What’s the hottest gift for the holidays?  In an unofficial survey of our readers, we found that while jewelry and tech gadgets were tops, so was a four letter word – time.

During this hustle bustle season, here’s our take on timely gifts.

To satisfy your techie hubby or friend—men in particular—may we suggest the atomic clock.  We found ours at Sam’s Club (www.samsclub.com), where guys kept musing over our cart asking us, “Where did you find that?”  So…single ladies, happy shopping!

With watches on many wish lists, we turned to the experts at Nicholas G. Hayek Watchmaking School in Secaucus, (www.nghayekwatchmakingschool.org), one of only four U.S. schools offering a Switzerland-based training program for watchmakers. Ten-year watchmaking veteran and instructor Chris Peterson told us Rolex and Cartier are brand-recognized as the luxury watches, and Omega has a strong following.  For collectors, he suggests Patek Phillippe. Or Antiquorom in Manhattan (www.antiquorum.com), the top auction house for collectable time pieces and watches.  For fun, he says, Swatches still rule.

A watch represents the lifestyle of the person wearing it, says Jim Ballew, the fourth generation owner of Ballew Jewelers of Freehold and Red Bank (www.ballewjewelers.com), founded by two Swiss watchmaking brothers in the late 1800’s. Movado, Fendi and Elini are for the dressier persona, he tells us, while Rolex appeals to guys who want rugged function with fashion. 

Even the time-challenged can have their own gift: the Whatever Clock. We just love ours, from www.uncommongoods.com.

For the time traveler, we suggest tickets to Baselworld in Basel, Switzerland (www.baselworld.com), the watch and jewelry industry’s leading annual event for the latest and most trendy creations, to be held April 3-10, 2008.

And if what you want to give is time itself, how about a spa retreat? Our reader faves include Urban Muse in Denville (www.urbanmuse.com), Serenity Day Spa in East Brunswick (www.premierspacollection.com), DePasquale in Morris Plains (www.depasqualethespa.com), and The Spa at Short Hills (www.hilton.com).

Finally, a handcrafted gift certificate for an extra hour sleep on the weekend will probably be the best time well spent.

Pamela J. Principe-Golgolab of PNA Associates contributed this story for NJ My Way.