Hermès Arceau L'heure de la Lune.
Photo: Hermes
9 Exceptional New Watches That Make the Ultimate Father’s Day Gift
Coveted timepieces from Rolex, Piaget, Breguet, and more will impress even the most discerning watch aficionado
When it comes to celebrating Father’s Day, you can never go wrong by gifting a watch. Below, we share a selection of speciality timepieces for passionate collectors that are sure to show one’s appreciation—that is, if you can get your hands on one, as this array includes the best of the best and the ultrarare status symbol.
Rolex Yacht-Master 42 in white gold with an Oysterflex bracelet. Photo: Courtesy of Rolex
Captain of Industry
Rolex Yacht-Master 42
Perfectly capturing the ethos of the Rolex brand, this distinct timepiece is emblematic of the company’s yachting culture with all the robustness, water resistance, and reliability that Rolex Professional watches are known for but enhanced with 18K white gold and ceramic for the collector who appreciates the finer details. A larger, sleeker version of the Everose gold Yacht-Master introduced in 2015, this is Rolex’s first 42mm time-and-date Yacht-Master. Launched late last year, it features a black dial and a bezel crafted with luxe 18K white gold and a striking matte-black Cerachrom insert with subtle markings. Inside is the caliber 3235, Rolex’s most advanced time-and-date movement, which uses the brand-developed Chronergy high-efficiency escapement regulated to ±2 seconds per day. As with every Rolex Professional watch, the Yacht-Master 42 offers extraordinary legibility in all light conditions and the Oysterflex rubber bracelet adds to its air of cool, casualness. $27,800
Audemars Piguet Code 11.59. Photo: Courtesy of Audemars Piguet
Stealth Luxury
Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Selfwinding Chronograph
In the works for more than half a decade, Audemars Piguet’s entirely new family of watches, known as Code 11.59, was one of the most anticipated launches last year. A brave design departure from the house’s most iconic Royal Oak model, the Code 11.59 collection takes its name from the minute before midnight, a nod to the anticipation of a new day and an embrace of the future. The new collection—which includes six models in all—introduces a completely new architecture with a round case that upon closer inspection reveals an embedded octagonal middle case, inherent to the brand’s DNA. A round extra-slim bezel and stylized arched lugs shine a light on its refined hand finishing. The deep-blue-lacquered dial of the self-winding chronograph (pictured) is covered by a complex, double-curved sapphire crystal that plays with light and perspective to create a dazzling optical experience. $42,400
Piaget Polo Green. Photo: Courtesy of Piaget
Vintage Icon
Piaget Polo Green
An icon in sports-luxe watches, Piaget’s Polo was first launched in 1979 by a Bond girl at a polo match in Florida. Now the classic, pared-back design is getting a makeover with an eye-catching green dial. Crafted with a horizontal guilloche technique, the intricate geometric patterns are hand-engraved to add depth, vivacity, and shine. The elegant 42mm piece features an in-house Piaget 1110P automatic mechanical movement that sees 50 hours of power reserve and is ensconced on a handsome stainless-steel bracelet. The slate-gray finished oscillating weight can be viewed through the sapphire crystal case back. With just 888 pieces made, the hard-to-come-by vintage-inspired watch would look just as at home at a summer cocktail party as a polo match. $11,900
Breguet. Photo: Courtesy of Breguet
History Revisited
Breguet Marine Tourbillon Équation Marchante 5887
Founder Abraham-Louis Breguet’s history with marine watches dates back to 1815, when the Swiss watchmaker was appointed the official chronometer maker of the Royal Navy. For the past few years, the brand has been shining light on that history with its Marine collection. The new Marine Tourbillon Équation Marchante 5887 combines a bold, sporty aesthetic with a highly complicated movement and the refined hand decoration the brand is known for. The model combines a cutting-edge tourbillon with a perpetual calendar and an equation of time and is now available in rose gold with a slate-gray dial. Special, artful touches include a guilloche-peaked wave motif in the center of the dial, a finely detailed depiction of a historic French Navy flag hand-carved across the bridges of the movement, and applied Roman numerals, as well as the Breguet moon-tipped hands in rose gold. $215,000
Vacheron Constantin Astronomical Striking Grand Complication—Ode to Music. Photo: Courtesy of Vacheron Constantin
The back of Vacheron Constantin's Astronomical Striking Grand Complication—Ode to Music. Photo: Courtesy of Vacheron Constantin
