Right On Time: The Best Watches To Get Dad This Father’s Day
Watch out — Father’s Day is fast approaching and you don’t want to be left empty handed.
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While it’s difficult to adequately compensate dad for the years of advice (both solicited and unsolicited), banter, sporting commentary, and unconditional love, Father’s Day provides the ideal opportunity to level the playing field. In Australia, Father’s Day falls on the first Sunday of September; with it taking place on the 3rd of September this year.
Men are often deemed difficult to shop for, however it’s hard to go wrong with a thoughtfully chosen timepiece. So, with just under a month until Father’s Day, we’ve put together the best watches for every type of dad. From stainless steel sports watches for zeitgeist-following papas to elevated icons for dressy dads, there’s something for every paternal figure this Father’s Day.
Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch
It’s hard to go wrong with a Moonwatch. The steadfast Speedmaster has become one of the most covetable timepieces of late — while it’s spawned several riffs in the form of precious metals and statement dials, the classic is a classic for a reason. Powered by the in-house calibre 3861, it features a tricompax layout that houses small seconds, 30-minute recorder, and 12-hour recorder subdials. It’s only water resistant to 50 metres — but hey, it can go to the moon!
$11,225; omegawatches.com
Bremont Supernova
Everyone wants a stainless steel sports watch—and Bremont’s entrant is set to be a key player. Marking the British manufacture’s first—and welcome—foray into the stainless steel integrated bracelet game, this offering from Bremont is a masterclass in rugged appeal. The debut sees Bremont’s signature three-piece case construction ergonomically translated into the covetable genus. The black and white dial is complemented by touches of red, while the calibre ENG375 can be viewed through the exhibition caseback.
$12,995; au.bremont.com
Grand Seiko SBGJ271
An ode to the interplay between nature and culture, the dial of the Grand Seiko SBGJ271 is designed to emulate the lacquered floors of a traditional Japanese home reflecting the soft white snow (poetic, we know). Equipped with a GMT function, it’s the ideal play for the contemplative traveller.
$10,600; grandseikoboutique.com.au
Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph Black Ceramic
The Royal Oak Offshore celebrates its 30th anniversary this year — mark it with a fresh black ceramic take on the instantly recognisable style. Accented with yellow gold, the 43mm timepiece strikes the right balance between laidback and sophisticated. A twist on an icon.
$89,400; audemarspiguet.com
Van Cleef & Arpels Pierre Arpels Heure d’Ici & Heure d’Ailleurs Watch
Often dismissed as ‘just’ a jewellery house, Van Cleef & Arpels has long been making some of the most complex creations in the haute horology space. Here, the maison showcases the vision of masculine elegance proposed by Pierre Arpels in 1949. A masterclass in restraint, the atypical dial format sees the time displayed on one side of the dial, with a jumping hours and retrograde minutes function displaying a second time zone.
$44,800; vancleefarpels.com
IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Oceana
A continuation of the IWC’s elite Top Gun series (itself an extension of the manufacture’s Pilot’s Watch collection), the IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Oceana deviates from the nature-inspired theme posited by the ‘Woodland’ and ‘Lake Tahoe’ iterations before it. Here, the blue overalls worn by pilots serve as inspiration for the monochromatic timepiece, with the 41.9mm ceramic case presented on a colour-matched rubber strap.
$17,300; iwc.com
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe
For dads who love adventure and leisure in equal measure. A refined take on the classic dive watch, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Chronographe Flyback is crafted from rose gold and features a sunburst blue dial. Striking the ideal balance between practicality and elegance, the 43mm timepiece is water resistant to 300 metres, though its rose gold construction means its just as at home under a suit cuff.
$45,900; blancpain.com
Hublot Classic Fusion
The genesis of Hublot as we know it today, the Classic Fusion nods to the 1980s timepiece created by Carlo Crocco—ostensibly inspired by the porthole of a ship, but bearing more than a little resemblance to another timepiece with a screwed-down bezel. Notably, it represented the first time yellow gold was paired (or fused!) with natural rubber. The Hublot Classic Fusion retains the design codes of Crocco’s original, and comes in 42mm, 38mm, and 33mm formats, with the three-hand iteration exuding pared-back style.
