Pair of watches top ‘fantasy gift’ list
DALLAS — Neiman Marcus rolled out its annual Christmas catalog Tuesday, offering a set of “his and hers” watches paired with a trip to Paris and Geneva for just over $1 million to shoppers who aren’t worried about a holiday budget.
The luxury retailer based in Dallas is known for featuring expensive and often outrageous “fantasy gifts” in its Christmas Book. The 86th edition also includes a $354,000 red, special edition McLaren 12C Spider sports car, a $250,000 dinner for 10 featuring four famous chefs and a $100,000 hen house inspired by a French chateau.
Those looking for something a little less pricey might be interested in a walk-on role in Broadway’s “Annie: The Musical,” which goes for $30,000.
Almost 40 percent of the items in the catalog cost less than $250. The least expensive item is a $10 monogrammed mug.
The watches from Van Cleef & Arpels are the most expensive item in the catalog and depict scenes from a love story. One face shows a woman on the observation deck of the Eiffel Tower, gazing toward Notre Dame. The other watch features a man on top of Notre Dame looking toward the Eiffel Tower.
Figures on both watches move, and the faces are surrounded by diamonds. The woman’s watch strap is silk, the men’s is alligator.
Each watch is “a little work of art,” Neiman Marcus spokeswoman Ginger Reeder said.
The accompanying trip takes buyers to Paris, where they can see the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame themselves, and Geneva, where they can tour the Van Cleef & Arpels watchmaking workshops.