Shopofkorea guides
A Partnership Commemoration Gift: A Desk Clock Engraved with the Company Name
Official product names are shown in Korean. Product pages are in Korean; prices are in South Korean won (KRW).
Preparing a business gift before departure is more rushed than you might expect. The flight time does not change, and if text needs to be engraved, you have to count the production days backward.
A foreign CEO running a business in Korea found himself in exactly that situation. Before catching a Friday morning flight, he was preparing a gift for the head of a partner company he had been working with. What he chose was a desk clock featuring a plum blossom and butterfly design. He wrote out the inscription to be placed at the bottom of the clock himself. On the first line he put the recipient's name and company name, and on the second line he placed "The Partnership with" followed by his own name and company name. His request was for both lines to be centered and positioned at the center-bottom of the clock, as shown in the sample photo.
His message also included a concern: because the text was long, he worried the lettering might come out small, so he asked that it be stretched horizontally if possible, or made small if not. He also noted that he needed to receive the item, along with some other goods, by Thursday at the latest, and that if there was truly no time, switching to an etched nameplate would be acceptable. For him, making sure the inscription was included and receiving the item before his departure were just as important as the design.
Two Company Names Side by Side
Commemorative items stamped with a single company logo are common. What this customer wanted was a slightly different arrangement. The recipient's name comes first, and below it his own name follows, connected by "with." It appears he wanted to leave on the other party's desk not so much a record of who gave what to whom, but a testament to the fact that the two companies had worked together.
A desk clock is a fitting object for carrying such an inscription. Every time you glance at it to check the time — several times a day — those lines come into view along with it.
The 탁상용시계-매화나비 (desk clock – plum blossom and butterfly) is a clock featuring plum blossom and butterfly motifs and a Hangeul typeface set against a mother-of-pearl-effect lustrous background. The plum blossom and butterfly are traditional motifs (jeongtong munyang) that carry both restrained beauty and auspicious meaning, so the clock makes a clear impression as a gift from Korea without being ostentatious. It measures 13.5 cm wide, 10.5 cm tall, and 1.5 cm thick, so it does not take up much space beside a monitor.
If you need to carry the gift onto a plane yourself, weight and fragility are also worth considering. This clock weighs 420 g and is not classified as a fragile item in the product information. It is relatively easy to tuck among your departure luggage.
If the recipient seems to prefer a calmer atmosphere over floral motifs, there is also a landscape clock of the same size. The 탁상용시계-산수도 (desk clock – sansudo) features a traditional sansudo (mountain-and-water landscape painting) motif painted on a mother-of-pearl-effect background, with a metal border around the edge. As a painting that conveys harmony with nature and contemplation, it suits a weighty desk such as one in an executive office, and it is also designed as a ceremonial gift to accompany a message of appreciation.
This customer also picked up a few small stationery items to go along with the clock. It is a composition of one central gift accompanied by light accessories. If you want to choose one more item to sit on the same desk, a business card case is a safe option.
The 명함케이스와 볼펜 2종세트- 장생일월학 (business card case and ballpoint pen 2-piece set – jangsaeng ilwolhak) is an office set that renders the jangsaeng (longevity) motif of the sun, moon, and crane in mother-of-pearl inlay (jagae sanggam). Because the motif signifies longevity and blessings, it also pairs well with the spirit of a partnership that hopes to continue long into the future. According to the product information, it measures 9.2 × 5.8 cm, weighs 170 g, and is not a fragile item, so there is no difficulty in packing it together with the clock.
When it comes to gifts with custom inscriptions, it ultimately comes down to a race against the schedule. If your departure date is fixed, it is best to provide the inscription text, its placement, and the date by which you must receive the item all at once when you first get in touch. Having a fallback option decided in advance makes the discussion much smoother if time runs short — just as this customer thought ahead to mention an etched nameplate as his backup. When the text is long, you can also ask in advance how the layout will look before placing your order.
This account is based on an actual purchase; individuals and organizations have been anonymized and some details have been reconstructed.