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Round-UpFather’s Day Special: Presenting Watches For Fathers And Sons/Daughters

We’ve all been known to wear and admire the watches that our fathers have worn and enjoyed—whether they’ve been passed down to us or it’s simply all in the family. In celebration of Father’s Day (Sunday, June 18, 2023), we present distinguished timepieces that fathers would appreciate, paired with appropriate ‘starter watch’ versions that are more suitable for younger generations… Happy Father’s Day!

Ranvijaysinh Jhala June 8, 2023

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In a world where one interacts so much with watch enthusiasts and collectors—be it colleagues or peers—it’s not uncommon to have conversations about one’s favourite watch, one’s first watch and so on. Oftentimes, when asked about their first watch, people say that they used to wear their dad’s old watch, until they could invest in something more advanced or elaborate of their own. Even I wore my father’s old HMT when I was younger, while he’d moved on to other watches, even if I haven’t worn it or seen it in years now. Many still hold on to their parents’ and grandparents’ old timepieces as keepsakes, even if those watches are never worn anymore. It’s certainly very true that watches are handed down from one generation to the next. At the same time, when one is young, one often admires one’s father’s timepiece and dreams of owning something like it in the future. It’s even likely that your dad may have bought you a watch similar to his own, so you could share that added connection. On the other hand, if you think your father should have an upgrade, you might consider investing in one for him, while you offer to take his older, simpler watch off his hands. There are plenty of lower-rung versions of distinguished watches—from within a collection or even a brand—that are often considered as ‘starter’ watches—or even ‘entry level’ editions if you will. And wouldn’t it be just perfect for your dad and you to own similar watches that can go down generations, who can share the same timepiece connection like the two of you do? Here are a few combinations of watches that could reflect such connections, to be enjoyed by fathers and their sons or daughters. This is our way of marking Father’s Day, which falls on June 18 this year.

Father's Day Special Watches for father and son daughter starter watch chronograph watches — The Formula 1 Gulf Edition is a perfectly good entry-level Gulf piece from TAG Heuer. It’s a perfect example of a ‘starter watch’ edition for the far more emblematic Monaco Gulf

TAG Heuer

Monaco Gulf And Formula 1 Gulf

One of the most iconic chronograph watches ever made—surely the most iconic square-shaped chronograph—the Monaco has been a flagship for TAG Heuer, perfectly representing their association with motorsports. It was immortalised in the film Le Mans about a fictionalised showdown at the ‘24 Hours of Le Mans’ race, which is considered to be one of the hardest motor races that tests drivers’ endurance to their limits. Actor Steve McQueen famously wore the Monaco in the film where he was in livery that reflected the branding and colours of Gulf Oil—as a sponsor of the race team his character was driving for, just as even Heuer was presented on the character’s racing attire. This unofficial association led to a more official one later, and TAG Heuer subsequently released a Gulf edition of the Monaco chronograph. This latest version of the Monaco Gulf is steeped in history and would definitely be a distinguished watch for anyone to own, not to mention how coveted it is. However, the Swiss watchmakers’ association with Gulf has also been seen through the TAG Heuer Formula 1 collection, which is often considered as the ‘starter watch’ companion collection to its higher-end motorsport counterparts including the Monaco and Carrera collections. The Formula 1 Gulf has the same distinctive stripes of Gulf’s colours—blue and orange—seen on the Monaco Gulf. The leather strap is also in blue like the Monaco’s. And while the Monaco runs on the Heuer 02 automatic chronograph calibre, offering an 80-hour power reserve, the Formula 1 has a more modest, but very reliable Swiss-made quartz movement. These two would make quite a dashing duo when seen together on the wrists of father and son/daughter.

Oris

Aquis Calibre 400 And Aquis Date Relief

The Aquis is one of Oris’s bestselling watches, and presents a very contemporary aesthetic, even though it exemplifies a very archetypal steel-sport-watch style. This tool watch transcends into being a lifestyle piece that has wider appeal than even the brand’s other, more traditional dive watch, the Diver’s Sixty-Five. And for all these reasons, it made sense for them to use this as the piece with which Oris debuted their calibre 400 series. The Aquis Calibre 400 houses the first in the brand’s line of high-performing automatic movements that offer a five-day power reserve, advanced anti-magnetism and a 10-year warranty. These are exceptional qualities to find in a mechanical movement, and not those that you come across with every other mechanical watch you’d find. The edition selected here is a 2021 piece, with an anthracite dial, and sized at a very agreeable 41.5mm. And with a slightly lighter-hued dial is the Aquis Date Relief—an earlier edition that came out before the calibre 400 series made its debut. However, this Aquis still presents all the aforementioned qualities of the Aquis collection that makes it such a bestseller. Even if it doesn’t have the advanced calibre 400, it still runs on an automatic movement—with 38 hours of power reserve—and offers the same three-hand timekeeping with a date feature. Sized at 43.5mm, it’s also probably more suited for a younger sensibility, while the Calibre 400 edition certainly makes for a more understated and sophisticated appearance. Moreover, the Date Relief (just like its contemporaries before Calibre 400) was literally like a ‘starter watch’ in the series that would go on establish the ‘new standard’ in advanced mechanical watchmaking that is calibre 400.

