Retirement Gifts for Men: Ideas He'll Actually Use

Retirement is the end of one thing and the start of another, and the best retirement gifts say both. Something to mark a career — and something to fill all that new time.

The tradition: a watch

For generations, a man retiring after a long career was given a gold watch. The joke writes itself — now that he no longer has to watch the clock — but the gesture is real: a watch marks time served and time now his own.

A pocket watch keeps the tradition and makes it more personal than a wristwatch. An open gear-work cover over a white Roman-numeral dial, in antique bronze, on a chain. Engrave the dates of his career on the back, or simply write them in the card. How to wear a pocket watch.

For the next chapter: a compass

A pocket compass says "new direction" without a word. It suits a man who is planning to travel, to walk more, or simply to work out what comes next. Compass rose meaning.

A keepsake with a message

A carpe diem coin — an hourglass on one side, the reaper on the other — is a striking, thoughtful gift for a retirement. It says: the time is yours now; seize it. Carpe diem meaning.

Games for all that free time

Retired men rediscover games. Give him the set, and the reason to call friends round.

• A cribbage board. The great two-player game — and the three-track board means three can play. How to play cribbage.
• A chess set and a chess clock, for the man who has always meant to get better at chess.
• Shut the Box. A dice game with wooden flaps for one or many players — the kind of game that lives on the coffee table. Shut the Box rules.
• A poker night kit — table topper, chips and dealer buttons — for the man who will finally have time to host. How to host a poker night.
• A large-index deck for long card evenings with easy-to-read corners.

For the desk he no longer needs

If he is leaving an office, a Newton's cradle or a spinning top makes a light-hearted send-off gift from colleagues: something to take home that will remind him of the place, minus the meetings.

Retirement gifts from colleagues

For a group gift, combine: a game, a keepsake and a card everyone signs. A cribbage board and a pocket watch, or a chess set and a compass, together make a gift that feels generous.

Retirement gifts for men who have everything

If he really has everything, think time and meaning over things. A game to play with grandchildren of any age, a watch engraved with a date, a coin to carry. Gifts for men who have everything.