$30,900; hublot.com
Chanel J12
Don’t call it a ‘fashion watch’. A timepiece ahead of its time, the Chanel J12 is finally getting the industry respect it deserves. Representing the unity of high fashion and haute horology, the stainless steel and ceramic timepiece reconciles masculine traits with feminine. Opt for the blacked-out version; accented with hints of stainless steel courtesy of the applied Arabic numerals and elegant openworked hands. Its hardwearing ceramic construction means it can take a beating, though its sophisticated aesthetics recommend it to more refined pursuits.
$12,500; chanel.com
Breguet Type XX
The ultimate timepiece for high-flying fathers, the Breguet Type XX is inspired by a 1957 model from the archives and coalesces heritage appeal with contemporary aesthetics. Its legible dial features oversized Arabic numerals with a tricompax layout playing host to a ‘big eye’ subdial. A sand-toned luminescent coating adds a classic touch to the numerals and hands.
$26,200; breguet.com
Bell & Ross BR 05 GMT
A timepiece defined by dualities, the Bell & Ross BR 05 GMT sits at the intersection of sporty and dressy. The Bell & Ross BR 05 GMT Sky Blue sees the optimistic shade feature on a sun-brushed dial, sitting within the angular 41mm satin-brushed ‘round within a square’ steel case. Ideal for the adventurous dads out there, the Bell & Ross BR 05 GMT is equally at home under a dress shirt cuff as it is on the field, however retains a rugged sensibility wherever it goes.
$8200; bellandross.com
Lange & Söhne Odysseus Chronograph
Reconciling the sporty stainless steel aesthetic with A. Lange & Söhne’s elegant signatures, the Odysseus Chronograph represents the German manufacture’s first selfwinding chronograph. Set within a wearable 42.5mm case and water resistant to 125 metres, it features brushed surfaces and chamfered edges, resulting in a timepiece that seamlessly flits from soiree to sporting arena and back again.
$POA; watchswiss.com
Chopard Alpine Eagle 41
A modern rendition of the Chopard St Moritz, designed in 1980 by the manufacture’s current co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, the Alpine Eagle represents the unity of past and present. The epitome of sporty chic, its textured dial derives inspiration from the iris of an eagle, while the brushed and polished three-link bracelet and screw-down bezel nod to the original timepiece.
Approx. $21,500; chopard.com
Baume & Mercier Rivera 10715
An underrated timepiece from the angular bezel craze that dominated the 1970s, the Baume & Mercier Rivera debuted in 1973. Representing the ultimate value proposition, the ref. 10715 was introduced this year to mark the piece’s half-century and features slimmed-down proportions. With a five-day power reserve and eight-year warranty, Baume & Mercier continues to punch above its price point.
$5800; baume-et-merciet.com
Patek Philippe ref. 5905/1A-001
Because a Nautilus is too obvious. Complicated yet understated, the Patek Philippe ref. 5905/1A-001 sees the lauded manufacture team a self-winding flyback chronograph and annual calendar with stainless steel for the first time. The sunburst olive dial houses a central subdial at 6 o’clock for the chronograph seconds, which can also be used as a running seconds display thanks to the vertical disk-type clutch. The patented annual calendar function automatically takes account of 30- and 31-day months, requiring a single correction per year, on the 1st of March. Watch it work through the exhibition caseback.
$97,850; jfarrenprice.com.au
Longines Spirit Zulu Time
A downsized version of the family introduced last year, the Longines Spirit Zulu Time pays homage to the manufacture’s history of exploration. Available in three iterations, we’re particularly enchanted with the sandblasted anthracite dial encircled by a chocolate brown ceramic bezel, complemented by lashes of yellow gold. Its 39mm proportions make it suitable for every wrist, while its stainless steel case and bracelet retain the rugged design codes that made Longines’ creations the favoured timepieces of pioneers and explorers the world round.
$6850; longines.com
Tag Heuer Carrera Chronograph ‘Glassbox’
Perhaps the most prestigious release by the Swiss manufacture in the past few years, the Glassbox showcases Tag Heuer’s desire to position itself among the major players. Looking to the archives, the Tag Heuer Carrera Chronograph ‘Glassbox’ references the reverse-panda dial of the 2447 NS, while the eponymous domed sapphire crystal elegantly encasing the tricompax dial and sloped tachymeter scale recalls models of the 1970s. the in-house Heuer 02 calibre features an oscillation movement that winds in two directions rather than one, visible through the exhibition caseback.
$9350; tagheuer.com
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Gentlemanly Restraint
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Northern Light Composite X Clean Sailors EcoOptimist
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