The ultimate last-minute Father's Day gift guide

Forgot to get something for Father’s Day?

Don’t worry, whether for your father, for the father in your life, or you are are a father yourself looking to treat yourself rather than have to smile your way through some cold pancakes served to you before you’ve had a chance to open your eyes, we’ve got you covered.

Here is Esquire Middle East‘s 2021 Father’s Day Gift Guide.

Grooming

Hermès H24

The latest frontier in cologne making is what you might call conceptual scents. H24, the new men’s cologne from Hermès, includes notes of clary sage and rosewood—not surprising for a fresh, botanical fragrance. But there’s something else in there: sclarene, a scent molecule that evokes warm metal. The effect is a buzzy, vibrating metallic quality in an otherwise green-smelling cologne.

AED 475

Acqua Di Parma Collection

If you’d asked us three years ago where we bought most of the products that make up our bathroom cabinet, we’d categorically tell you from the shops, either specialist boutiques or multi-brand department stores, to be precise. Today, however not so much with e-comm in the region finally getting its act together and booming. It’s helpful then that some of our favourite grooming brands, such as Acqua Di Parma, are playing along with the introduction of its first online boutique in the region. For the time, being the e-comm platform is only servicing the UAE with its discreet and sophisticated take on Italian luxury, but we can imagine it won’t be long before it expands to other territories soon.

From left to right:

AED 350 for the Barbiere multi-action face cream, AED 300 for the Aftershave cream and AED 100 for the Barbiere beard wash

Cartier Les Nécessaires À Parfum Collection

Fragrances are more than just their scents. Whether we admit to others (or ourselves) the truth is, the way the bottle sits in your house is aesthetically important. Cartier knows this, which is why its new Les Nécessaires À Parfum collection exists. Looking to revive the tradition of vanity cases for your fragrance, this six-part collection offers a selection of design-led cases for 30ml glass refills that can easily fit into the palm of your hand. The collection offers a variety of geometric patterns carved out of metal, which instantly gives you a spurt of 1920s swagger.

AED 3,200 for both Cartier Les Nécessaires À Parfum Blue Dots Case and Green Mashrabiya Case

Dunhill Icon Racing Collection

In The Matrix, when Morpheus gives Neo the choice between taking a red or blue-pill, he is giving him the option to learn a potentially life-changing truth by taking the red pill, or remaining in contended ignorance with the blue pill. Dunhill is presenting us a similar type of conundrum with the release of two new additions to its Icon Racing collection of fragrances. Simply named the Red Edition and Blue Edition, the scents are both inspired by the brand’s spirit of adventures but differ wildly in their notes. Now, unlike Neo’s decision, yours might not be quite as dramatically life-altering, but you cannot underplay the power a new fragrance ca have on your confidence. Choose wisely.

AED 450 for both Dunhill Icon Racing Blue and Red Editions

Watches

Louis Vuitton Tambour Street Diver

The new timepiece is the luxury megabrand’s first foray into the world of diving watches. This four-piece collection is streetwear inspired, but brings together all the requirements of a traditional dive watch. The watch comes equipped with a screw-down crown, boats a water resistance rating of up to 100 metres and features generous coatings of Super-LumiNova on its dial elements as well its inner rotting bezel.

AED 26,220

Cartier Tank Must

What makes the new Tank Must so interesting is that the new technology has been added without any compromise in terms of the aesthetics. Colorful dials are back with dials in red, blue and green, but we’d argue that the most intriguing new model is a version powered by the house’s new invention – a – “Solarbeat” photovoltaic movement which effectively makes the timepiece solar-powered.

AED 11,100

Breitling Premier Heritage Collection

The latest batch introduces three new, retro-inspired pieces – Chronograph, Duograph and Datora – are all reinterpretations of models from the 1940s. Each piece features Arabic numerals, vintage-inspired hands and alligator straps with tone-on-tone stitching – the hallmarks to timeless design are there in force.

AED 31,500 for the pistachio green, AED 81,900 for the black and AED 48,300 for the copper

Panerai Submerible Elab-ID

Featuring a case, sandwich dial and bridges composed of Ecotitatium, a recycled titanium alloy that is a lightweight aerospace-grade metal made of more than 80 percent recycled content. It also uses recycled SuperLuminova on its dial and hands and recycled silicon for its movement escapement, something Panerai says is a first for the watch business.

AED 268,640

Audemars Piquet Royal Oak Concept “Black Panther” Flying Tourbillion

The Black Panther, hand carved and painted clambers through the white gold case and bezel, which contrast with a purple inner bezel and matching rubber strap.

AED 595,000

Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Gobi Desert

As the name suggests, the new piece is dedicated to the Gobi desert. Or more specifically, the crossing of the Gobi desert by the famed explorer Reinhold Messner. Each shade on the dial, which graduates from smoked brown to beige is meticulously recreated to replicate the colours seen by Messner in that unique desert. The titanium caseback depicts a 3D rendering of the Gobi Desert’s ‘Flaming Cliffs’.

