overpowering the overall aesthetic.

Sticking with the rugged military aesthetic, the very popular “Classic Bond” British Military Watch Strap captures the essence of the authentic straps developed by Britain's Ministry of Defence (MOD) in the 1970s. The strap is often called the "G10" after the requisition-form that service personnel had to fill out to get one from Quartermaster's Stores. Over the years, popularity amongst different regiments and civilian wearers alike has led to a wide range of colours and patterns. Today, it's the well-known and stylish watch strap we all wear – durable, easily changeable, strong and often used during sporting activities. The time-tested design (interweaving and passing through the lugs) ensures added security for your watch if a springbar pops out during vigorous activity and, as with all our straps, this example has been carefully crafted with sturdy stitched joints for a long service life complementing your favourite watches.

The Sailcloth story began way back in 2019 at WatchGecko with a flat two-piece design, but due to customer feedback we later introduced a popular padded version, as well as various rally-style, perforated options. Fast forward to the present and our Sailcloth offerings are some of our most popular. Beloved by our customers thanks to their durability, versatility and timelessly stylish look, the Sailcloth strap collection has grown to encompass various designs. The ZULUDIVER Maverick is a sophisticated yet functional choice that perfectly complements plenty of rugged dive and field watches. Presented with waterproof rubber that has been moulded to look like sailcloth, this strap features medium padding for guaranteed lightweight comfort and is offered with our upgraded Sub-Aquatic saltwater resistant 316L stainless-steel buckle.

Finally, last but by no means least, let’s finish up the WatchGecko Most Wished For list with the Radstock Racing Style Genuine Leather Watch Strap, a fantastic vintage style racing watch strap made from vegetable-tanned top grain calf leather, made by hand at our partner's workshop in Valencia, Spain. Delicately hand-painted with coloured stains and wax for an authentic vintage look, the strap is crafted to a high standard with extra care to make sure the edge is painted in black for a clean finish. For style and added comfort, the punched pattern of perforations echoes the design language of the leather driver's gloves that were worn all those years ago. The straps are finished with a high-quality solid stainless-steel buckle for an exquisite vintage look and are available in several distinctive colours.

So, what are you waiting for? With our Black November sale well underway and our prices slashed to their lowest of the year, there’s never been a better time to check out WatchGecko’s Most Wished For…