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Is it even possible to give a more reliable, more enduring, or, in simple words, better Christmas present than a timepiece?
Not only can a watch, with all of its premium artisanship, elevate outfits and exuberate elegance, but the memories, love, and hardships that the one wearing it endures make it an almost sentient part of you. They make it, as The Weeknd would say, Timeless. Watches are rooted in their permanence. They endure through thick and thin and become heirlooms that tie families together. They become the relics, passed down across generations, that embody the invisible but unyielding bonds we build as we thrive and suffer – as we live.
That is why, if you’re struggling to think of what to get your dad for Christmas, you should get him a timepiece. The right one will endure for many months, years, and decades, long after your father dons it for the very first time on Christmas day. And for something as abiding as this, not any old watch will do. So, we’ve compiled a varied list of the very best.
Richard Mille 30-01 Automatic. SHOP NOW
Richard Mille is defined by its extravagance. But extravagence does not mean that the Swiss brand neglects suavity or attention to detail.
The Les Breuleux-based brand’s 30-01 collection maintains the outlandish, unrestrained detail that makes Richard Mille timepieces so unique. However, this model is also perceptively subtle. Some of its most striking details stunningly abstruse. It brings together the Richard Mille philosophy of opulence with elements of traditional watchmaking artisanship. And the result is a uniquely magnanimous watch – one that can pair well with three-piece suits, streetwear and everything in between.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Self-winding. SHOP NOW
Traditional, refined, and debonair, Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Selfwinding, with its hand-crafted iconic blue dial with the infamous “Grande Tapisserie” pattern and its white gold applied hour-markers and “Royal Oak” hands with luminescent coating, stand apart from swaths of other impressive offerings from luxury watch brands from all over the world.
It is a simple watch, yet it embodies disarming depth. It is a timepiece that demands attention without being overbearing – and, for that, it is as close to a perfect Christmas present as you can get your dad.
Vacheron Constantin Historiques Americain 1921. SHOP NOW
Over 100 years ago, all the way back in 1921, luxury watch manufacturer Vacheron Constantin unveiled a model designed for drivers of the increasingly more common and fashionable cars of the Roaring Twenties. Many decades later, the Swiss brand paid homage to that enduring timepiece, introducing it to their Historiques collection, adding a modern flair while retaining the essence of 1921’s celebrated model.
The Historiques Americain 1921, like the spirit of the original model, is characterised by its rotated dial, cushion case, Breguet numerals and Breguet hands. The dial of the 40x40mm timepiece also features black-painted Arabic numerals, and a small seconds between 3 and 4 o’clock, wrapped neatly around an alligator leather strap. This Vacheron Constantin piece is the embodiment of the indomitability of premium watchmaking. It is going to be a model that will certainly retain its eminence for a long, long time.
Santos de Cartier. SHOP NOW
Celebrated Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont had a problem in 1904. Using pocket watches was impractical and unreliable while flying, he told his friend, designer Louis Cartier. So, Cartier designed a flat wristwatch with a square bezel to embody practicality with style and find a solution to his friend’s problems. Two years later, Santos-Dumont became the first person ever to be filmed in flight – and this flat timepiece, Cartier’s first, could be seen on his wrist as he took to the skies.
One hundred and twenty years later, this original Cartier has not lost any of its eminence. The model has been redesigned and altered multiple times to modernise itself with changing times without foregoing the square bezel that made history. It is a piece that symbolises innovation, practicality and creativity – packing over a century of watchmaking evolution into the Santos de Cartier’s 35.1mm case.
Dior Chiffre Rouge Black Ultramatte. SHOP NOW
Defined by Dior’s signature Cannage pattern that has become the French brand’s signature motif, the Chiffre Rouge, with its asymmetric shape and crown distinctively placed at 4 o’clock, has come to be known as one of Dior’s most iconic watches since it was launched, back in 2004.
With the choice of a grey, black or red rubber strap with Dior’s Cannage design or a black alligator leather strap, there is room to customise this suave timepiece, which pays homage to one of Dior’s hallmark colours: red, to your dad’s preferences. The Chiffre Rouge Black Ultramatte is modern and sleek, but it is also humble – it is quintessentially Dior.
Hublot King Power Red Devil. SHOP NOW
The watches on this list have been defined by elegance, style and legacy – but not by football legacy. And that is where Hublot’s limited-edition collaboration with footballing giant Manchester United comes to the fore.
After Hublot and Manchester United signed a sponsorship deal in 2008, two of the most celebrated names in luxury watchmaking and football came together to develop a signature, limited-edition timepiece with Manchester United’s “Red Devil” placed neatly across from 3 o’clock. Only 500 models of the Red Devil variant of Hublot’s King Power were released. So, if your father is a Manchester United fan, you know what to get him for Christmas.
Rolex Submariner. SHOP NOW
There is not a single timepiece in the world more recognisable than Rolex’s signature Submariner.
Championed by Titanic and Avatar director James Cameron and having become the cornerstone of luxury watchmaking since its launch in 1953, Rolex’s Submariner is the embodiment of timeless, luxury watchmaking artisanship. It is one of very few watches that are truly globally recognisable. One of very few pieces that will never go out of fashion. The kind of watch that is passed down across generations. The kind of watch you can never go wrong gifting.
Versace V Dome. SHOP NOW
It may not always seem like the case, but you do not need to pay exorbitant prices for premium and well-crafted timepieces. Versace’s V Dome is an example of just that.
This watch by the luxury Italian fashion brand is minimalist excellence finely crafted into a 42mm case. Characterised by a dome-shaped glass and a top ring with Versace lettering, and with the brand’s signature Medusa head as the 12 o’clock marker, the V Dome is sleek, authentic and unmistakably stylish. And, best of all, it is currently on sale in the UAE.
Words: Hamza Shehryar
