06/06/2020

Our Picks For Pop: Nine Father’s Day Gifts Any Dad Will Love

This year, if you are fighting that culturally ingrained instinct to buy your father yet another necktie, let Watchonista help you find a Father's Day gift that fits your dad's personality and interests.

By Bryan Campbell

Contributor

When it comes to Father’s Day, we as a nation should be proud that the standard necktie, now a thoughtless cliché of a gift, is no longer a serious consideration.

There’s an entire world of wildly unique, stylish, and infinitely more practical gifts, just a surface-level search away. And if you want to get your dad a thoughtful present, one you know he’ll not only cherish but look forward to using as often as possible, consider his passions and aspirations.

Still, even when the perfect gift for dad is staring you right in the face, there are so many other options, it’s difficult to see past them all and filter out the white noise. So to aid you in this year’s search, we narrowed down the field to only a handful of items for specific personalities, but we’re sure any dad would appreciate a gift from this list.

The Adventurous Dad

You don’t need to scale Everest or traverse the Sahara to find adventure. It’s as easy as pitching a tent in the closest state or national park. Of course, if you want to take your dad on a Safari, don’t let us stop you. But no matter the intensity of the excursion, these gifts will no doubt come in handy.

Rolex Explorer $6,550

An everyday watch built to incredible standards, the Rolex Explorer ref. 214270 is wildly versatile and is just as at home on a day trip to a state park as it is on that bucket list safari trip you planned for dad. Anti-corrosion steel construction, highly legible, and complete with a beautiful blue lume, the Explorer is perfect for any adventure, big or small.

Wacaco Nanopresso machine $65

Just because you’re out in the middle of nowhere doesn’t mean you should deprive yourself of a good cup of coffee. It’s a luxury some think they have to leave behind, but the Wacaco Nanopresso’s compact design makes it easy to pack and carry on any excursion. And don’t let its size fool you. It’s capable of drawing an espresso using 241 PSI.

Victorinox Huntsman $115

The Victorinox calling card is, without a doubt, its red pocketknives with a dozen or so functions that are synonymous with functionality. Then there is the Hunter Pro. It still maintains Victorinox’s renowned level of versatility but keeps it simple with a dual-function blade and a walnut wood grip. Form, meet function.

The Motorcycle Riding Dad

Whether your dad’s motorcycle license is still warm and fresh from the printer or it’s garnered a well-earned patina from countless miles on the road, he probably has an enthusiasm for riding and expertly crafted products all the same. A precise chronograph, hand-made-in-the-USA riding gloves, and a British-built adventure motorcycle will undoubtedly bring a smile to his face. No matter the number of miles he’s logged.

Breitling Norton Chronograph $8,500

Norton Motorcycles has a long and storied history beginning in 1898. It’s true, the company has had many ups and downs, but that shouldn't take away from the irresistible beauty of the motorcycles built along the way. The Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Norton (read HERE) captures the spirit of Norton motorcycles old and new with a brown leather strap and a black and white face emulating the gauge clusters of the motorcycle manufacturer’s race-winning machines. You don’t have to ride a motorcycle to appreciate this sort of craftsmanship.

Breitling Premier B01 Norton Chronograph on the wrist

You can read more about the Breitling Premier B01 Norton Chronograph and our interview with actor, Cinema Squad member, and motorcycle enthusiast Adam Driver HERE.

Grifter USA Bison Gaucho Motorcycle gloves $69

Hand-made in the USA, Grifter motorcycle gloves are a timeless piece of riding gear that only gets better with age. The Bison Gaucho gloves are made with a distressed bison top and a soft deerskin palm. They are perfectly suited for garnering a well-earned patina and recording thousands of miles on the open road.

2020 Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE $15,400

If you’re looking for the swiss-army knife version of a motorcycle, look no further. The Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE is just as capable off-road as it is on the pavement. The retro-modern bike perfectly captures the style of Triumph’s timeless design, but it also can’t be considered anything less than a true adventure motorcycle.

The DIY Home Improvement Dad

Utility, durability, and practicality are the three pillars of any handyman and his workshop. And for good reason. Some projects might require the utmost mechanical precision and skill while the next might call for a little extra elbow grease and some brute force. Whether it’s his tools, work clothes, or wristwatch, your dad needs to be able to depend on his gear to work just as hard as he does.

G-SHOCK MRGB1000D, $2,600

With hammers, hard edges, and the occasional dropped wrench, followed by a few four-letter words, the home workshop is no place for a fragile timepiece. If your dad is in his workshop more often than not, he needs a watch just as tough as the nails he’s hammering, and G-SHOCK has a variety of timepieces that fit the bill. And as indestructible as the G-SHOCK is, it also comes with a helping of tech-savvy features like Bluetooth connectivity for ultimate timekeeping accuracy. From the titanium MR-G (read HERE) to the accesibly priced MT-G (read HERE), regardless of budget there is a G-SHOCK for dad.

Godspeed Co. Shop Rag shirt $175

The red shop-rag is a staple of any workshop or garage mainly because it’s an unassuming multi-tool for cleaning up oil spills, proving grip on slick containers, and wiping sweat from a brow. It might be a simple square of red cloth, but it’s tough and dependable. It only makes sense to make a shirt out of the same venerable material. Luckily, Godspeed Co. had the same thought when coming up with the Shop Rag Shirt.

Craftsman Versastack 216-piece toolset $150

You might think giving your dad an old-fashioned metal toolbox is a nice gesture, but a genuinely practical toolbox is more concerned with purpose than sentiment. The Craftsman Versastack can be customized in multiple storage configurations and comes with a 216-piece toolset. Regardless of what your dad is working on -- the car, lawnmower, or finally getting to the cabinet at the bottom of the to-do list -- the Versastack has him covered.

Happy Father’s Day!