AED 25,400

Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41

Watchmaking at its very finest. Rolex’s unparalleled commitment to quality and precision is the reason behind the success of a collection that has become a true icon that takes its modern iteration with the arrival of a new model: the Oyster Perpetual 41. The 41mm Oystersteel case encloses a bright blue dial with soleil finishes. The hour, minute and second functions are handled by the new generation caliber 3230.

AED 25,000

IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41

The new Pilot’s Watch Chronograph is a new 41mm size in steel. Combined with two colour variations for the sunburst dial, this iconic pilot has gone mainstream.

AED 36,775

Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Black Black 43.5mm

Just when it seemed that the all-black trend had lost momentum in watchmaking, Omega bring us the impressive Seamaster Diver 300M Black Black – a watch made of ceramic with the most advanced production systems. Without chromatic contrasts that help to differentiate the forms, the entire piece is created with a complex mixture of surfaces and finishes. It is nice to find such a radical watch in an era marked by market pragmatism and vintage trends. The 43.5mm case of the Seamaster Diver 300M Black Black is made of black ceramic and is highlighted by the helium escape valve (at 10 o’clock) and the bezel made of the same material. A clever touch id the highlighted indexes on the face. The rubber strap is perfectly integrated to help ensure the watch is water resistant to 300 meters. The challenge of achieving good readability on a monochromatic ceramic sphere has been solved through the use of laser engraving and the use of an innovative dark grey luminous material. The result is a sphere that looks like a sculpture whose elements come to the surface.

AED 32,800

Tag Heuer Aquaracer 43mm

Visually, the immediate attention grabber of the new Aquaracer models is the new position of the date window. Moved from the traditional 3 o’clock to 6 o’clock position, somewhere the brand says is easier to read from more angles. The piece‘s sapphire crystal now integrates a magnifying glass over the date. The 43mm collection all feature the brand’s latest Calibre 5 movement as well as upgrades to almost all the watch’s signature features. The case, unidirectional rotating bezel and metal bracelet have all been slimmed down, the whole watch is thinner and lighter. The hands have been remodeled, the hour hand is now wider, and the minute hand is now slimmer, making them easier to distinguish in low-light conditions (i.e underwater). The bracelet features a new integrated design, allowing it to be easily lengthened or shortened by up to 1.5cm. Also, it goes without saying that the pieces are all water resistant to 300m.

AED 11,800

Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver Military

Matching professional quality with functional aesthetics, the BR 03-92 Diver Military builds on the Bell&Ross’s history of producing rugged military-inspired watches. Water-resistant to 300 metres it is also resistant to shocks and magnetic interference. The interior is steel, the exterior is ceramic and the indices glow bright green in low-light. In the daytime, the olive dial reflects its origins, mirroring military uniform. What we particularly like about the BR 03-92 Diver Military is that every piece comes in its own flight-case, which contains both a black rubber and an olive drab Velcro strap, lest anyone still doubt your action-ready status. Limited to 999 watches.

AED 15,702

Hublot Big Bang Unico SORAI II

In 2018 Kevin Pietersen set up the charity SORAI (Save Our Rhinos Africa & India) in order to raise awareness of the escalating crisis facing an animal the World Wildlife Fund has described as ‘critically endangered’. The swiss watchmaker Hublot have been involved with SORAI since its inception, and has followed it up with a second special edition Big Bang Unico timepiece. Limite to 100 pieces, the SORAI II is equipped with the Unico manufacture movement and its colour scheme is inspired by the natural colours of the bush in summer: a blend of two shades of green, from the green ceramic case to the green camouflage rubber or Velcro strap. Sold in Hublot boutiques, a portion of the proceeds from the sale will be donated exclusively to Care For Wild, the largest rhino sanctuary in the world, supported by SORAI, for it to use as it sees fit.

AED 88,519

Style

Arak Collection

‘Where to?’ is the name of the new beachwear collection from upstart Jordanian beachwear brand, Arak. Well, to be accurate it is actually called ‘Ila Ayn’. Revelling in Levantine embroidery, the new menswear collection fuses between traditional art forms, and contemporary textiles and silhouttes. Arak has integrated eco-friendly technology into the labels of each piece that includes a QR code redirecting the customer to a page that shows the lifecycle of the garment, from the care label, to the artisans who assembled it.

From left to right: Sahrawi Lightweight Jacket For AED 1084, Zilzal Lightweight Jacket White for AED 1139, and Shams Bowling Shirt For AED 882

Drake’s Navy Unicorn Print Wool-Silk Square Scarf

The silk scarf, worn as a cravat, tossed freely across the shoulders or tied banana-style around the neck, as if its wearer were a golden retriever with lots of personality, is enjoying an interesting and unlikely renaissance as an accessory for right now. A number of designers, both classic and contemporary, are selling fun, colourful and luxurious takes on silk neckwear that can be worn with or without a suit.

AED 1,500

Shoes

Adidas Stan Smith Kermit

Earlier this year, Adidas originals announced a new era for the Stan Smith silhouette, infusing the iconic court sneaker with sustainable materials in order to help end plastic waste. Now a thing, the collection features exclusive more sustainable takes on the Stan Smith silhouette inspired by a number of Marvel, Pixar and Disney’s iconic characters including: Kermit The Frog.

