w&w Father’s Day Gift Guide

Father’s Day is right around the corner, and while we’re sure pops would be more than happy to get another “Word’s Greatest Dad” mug, we think it’s a good time to go above and beyond and get dad something really cool. To help in the ideas department, we’ve put together this gift guide–most of it well under $500–featuring some of our favorite picks, horological and otherwise.

Seiko 5 SNK Series

As far as watches for under $100 go, you can’t beat the Seiko 5 SNK series. These little workhorses set the standard for what an affordable automatic watch can be, and the rest are just playing catch up. The “5” stands for the five pillars of the line: automatic winding, day/date display, water resistance, recessed crown at 4 (for comfort), and a durable case and band. The SNK packages that ethos in an handsome field watch, readily available in black, olive, blue, and cream. Get dad one or all four, and a handful of straps for more options.

Junghans Max Bill

If dad dons a suit and tie every morning, a solid dress watch may be right up his alley. And for that, there’s the Junghans Max Bill family of watches. The Max Bill line is one that we’ve written about numerous times in the past, and we’ve done so for good reason. As far as simple Bauhaus watches go, few can beat this classic from Junghans, and believe us when we say many have tried. Junghans has expanded the collection to include an option for everyone—quartz at 38mm, manual wind at 34mm, automatic at 39mm, and a chronograph at 40mm. They also expanded on the color palette to include grey, white, silver, and black dials, as well as accents like red, cream, and blue numerals.

MK II Hawkinge

MK II is a boutique brand focused on producing tool watches with designs honoring some of the greatest mil-spec watches ever created—from the robust Paradive, a watch paying homage to the Benrus Type I, to the Fulcrum, a diver that conceptualizes the “American Milsub.” If dad’s into militaria, a watch from Mk II is definitely the way to go.

That said, a MK II watch is not an easy thing to get a hold of; MK II owner Bill Yao has developed a reputation for being incredibly meticulous, with many of his watches first being assembled in Switzerland, then shipped to MK II’s workshop in Pennsylvania where they are disassembled, QC’d, and and assembled once more. This attention to detail is what has earned MK II a loyal following, but it’s also responsible for some dreaded lead times and watches being out of stock.

Earlier this week, MK II took a step in remedying that problem with the brand’s first ready-to-wear timepiece—the Hawkinge. Manufactured in Japan to Bill’s specification, the Hawkinge pays homage to the MK XI—a watch considered by many to be the finest military timepiece ever produced. Bill won’t be disassembling each watch, but you can be sure that they won’t be leaving the MK II headquarters without his approval. The Hawkinge is available with or without date, and comes in a MK II-branded hard case (which can store two additional watches), a leather or nylon strap, a spring bar tool, and a few extra sets of spring bars. Though MK II is currently accepting orders the watch won’t ship until June 25th, but surely dad won’t mind the wait to get something so completely cool.