Australian Watch Authority
5 of the best Father’s Day watches for under $500
This weekend is Father’s Day in the northern hemisphere and what better way to thank the big man for years of putting up with toddler tantrums and adolescent angst than a wristwatch? I mean, it isn’t often that you get to really thank your dad for all that he has done for you, be it driving you to sporting events at ungodly hours of the weekend, ignoring the vodka you stole from his liquor cabinet or breaking his favourite pair of sunnies when you took them to school one day. To be fair, your dad probably loves you and has also benefited from an enormous amount of joy that you brought into his life. But a little bit of thanks goes a long way, especially when it’s expressed in something as nice as a watch. With that in mind, I’ve done a little bit of digging to save you time and have found five of the best Father’s Day watches for under $500. Enjoy! Diver Dad – Dan Henry 1970 Diver If your dad is the kind of guy who likes to spend time in the water – maybe he’s into surfing or enjoys a spot of fishing – this…
EDITOR’S PICK: The ultimate dad-watch is the Full Metal G-Shock GMW-B5000V
Editor’s note: Having kids make you think about watches differently. Not so much in the manner of potential heirloom appraisal. More that durability and scratch-resistance quickly become more urgent priorities when you’re trying to avoid copping one in the knackers from an excitable three-year who’s whirling a toy lightsaber with deadly intent. Luckily, Andrew has found the solution… Full disclosure. This G-Shock was a gift from the brand to show their support for a passion project I’ve launched called The Father Hood. Thank you Phil. The ’Hood’s all about supporting isolated and new dads and inspiring future dads. If you’re new to fatherhood, it may come in handy. It’s also brutally real about #dadlife. Which is why the G-Shock is really the perfect watch gift for this stage of life. No drop from a bench while attached to a soft toy (the kids like to do that for some reason), or hurl across a room at a sibling, or rinsing in a bath-time dip is too much for this watch. The reason Phil chose this full-metal model, the post-apocalyptic GMW-B5000V, probably has something to do with a post I made on my personal Instagram account when it came out, fawning…
INTRODUCING: The Swatch Big Bold Bioceramic is an eco-friendly summer watch
I do love the idea of a ceramic watch in bold colours like the flashy drama of Hublot or Rado’s latest twist on the Captain Cook. But I’m still waiting for the first budget version of this cool material to try on for size. The new Swatch Big Bold Bioceramic series might present the Swiss answer that some of us have been looking for with the added bonus of an environmental twist. The name – Swatch Big Bold Bioceramic – does spell it out for us and also explains the refreshing hockey-puck sized 47mm case. It’s refreshing in the sense of the market being fairly saturated with petite, slender vintage wristwear, so consider this a colourful antidote. Bioceramic is two-thirds ceramic and one third bio-sourced plastic from castor oil. So you’ll have a proper large party piece for the wrist, with the strength and silken touch of a ceramic composite that’s seriously light for its size. And no, it will not slip under a dressy shirt as a fun contrast, you’ll be consigned to a t-shirt, no shirt or other similarly casual outfit. Or, feel free to be the mad one at the office, with it strapped on top of…
Opinion
A barn find to give you hope – the story of a very special NOS vintage Gruen Ocean Chief
Editor’s note: This week, Eric Ku, vintage watch dealer and friend of Time+Tide, posted about five years having passed since the remarkable watch barn find story involving a LeCoultre Deep Sea Alarm. A man by the name of Zach Norris came across an interesting-looking watch at a local Goodwill store, featuring a price tag of $5.99. He bought it in a heartbeat, suspecting it was worth more than the tag suggested, and was delighted to discover its true value. He was flooded with offers for the watch, one of which came from Eric Ku. He agreed to sell the watch to Eric for a cool $35,000. That’s right, nearly 6000 times the price he paid for it. We put a call-out to see if anyone else had their own story of successful thrift shop hunting, and Frank (@SpeedyFett on Instagram) reached out, telling the tale of his vintage Gruen Ocean Chief. Enjoy! I have a barn find story from a couple years ago that is pretty special. I took my family on vacation to Philadelphia for my kids to experience the old historic area. Little did I know that in addition to the Liberty Bell, just around the corner was…