AED 225

Gucci Dark Green Leather Double G Loafers

The loafer has been going through something of a re-brand over recent months. Gaudy colours, tactile textures, whacking great heels and now they’re art least as hype-worthy as, say, a new Yeezy. Now that the summer of the first proper summer of the roaring (20)20s will soon be upon us, the coolest shoes to step out in are also the best for the weather, old sport.

Louis Vuitton Trainers

It’s no secret that Louis Vuitton menswear’s creative director, Virgil Abloh, likes basketball. Alongside his iconic personal collaboration with the Jordan brand, he also introduced a vintage-inspired basketball sneaker silhouette to Louis Vuitton’s collections back in 2019. Such was the success that this season it has returned with new contrasting colourways, including a mix of “Burgundy” and “Sunny Orange”, as well as green with yellow details and a blue and black design. But these are far from your regular court-side kicks – this is Vuitton after all. Made in Italy, from calf leather combined with smooth leather trim, each pair takes seven hours of stitching and features Monogram – embossing, a rubber outsole, and Monogram Flowers at the side. These shoes have got game.

AED 4,500

Tod’s Limited Edition Arabic Sandal

The fundamental aspect of any Tod’s accessory is its unique creative and design process. The leathers go through a rigorous selection process and the workmanship is entirely hand made in Italy in all its production phases. Because of the brand’s commitment to quality, in the Middle East the Tod’s Arabic sandal has continued to be a popular accessory. Originally launched in 2012, the sandal combines high-quality leathers and precious skins, from upper-echelon tanneries around the world, with a buckle at the front and lightweight rubber role, the latest editions to the minimalist Arab-style line comes in four different colourways and will be available at select boutiques in the region.

AED 2,215

Mr. P Eco Edition Larry Sneakers

As pressure builds on the fashion industry to reduce the weight of its environmental footprint, the house brand of online menswear retailer Mr Porter, aptly Mr. P, has introduced a plant-based alternative to its iconic leather Larry sneakers. Made from repurposed grape waste generated by the wine industry (yes, water into wine into wearability, and all that), the raw vegetable biomatter materiality of the updated Larry sneakers offers a more environmentally friendly alternative for the brands loyal customer base. The byproducts of the Italian wine production process (including the grape skins, stalks and seeds) are also free of toxic solvents and heavy metals traditionally inherent in leather goods. The sneaker’s soles are crafted from 30 percent recycled rubber, while the inner lining si designed to replicate the texture of human skin from recyclable polyster. Both breathable and sweat-resistant, the lining has an absorption capacity of eight times is weight in water, making these sneakers ideal for warmer climates.

AED 1,175

Tech

Lumen

Enter Lumen, the new kid on the block that says it can help you lose pounds by breathing alone. The idea is a simple one: get up each morning, breathe into a small device and your phone will buzz and tell you what you can and cannot eat. Your breath gets ranked out of a score from one to five (the higher the score, the more carbs you are burning). For people wanting to bulk up, that’s preferable. But if you want to lose some weight before the summer, it’s best to be burning fat for fuel.

AED 1098

Oppo Find X3 Pro

The Oppo Find X3 Pro might just have the biggest little camera in the history of smartphones. Actually, scratch that, it categorically does have the biggest little camera, in that the Find X3 Pro boasts a microscope macro lens built in. Essentially, what it does among other things is let you zoom right in and get very up close and personal to you your subjects. Microscopically so. The Find X3 Pro also boasts an impossible curve design, and what Oppo is calling a “billion colour” display. The entire phone – from screen (6.7in) to storage to camera module makes use of 10 bit colour combinations as opposed to just (just!) 16 million.

AED 4,221

Apple AirTag

Apple has jumped into the ‘finding things’ game, with its new AirTags. These dinky little white pucks (about the size of a dirham coin) use Ultra-Wideband Bluetooth technology to communicate with any Apple device within 100 metres – using those devices to pinpoint its exact location. The result is the ability to track pretty much any item attached to an AirTag, to within a few inches. The tags come with a built-in speaker (which will play sounds when in search mode) as well as a user-replaceable battery which will need swapping out once every 12 months. In typical fashion, Apple has furnished its AirTags with a range of accessories. You can stick them in everything from key rings and bag loops, to iPhone cases and luggage. There’s even a line of luxury Hermès accessories, fresh from the brand’s hand-made Hericourt manufacture in France. And in an industry first, AirTags actively discourage misuse: Apple devices can knowingly detect if someone has slipped a tracker onto your person, letting you find and disable it if need be.

AED 129

Razer Anzu Smart Glasses

Smart glasses are quickly becoming a thing. Bose and Amazon released them last year, and rumours abound that Apple is working on a pair of smart specs, too. Now Razer, better-known for its gaming line of laptops and accessories – is joining the ranks, with a new pair of glasses with speakers built into the arms. Gesture controls give you access to your phone’s A.I. assistant of choice, and they will play audio without blocking out the rest of the world. These ones come with two lenses out the box; ones that block-out blue light (handy for those who put in a lot of screen time) as well as a pair of standard shades.

AED 1,100