Watches from DuFa, Junghans and Omega – the best horological gifts for that special someone
Gift ideas for him: whether he’s a Bauhaus enthusiast, a fan of face functions or just fancies himself as an international man of mystery
We’ll start with the bargain, the Deutsche Uhrenfabrik (known as DuFa) DF-9001-A2, which is a real Christmas miracle priced as it is at €299 (US$330). There is so much to love about this watch, from the mix of quirky and classic design to the German-made quality. The colourful approach is owed to the watch being part of a collection that celebrates 100 years of the Bauhaus movement.
DuFa’s designs typically lean on Bauhaus principles of minimalism and form following function, but for the anniversary it has embraced the Bauhaus approach of using only the purest colours – in this case blue, yellow, red, white and black for the stitching on the leather strap as well as the hands. The other tribute to the Bauhaus milestone is the replacement of the 10 o’clock numeral with 100.
The watch itself is simple, with only a small seconds dial, and the absence of a date window helps with symmetry. Inside the 38mm case is a Japanese quartz movement that helps keep the price low.
Next we have another gem from Germany, the Junghans Meister Telemeter Chronoscope. The watch traces its origins to the 1930s. A riot of indicator rings, numerals, dials and more, the Meister Telemeter Chronoscope is hard to ignore, and for those who love measuring time to its smallest units, well, you’re in luck. Yes, this watch has the telemeter scale, and a tachymeter as well as sub-dials for seconds and 30-minute counting.
Inside the 40mm steel case is a J880.3 movement with 42 hours of power reserve. It’s difficult to make out in this picture, but the telemeter indicator ring is a vivid orange that really pops. The Meister Telemeter Chronoscope is priced at HK$16,453.
Finally, we have the putting it all out there option for that special guy in your life, especially if he’s a James Bond fan. With only a few months to wait for the 25th Bond film, No Time to Die, 007’s official brand Omega is looking to capitalise with yet another Bond-related timepiece, the Seamaster Diver 300M “James Bond” Limited Edition.
Priced at a not outlandish HK$53,100, it has been released to mark the 50th anniversary of the film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, you know the one with George Lazenby as Bond. Yeah, not the most memorable. Still, the watch is a looker and there’s a lot going on inside that 42m steel case. The most obvious tip of the hat is the dial motif, which resembles the inside of a gun barrel seen in the film’s opening credits, but there also less obvious tributes including the Bond family crest at the 12 o’clock position, the “secret” 50 at the 10 o’clock marker (visible only in the dark) and the “7” in the date window in the style of the 007 logo.
The watch comes with an extra steel strap and tools. All good stuff, but it also has a co-axial master chronometer 8800 movement, with top class anti-magnetism ratings and a solid 55 hours of power reserve and, this being a diver, it is water resistant to 300 metres. The watch is limited to 7,007 pieces.
