Gift Guide: The Flik Flak Showtime Collection (Plus Cool Watch Books for Kids) Put the Fun in Fundamentals

To paraphrase a famous ad campaign, you never truly own a hobby; you merely look after it for the next generation.

For many of us, fun, colorful Flik Flak watches were the timepieces that first ignited the spark of our collecting journey. The ultimate starter watch, we learned to tell time with them while picking up a few tips on personal flair in the process.
 

The brand’s latest collection, Showtime, gives kids even more reasons to get excited about timepieces. These four timepieces are meant to evoke stage-ready style, with names like Pick A Bow, Disco Time, Party Finale, and Soundscape.

But these watches are more than just performative – they also help children learn to read time. So, to further instill a love of horological literacy, we’ve paired each piece in the collection with a fun watch book for kids.

Frankly, we’ve always been a little obsessed with Flik Flak. For many, the brand is the ultimate starter watch, beloved by kids for its colorful designs and appreciated by adults for its ability to stand up to the knockabout nature of said kids (Fun Fact: It is the only timepiece we know of that advertises its ability to survive a spin in the washing machine).
 

First, there is its recycled PET strap decorated with a super cute ribbon motif. Then, there are the shimmery crystals adorning the dial. And finally, the bio-sourced material of its 32mm off-white case creates a dazzling mother-of-pearl effect.
 

Our recommended pick for a companion book for the Pick A Bow is About Time: A Children’s Guide to the History and Science of Time by Rebecca Struthers and Alom Shaha, and illustrated by Lucy Rose. Created to cover every aspect of watchmaking – including decoration – for curious young readers, this is the children’s book watch-collecting parents have been asking for.

For parents who plan to give their children their first watch, the act is going to invoke their own childhood. And while kids will love the sparkle of the 32mm Flik Flak Disco Time, for adults, this timepiece brings the nostalgia of cutting loose and dancing like everyone at the function is watching.
 

The strap is made from metallic yarn, and the case is transparent. It’s got a retro-futuristic David Bowie-as-Ziggy-Stardust vibe. But you don’t have to be from the 1970s to appreciate this glam pink-and-purple watch.
 

That’s why we chose V is for Vintage: ABCs of Vintage Watches by James Lamdin to augment this watch. This board book introduces young minds (and interested adults) to the design codes of some of history’s most iconic timepieces.

Children love a celebration. They never want a party to end. At the same time, the end of the night usually brings the most delight, like Santa signaling the end of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade or the fireworks’ finale on the Fourth of July.
 

The Flik Flak Party Finale is a sparkling watch with a deep-purple strap festooned with exploding firecrackers and crystals (there are also crystals on the dial). And while it symbolizes the pinnacle of any good party, Flick Flak also believes that children are the future. That’s why this watch is built with eco-friendly materials such as recycled PET straps and bio-sourced plastic cases.
 

A book that further explores the idea of going out with a bang is I is for Indie: ABCs of Independent Watches! This colorful collection of over-the-top independent designs will help kids embrace the ingenuity of independent watchmaking. Maybe it will plant the seeds for growing your own in-house watchmaker.

The hardest part about choosing a great starter watch for your child is separating your own personal tastes from letting your kid make their own horological expression. We’re thinking of all those indie rock parents trying to make their kids like Wilco when the youth just want to listen to the soundtrack from K-Pop Demon Hunters (which we admit is very catchy).
 

It doesn’t matter if “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” changed your life; if your kid doesn’t dig it, you can’t force it. So, if your kid just isn’t that into watches now, the diver-style design of the Flik Flak Soundscape is one that a kid can grow into (literally, in this case, because, at 35 mm, it’s the largest piece in the Showtime collection).
 

That brings us to a list of other things we love about Flik Flak (other than being machine-washable): its parent company, Swatch, will replace the batteries for free if you bring a Flik Flak to a Swatch boutique. And because they are priced under $100, if you really want to bond with your children over a shared hobby, you can buy one for yourself, too.

I would personally wear this watch. I love the orange audio level graphic landscape on the dark blue strap. And there’s nothing more satisfying than the click of a rotating bezel.
 

Reading is also fundamental to life and creates a connection between elders and youth. Rolex Ready: A Kid’s First Look at Rolex by Ernesto Gormila Jr. teaches kids about different tool watches, while design-your-own-watch pages invite young artists to invent their own editions.