Watches for Dad
Forget the tie—Dad deserves something timeless.
Most likely it was Dad who bestowed upon you your first wristwatch. Whether it was a dollar store plastic bauble of a timepiece when you were a toddler or a family heirloom given at your graduation, Dad wanted to ensure you knew the importance of properly accessorizing the wrist (and not pulling a phone out of your pocket to check the time). A watch is considered the definitive man’s style statement (there’s a reason James Bond is rarely spotted without one), and so on the day dedicated to Dad, why not present him with a gift as reliable as he has been? Here are five watches, as diverse as dads themselves.
Breguet Classique 5177
This unmistakably Breguet timepiece is a mainstay of the brand’s repertoire, but this year’s take on the 5177 reference has the signature Breguet blue on the dial. Designing a fine dress watch is not easy, but Breguet is known for making understated simplicity sublime. And while the Breguet Classique 5177 Grand Feu Blue Enamel may seem straightforward, the challenge is in the enamelling, an artisanal technique requiring that layer upon layer of enamel powder be built up between kiln firings at high temperatures. Beyond the dial, the 38 mm 18-karat white gold case houses the self-winding calibre 777Q with a power reserve of 55 hours, and the classic Breguet moon-tipped hands are rhodium-coated. While this may be a very recognizable Breguet timepiece, those who behold it will be entranced, staring into the deep blue hue.
A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon
This latest edition of the A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon is impressive. The timepiece ranks among the brand’s most complicated watches, with a unique combination of a flyback chronograph, a perpetual calendar with moon phases, and a tourbillon with stop seconds and a power-reserve indicator; the watch has a white gold case and a solid pink gold dial. (“This is not salmon,” said a certain A. Lange & Söhne watchmaker at SIHH earlier this year, referring to the dial’s hue. “We don’t like the smell. The Swiss say salmon; we are German.”) Limited to 100 pieces, this watch is a technical feat and feast, and once you own it—pink or salmon, or perhaps rosé—you can describe the colour however you please.
Rolex GMT-Master II
Far from being a new design, the newest iteration of the “Batman” has been subtly upgraded: Jubilee bracelet, new-generation 3285 movement, redesigned lugs, iconic blue-and-black bezel. When it comes to functionality, nothing has changed. And while the tweaks have been minimal, this latest Rolex has caught the world’s attention.
Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11, 50th Anniversary Special Edition
Unless you have been living under a rock, you know this year marks the 50th anniversary of the first lunar landing. And like George Clooney (Omega brand ambassador), your dad most likely remembers the anticipation he felt every time a rocket took off. The magic that gives an object meaning is the story that is told about it, and the Speedmaster has one great story. This is the watch Buzz Aldrin, of the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, wore on the right sleeve of his spacesuit on the lunar surface. On this golden anniversary, Omega is celebrating with a brand-new golden Speedmaster, limited to 1,014 pieces. The Omega-exclusive 18-karat gold alloy, aptly named Moonshine, forms the various elements of the watch with a 42 mm case, housing the master chronometer calibre 3861 and, remaining true to the historical timepiece, a burgundy bezel. No other watch reigns with quite the same interplanetary force as the Speedmaster.
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Huracán Performante
It is a good bet that watch guys are, for the most part, also car guys. The Roger Dubuis Excalibur Huracán is like a Lamborghini for your wrist. The watch takes strong visual cues from the shapes on which the supercar is based, and it is outfitted with a special Pirelli-branded rubber strap. The 45 mm skeletonized titanium case is powered by a new manufacture movement, calibre RD630 composed of 233 components, and it has a power reserve of 60 hours supplied from twin barrels. Some dads like to match their tie to their suit, others their watch to their car.
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