For the watch dads
Some of my earliest memories of watches are tied to my dad.
Growing up, I saw watches less as collector’s items and more as tools to be worn every day. My father isn’t one to sit still and has spent much of his life working in the province, moving between job sites, construction meetings, and whatever problem needs solving that day. Through the years, one watch accompanied him more than any other: a Rolex Explorer, which he passed on to me when I graduated from college.
Looking back, I realize that the watches that leave the deepest impression are rarely the ones kept in perfect condition. They are worn through both ordinary days and extraordinary milestones. Today, here are six watches that make me think of the different dads we all know, and come across in our day-to-day lives.
The motoring dad: IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team
Every extended family has a dad like this. He notices interesting cars in parking lots, takes the long route home when the road is good, and has a long-winded story for every vehicle he’s ever owned.
While the IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph AMG Petronas carries Formula One credentials, its appeal extends beyond racing. Like a well-engineered automobile, it targets precision and performance as well as intuitive design.
For these fathers, they appreciate watches the same way they do cars: as objects that flaunt engineering as well as personal expression.
The sporting dad: Longines HydroConquest Commonwealth Games Edition
This dad signs up for fun runs, keeps score on mini daily competitions, and insists he could have made that shot in your last basketball game.
The Longines HydroConquest Commonwealth Games Edition is at home on the wrist of the father who treats sport as a lifelong pursuit. Whether playing golf on weekends, joining cycling groups, or cheering from the sidelines, competition is part of how he engages with the world.
Longines has long been associated with sport, and the Commonwealth Games edition captures the spirit of people who continue setting goals long after their school days are behind them.
The adventurous dad: Longines Legend Diver 59
Family trips tend to take longer when this father is on the wheel, who always wants to discover something new. There’s always a detour, an overlooked restaurant, or a road that looks more interesting than the one suggested by the GPS.
The Longines Legend Diver 59 traces its roots to the golden age of recreational diving, when oceans represented mystery and exploration. Today, it appeals just as much to those who are simply curious about the world around them, even if it’s only a place a few kilometers from home.
The executive dad: Blancpain Villeret Complete Calendar Moonphase
This old man has an organized desk, keeps notes, and remembers appointments without being reminded. Possibly because of the Blancpain Villeret Complete Calendar Moonphase on his wrist.
Beyond telling the time, it tracks the day, date, month, and even the phases of the moon, built around the concept of life shaped by schedules, routines, and long-term planning, seen in the complete calendar watch.
The traveling dad: Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT
While many men aren’t partial to travel, there are some dads always gearing up to plan the next trip, be it a business meeting in another city, a weekend drive, or a family holiday.
Designed to track multiple time zones, the Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT is particularly suited to people whose lives are divided between different places.
The dad who gets things done: Rolex Explorer
Every family has someone who becomes the first call when something needs fixing, moving, organizing, or solving. In ours, that’s my father.
For years, he wore a Rolex Explorer through workdays, long drives, meetings, and the everyday challenges that came with them. Like many tool watches, the Explorer was originally designed with adventure in mind, but its life is lived far from the mountain peaks and in the routines of everyday life.
The watch collected scratches along the way, each one marking another year used. Eventually, it found its way to my wrist. Today, when I wear it, I see a watch, and I see the values it has come to represent for my own dad: someone who is reliable, resilient, and dedicated to providing for family, without asking for much.
Could this be why watches hold such a special place for dads? More than just an element of style, a good watch carries a dad’s memories from one generation to the next.
And while the best watches tell time, the most meaningful ones tell stories. And for many of us kids, those stories begin with our dads.