Omega

Constellation Co-Axial Master Chronometer And Constellation Quartz

The Omega Constellation is undoubtedly one of the most iconic watch collections out there—albeit more on the dressier side as compared with most other watches with integrated straps. The Manhattan editions of the Constellation are particularly distinctive, with an unmistakeable silhouette and even profile, in addition to the instantly identifiable bracelet links and hinges, the half-moon facets on the case, the ‘claws’ on the bezel and so on. The dress watch aesthetic also makes this watch more appealing in smaller, more traditional sizes, like the editions presented here, which are at 36mm. Of course, at a glance, you might not be able to tell these two apart. Aside from being of the same size, both are in steel, with black dials and similar finishing, almost identical hands, hour markers and date apertures—they’re almost the same watch. However, while one’s dial simply has the branding, the word ‘Constellation’, the collection’s star emblem, the other one also has the words ‘co-axial Master Chronometer’. This, quite evidently, refers to the movement inside. The more distinguished and far more advanced version is the Master Chronometer one, which is tested for accuracy in all sorts of extreme conditions, including being subjected to advanced magnetism. It’s only after this that the watch, which already contains a COSC-certified chronometer calibre, is certified as a Master Chronometer. While this may be one of the most accurate mechanical movements you can find, the other Constellation still runs on a reliable Swiss quartz movement. The casebacks make the distinction between the two far clearer, as the mechanical has a display caseback, while the quartz’s back is closed. The last minor difference you’ll see between these Constellations is that the more distinguished, Master Chronometer edition has narrower inter-links. Father and daughter/son would definitely be ‘twinning’ with these Omegas on their wrists!

Nomos

Tangente Sport Neomatik 42 Club Campus 38 Night

Literally called ‘Campus’ because the more casual nature of the Club Campus collection from Nomos is targeted at a younger mind-set. In fact, the German brand literally talk of it as meant for fresh graduates and young working professionals. A clear departure from Nomos’s other offerings, it’s definitely more in line with what a son or a daughter would wear, as compared with the far more distinguished Tangente collection. Yes, even the Tangente here has a sportier appeal than several others from the line—owing especially to the bracelet strap and high-contrast dial. However that is the aspect of this Tangente—aside from elements such as the Arabic numerals—that pairs well with the Club Campus that can be seen as its ‘starter’ version. Otherwise, the Club Campus itself can be seen as the ‘starter watch’ for all of Nomos’s other collections. With edges more rounded than the Tangente, the Club Campus is also sized a little smaller, at 38.5mm, which gives it wider appeal across genders. It runs on a manual-winding movement that offers a power reserve of 43 hours, and is concealed behind a closed caseback. The Tangente, on the other hand, showcases its Neomatik movement through the exhibition caseback. Denoting ‘new automatic’, Nomos’s Neomatik was their first in-house automatic designed with the date feature, yet maintaining its position on the periphery of the movement. It also offers the very handy forward-and-backward adjustability. It also offers a 43-hour power reserve, but is far more advanced than the Club Campus’s calibre. Together, these watches present Nomos at their sportiest best, fit for a father-and-son/daughter duo.

Maurice Lacroix

Aikon Mahindra Racing Skeleton And Automatic

Another pair of watches that represents a brand at their sportiest best, here we have the Maurice Lacroix Aikon—the Mahindra Racing edition specifically. This here is Maurice Lacroix’s archetypal integrated steel sport watch series, quite like the Aquis is for Oris. They are robust, reliable and extremely wearable, and the Aikon is anyway a line that offers perfectly good daily-wear timepieces. Like the Heuer Gulf Editions above, these too are associated with motorsports, and collaborative special editions as well. As partners of Mahindra Racing—the Formula E (of electric cars) motor-racing team, based in Banbury, UK—Maurice Lacroix launched these in the first edition to mark this collaboration. The Aikon Chronograph Skeleton is naturally the more sophisticated and distinguished version—the kind that the Automatic Chronograph would like to be ‘when they grow up’. The latter though is not without its merits. With a standard power reserve of 48 hours, and a 44mm steel case, it’s a modern and robust chronograph timepiece—ideal for younger generations. On the other hand, the skeleton version showcases nuanced depth and refinement in its details that are immediately distinctive. Also with a power reserve of 48 hours, and at 44mm, this one is more balanced, with a bi-compax layout. Both editions have the Mahindra team’s racing colours—albeit a little splashier in the ‘younger’ one. Like father, like kid!