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

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The DF-9001-A2 Deutsche Uhrenfabrik (known as DuFa), which, in the words of our watch columnist, is ‘a real Christmas miracle’.

Published: 8:30pm, 27 Nov 2019Updated: 8:30pm, 27 Nov 2019

Being glib is all too easy when writing about mechanical watches, as for the most part the industry is absolutely ridiculous. Think about it: the whole business is based on contraptions invented in the 17th century that are a million times less accurate than your phone. Still, I can’t quit these little metal monsters and, with Christmas around the corner, I’ve stopped watching the Prince “Can’t Sweat, Won’t Sweat” Andrew car crash interview and had a proper think about what would make the best horological gifts. So, without further ado, here’s my gift guide for every budget.

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.