It’s that time of year again! Father’s Day is upon us, and as always the gift of a timepiece is a lasting, thoughtful choice. There are as many different options as there are dads, however, so choosing the right watch for your father isn’t always easy. With that in mind, we’ve compiled eight diverse options all at a price that won’t break the bank.
For the Dad Who Doesn’t Wear Watches: Seiko 5 SNK809
While watch culture has exploded in popularity over the past few years, that doesn’t necessarily mean your father has caught on to the trend. If you’re trying to bring your dad into the fold for the very first time, there’s no better option than the modern classic Seiko 5 SNK809. While it may be one of the most inexpensive mechanical watches on the market, it’s far from the worst. The case is elemental and handsome, with short broad lugs, a wide sloping bezel and Seiko’s trademark recessed crown at four o’clock. The dial is classic Type-B flieger style, combining old-school pilot good looks and eminent readability at a glance. Gleaming through the display caseback, Seiko’s 7S26 automatic movement is completely manufactured in-house, an unparalleled achievement at this price point and still impressive for watches costing 20 times as much. The SNK809 is fun, versatile and the perfect gateway drug for the first-time watch enthusiast.
Shop Now: $64.99
For the Dad who Breaks Everything: Casio G-Shock Rangeman
If your father is anything like my father, any watch he wears is going to withstand all manner of abuse. Whether it’s pouring concrete, re-tiling a roof or winching a Jeep out of a deep mud hole, there are certain challenges that even the toughest mechanical watches shouldn’t be subjected to. The Casio G-Shock Rangeman is made for just those situations. The shock-proof resin case can shrug off anything less than a direct hit from a tank, and the digital dial offers a bewildering assortment of info from time, day, date, compass, altimeter, barometer, thermometer, and sunrise/sunset tracking. While the G-Shock aesthetic may not be for everyone, the line has its fair share of fans that have made it an icon in the streetwear world.
Shop Now: $189.99
For the Traditional Dad: Hamilton Khaki Field
Maybe your father is the old-school type, the kid of man who still wears the same outdoor gear as his great-grandfather and grills his burgers with charcoal because propane is too new. The Hamilton Khaki Field has been an all-American tradition for generations. The simple straight-lug bead blasted case and the field-style dial, with its bold Arabic numerals and syringe hands, draws its inspiration from a line of Hamilton military watches dating all the way back to the 1940s. It’s simple, functional, and Hamilton will probably be making something nearly identical in another 70 years.
Shop Now: $259
For the Nerdy Dad: Citizen Eco-Drive Blue Angels World Chronograph
If your father is the type to obsess over technology, facts and figures the Citizen Eco-Drive Blue Angels World Chronograph is a natural companion. Nestled in the handsome 42 millimeter case is a solar-powered movement with a 60-minute chronograph, 1/20 second chronograph register, 24 hour indicator, date window, world time and fuel consumption bezels (for every time you have to meter your engine usage while flying a jet), and Citizen’s radio-control system allowing this little wonder to automatically adjust itself when entering a new time zone. To top it all off, it’s the official timepiece watch of the U.S. Navy’s high-flying Blue Angels display team. It’s sure to scratch the itch for dads in need of information overload.
Shop Now: $299
For the Car Guy Dad: Tissot PRC 200 Chronograph
Some dads just have motor oil in their veins, it seems. If your father is the type who lives and breathes cars and motorsport, they need a watch that can time track days and Sunday driving with equal ease. The Tissot PRC 200 Chronograph, then, would be a welcome addition to their collection. The case is chunky and attractive, if a bit simple, with short undercut lugs and a thick polished bezel. The dial features a racy mix of applied numerals and indices, surrounded by a steeply sloped inner tachymeter bezel. Subdials for running seconds, along with chronograph 30 minutes and 6 hours, are capped off with Tissot’s trademark T-counterweighted central chronograph seconds. The PRC 200’s powerplant, the automatic ETA Caliber C01.211, features a ornately customized rotor visible through a wide display caseback. A sporty rubber strap caps off the look.
Shop Now: $619
For the Minimalist Dad: Mido Baroncelli III
Be they designers, art enthusiasts, or just those who embrace austerity, there are some fathers who prefer a simple item executed perfectly. For those dads, there’s the Mido Baroncelli III. The elegantly minimal style of the Baroncelli III starts with the thin, fully polished case and extends through every detail of the dial with its slender printed line indices and contrast-finished dauphine hands. The overall package is almost Bauhaus in its simplicity, but the Baroncelli III bleeds quality inside and out. While the outside shows it in the fine nuances, the ETA 2892-A2 automatic movement shines more brightly through the display back. A stitchless black alligator strap completes the understated look.
Shop Now: $625
For the Seafaring Dad: Longines Hydroconquest
Whether your dad is a sailor, water-skier, fisherman, surfer, swimmer, SCUBA diver or whitewater rafter, he could use a watch that doesn’t turn its nose up at a little water. The Longines Hydroconquest is just that watch. The masculine case features hefty attached crown guards, long curving lugs, a smooth unidirectional dive bezel and a dynamic mix of brushed and polished surfaces to keep things interesting in changing light. This case doesn’t just look the part either- it delivers with a water resistance rating of up to 300 meters. Dial-wise, the Hydroconquest is an interesting mix of traditional diver cues and Longines’ own modern touches, including the oversized lumed numerals at 12, 6 and 9 and the “snowflake” hands. Wrapping up this blend of familiar and unique is Longines’ take on the diver’s staple oyster bracelet, here featuring mirror-polished center links for a serious injection of flash.
Shop Now: $685
For the Sophisticated Dad: Oris Rectangular Complications
Perhaps your father’s tastes run a bit more refined, to finely crafted bespoke Italian suits and single malt scotches. A man of sophistication requires a sophisticated companion, and there’s no more sophisticated watch for the money than the Oris Rectangular Complications. The elegantly simple case is Oris’ own interpretation of the classic Cartier Tank style, allowing only a single Art Deco-esque scallop to interrupt the smooth mirror finish. The guilloché dial, on the other hand, offers a complex yet balanced assortment of date, day of week, 24-hour indicator and a gorgeous moon phase window on its patterned silver surface. Oris powers the Rectangular Complications with their own highly customized Calibre 582, based on the much simpler and less attractive ETA 2671 automatic movement. Of course, a sophisticated watch requires an equally sophisticated strap, and the mahogany brown alligator deployant present here fits the bill perfectly.
Shop Now: $775