The One of a Kind
Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Astronomical Striking Grand Complication—Ode to Music
The pinnacle of discreet luxury, Vacheron Constantin is known for creating some of the most unusual and highly complex timepieces for the most passionate of watch collectors. For the man who is after the very best of the best, the most coveted yet hardest to acquire is the new Les Cabinotiers Astronomical Striking Grand Complication—Ode to Music. From Les Cabinotiers atelier studio, which produces the Swiss watchmaker’s most elite watches, it is part of a group of one-of-a-kind pieces collectively known as the “Musique du Temps.” With 19 complications, this feat of craftsmanship includes a perpetual calendar, minute repeater, numerous astronomical indications, sidereal time, and a sky chart of the northern hemisphere. The chiming mechanism was recorded by none other than London’s famed Abbey Road Studios. Price upon request
Grand Seiko Soko U.S. edition. Photo: Courtesy of Grand Seiko
Cult Status
Grand Seiko Soko special edition
A newly released collection from the cult Japanese watch brand is named after “Soko,” the period on the lunar calendar when the temperature drops and the first frost comes around. The satin lines and green hands are inspired by the famous Arashiyama bamboo forest in Kyoto, while the choice of “shadow” or “light” dial versions represents the streams of sunlight that cut through the densely packed vegetation. Powering the new watch is the Spring Drive 9R65 Caliber, which is a handmade movement crafted in the Shinshu Watch Studio in Japan. The 39mm watch includes 72 hours of power reserve, is water-resistant up to 100 meters, and is accurate up to ±1 second per day. $5,000
Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Automatic. Photo: Courtesy of Bvlgari
Steel Rush
Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Automatic
While best known for its jewelry and accessories, the storied Italian maison Bvlgari has been recently making a name for itself in the world of watches, especially when it launched its integrated-bracelet sports watch, the Octo Finissimo Automatic Steel, a few years ago. A fusion of bold Italian design and masterful Swiss engineering, Octo combines a unique octagonal design that was inspired by the Roman Maxentius Basilica, which was built in A.D. 312. Particularly noteworthy are the avant-garde materials such as black carbon fiber and matte-gray sandblasted titanium (pictured). This July sees a new shiny new satin-polish finish that is sure to catch the eye of those who love a more elegant sports watches. With alternating brushed and polished surfaces, the new case finish catches the light beautifully, and the 40mm dial measuring at 5.25mm wide boasts a slim profile on the wrist. $12,000
Hermès Arceau L'heure de la Lune. Photo: Courtesy of Hermes
Wearable Art
Hermès Arceau L’Heure de la Lune
When Hermès debuted its playful Arceau L’Heure de la Lune just over a year ago at SIHH 2019, it caught the attention of design and watch lovers alike, thanks to its combination of horological skill and artistic flair. This fall, the French maison is releasing five new versions with stunning new dial options in Lapis Lazuli, Blue Pearl, Lunar meteorite, Black Sahara meteorite, and Martian meteorite. A wearable work of art, the pieces feature an Hermès in-house movement, as well as two disks that show the hours/minutes and date and spin over a dial with two mother-of-pearl moons, simultaneously displaying the moon phases in both the northern and southern hemispheres. While not available until the fall, it’s certainly worth adding Dad’s name to the wait list now. From $33,200
A new commemorative Patek Philippe Ref. 6007A-001 Calatrava celebrates the official opening of the new manufacture in Switzerland. Photo: Courtesy of Patek Philippe
Contemporary Classic
Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 6007A-001
A brand-new commemorative limited-edition timepiece of 1,000 pieces has just been released from storied Swiss watchmaker Patek Philippe to mark the opening of the new manufacture in Plan-les-Ouates, Switzerland. Crafted in steel, a rarity for the traditional brand, the new Calatrava Ref. 6007A-001 features a stunning blue dial with a crosshatched texture in gray-blue, with a date aperture at 3 o’clock and a set of lacquered, white-gold baton hands. Set within a 40mm, polished-steel case, the look is modern with a decidedly vintage appeal—a nod to the original Calatrava model from the 1930s. The watch is powered by the automatic caliber 324 S C movement and comes with a blue calfskin leather strap. $28,351
Cover: Hermès Arceau L'heure de la Lune.
Photo: Hermes
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