Mother’s Day is almost upon us – unless, of course, you’re British, in which case it has come and gone and you totally forgot about it – and no, you can’t pretend you thought it was later like the rest of the world, not for the second year running. Trust me, I know from experience, you suck as a son. Anyway, we’re still two weekends away, so that means two full weeks to think of a lovely gift. And is there anything lovelier than a lovely watch for your lovely mum?* Well, you’ve come to the right place for lovely mum-related watch tips and we’re going to start our round-up with a redefined classic, the Omega Constellation Manhattan. Omega has been banging the drum about this collection – and even flew over American supermodel Cindy Crawford to Hong Kong for the launch. But it didn’t really need to shout too loud as the new releases are fantastic, both technically and aesthetically, with a bewildering range of options, from the cutting-edge coaxial master movement watches and high-jewellery pieces to the elegant and simple. My pick is a watch that’s in the middle of the range, the Constellation Manhattan Quartz 25mm, and the chief reason is, well, I’m basing it on what my mum would like. I’m a big fan of brands giving their women’s ranges the option of mechanical movements, but sometimes quartz is enough, especially for people who aren’t watch nerds and would prefer four years of battery life. Another plus about quartz is that it keeps the price down and that helps when it’s an 18-carat gold watch, as we have here, which is priced at HK$203,000 (US$25,900). The watch is sized at a dainty 25mm and comes in Sedna gold, Omega’s proprietary rose-gold alloy. The mother-of-pearl dial has a diamond-pavéd bezel. Next we have the Franck Muller Cintrée Curvex Lady in rose gold with diamonds. Being frank about Franck, I’m not a fan, generally speaking. Yes, there have been nice pieces here and there but the codes of the maison are too brash and dated for my liking. I will, however, make an exception for this watch, as, again, I think my mum would like it. The pros are the beautifully pavéd tonneau case and the crazy hours display, which, like it or hate it, is iconic. Oh, and the deep red of the leather strap gets a thumbs up, too. Inside is an automatic movement that’s nothing to write home about, but it does have 42 hours of power reserve. The watch is priced at HK$153,000 (US$19,500). Finally, we have a dress watch from the Longines Symphonette collection, the L2.306.0.83.6, to give you its full, sexy model number. The most immediately telling feature is the oval case (21.9mm x 34mm), which comes in steel. This narrows the dial somewhat but that works with the art deco-like design of the mother-of-pearl dial. Moreover, I just love the double track of diamonds, on the bezel and the inner ring. The good, the great and the wacky: Baselworld’s best watches Inside is a quartz movement and the watch comes with a steel strap. The best thing about this timepiece, though, is the price: a wallet-friendly-but-mum-happy HK$34,700 (US$4,425). *No, there isn’t.