Crossing generational and gender divides: the best watches for girl dads and their daughters

Andrew O'Connor

There are many tales of expecting and recent fathers purchasing a new watch with the intention that they will eventually pass it down to their son. This is fantastic on so many levels. It shares enthusiasm for watches, it gives something for fathers and sons to bond over, and it gives families something that can be enjoyed for multiple generations. But for all this progressive social change happening, why the hell are there seemingly no discussions of watches being passed from fathers to their daughters?! As a recent girl dad, nothing like some personal involvement to get a discourse going…

My daughter recently passed her first birthday, and she is exploring the world around her like she’s in a hurry – grabbing anything in sight and inspecting it like Sherlock Holmes with her magnifying glass. Anything interesting stays within her death grip, and anything deemed unworthy gets tossed to the side. What often remains in her sticky hands are a few of my watches – often while I’m still wearing them, leaving me out of control of my own arm. Part of me loathes what expensive taste she might be developing, but I am sure she is only looking at them because of their multitude of reflective surfaces. Regardless, I couldn’t help but think about what watches would be good for dads to pass on to their daughters, so I’ve assembled a list of great candidates.

Furlan Marri Mechanical White Sector Ref. 2161-A

Furlan Marri took the online collector community by storm with their vintage-inspired mechaquartz chronographs. When it came time to produce their first mechanical watch, they easily could’ve used the same case design and called it a day. Instead, they developed another vintage-inspired design, with cow horn lugs, a well-finished case, and applied Breguet-style indices.

Slightly modernised at 37.5mm in diameter, and with 50 meters of water resistance, the Furlan Marri Ref. 2161-A makes for a dressier timepiece that can handle daily wear with ease. With a Swiss-made movement from La Joux-Perret, it can be serviced to last multiple generations. Price: US$1,721, from the Time & Tide Shop

Nomos Orion ref. 301

Nomos has won over many enthusiasts with its quirky yet minimalist designs, in-house mechanical movements, and mostly conventional sizing. In more recent years, they have expanded into developing their own automatic calibres, complicated date displays, and expanding their size offerings (both larger and smaller, depending on the model). The Nomos Orion was part of the brand’s original lineup in 1992 and is still going strong today.

The German brand’s most classic and vintage-inspired design, the Orion’s large white dial with gold indices and blued hands and long lugs give the watch presence beyond its measurements at 35mm in diameter and 45mm lug-to-lug. Inside is the brand’s in-house manually-wound Alpha calibre, providing 43 hours of power reserve. With its stainless steel caseback, Nomos offers complimentary engraving as well. If you’d like to view the movement, making it easier to share your enthusiasm for mechanical watches, a sapphire caseback is also available. Price: from US$2,280

Longines Legend Diver 36

The Longines Legend Diver 36 is one of the first watches I experienced that made me realise my enthusiasm for something does not necessarily correlate to price. While looking at other mid-size dive watches, some of which were an order of magnitude more expensive than the Longines, I couldn’t help but really fall in love with the Legend Diver 36. The inner rotating bezel does make the dial a bit smaller, but the lack of an outer bezel, dual large crowns, and long lugs (~45mm lug-to-lug) make for a compact watch with presence. The compact size does not diminish performance either, maintaining 300 meters of water resistance and plenty of lume to handle aquatic duty.

The fully polished case and long lugs also make it quite elegant on the wrist. It may be best to think of the Longines Legend Diver as a stylish, water-friendly field watch, as opposed to a mid-size version of an overbuilt dive watch. Unfortunately, these were recently discontinued, but a number of versions are still available on the market and in stock with authorised dealers, ranging from traditional black dials to fun and vibrant colours. Price: US$2,500

Cartier Tank Must De Cartier Large

While I think almost any Cartier would be a great choice, I do think a problem that could arise is that many of the mechanical “large” and “extra-large” Cartier models are large for even many men’s wrists. The Cartier Tank Must De Cartier Large is a sweet spot in terms of sizing, measuring 33.7mm long and 25.5mm wide. This size strikes a balance of having an elegant presence on a male wrist and makes a statement on a female wrist. There are a few options available, including both conventional quartz and their solar-powered SolarBeat model (which is sadly discontinued and a bit harder to find), options of bracelet or strap, and both the conventional Roman numeral Cartier dial, or lacquer dials without indices. Price: from US$3,450

Breitling Chronomat 36

Thinking of watches to pass down to future generations, it probably makes sense to most people to focus on classic dress watches. Some dress watch designs have been in production more or less since the start of the 20th century (here’s looking at you, Cartier). If they looked good then, and still look good now, they will likely look good in the future. Yet minimal water resistance and elegant designs may not be for everyone. Some people have lifestyles that demand a bit more durability. When thinking of mid-size sport watches, there are not as many solid options as there are big oversized divers. Luckily, there are some, and that number appears to be growing.

Of those is the Breitling Chronomat 36. Breitling redesigned the Chronomat collection in 2020, reviving and modernising their Rouleaux bracelet and general case shape that was popular in the 1990s. The Chronomat collection features a wide range of sizes, materials, and different complications, but I’m focusing on the time-only Breitling Chronomat 36 with the mint green dial. Other, more neutral dial choices are available, but I do think the mint green is the most appealing of the current lineup. With 100 meters of water resistance, the Chronomat 36 is rugged enough to serve as a reliable sports watch, let alone using the rotating bezel to see how long bath time takes. Price: US$5,450

Rolex Datejust/Oyster Perpetual 36

What would any conversation of heirloom timepieces be without a mention of the most notable Swiss blue-chip watch brand? While the fervour is usually focused on the sport models, there is a reason why the Oyster Perpetual and Datejust maintain their widespread popularity. 36mm can be worn by just about anyone, 100 meters of water resistance makes them more than durable, and stylistically, these watches can be worn with any attire. With a wide variety of dial colours for both the Datejust and Oyster Perpetual, and a range of metal choices for the Datejust, you can choose the model that best suits your taste and budget. Naturally, both models come in a variety of diameters, but 36mm is still the sweet spot, especially for a watch that both you and your daughter might wear.

The recent addition of more vibrant colours in the Oyster Perpetual line also presents the opportunity to make an otherwise conservative watch more fun. Also, for those that dare, the 34mm Oyster Perpetual is a good option. Anthony Bourdain famously wore a 34mm Oyster Perpetual Date, and that alone pushed me towards my own personal ref. 15200. Price: from US$6,350 (Oyster Perpetual 36), from US$7,750 (Datejust 36)

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface

Another icon of the Swiss watch industry is the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso. The underside of the reversing case was intended to protect the watch during polo matches, but it can now be used to protect the watch from the rogue toy that will likely be hurled in your direction (intentional or not remains to be seen). The newly released Tribute Monoface measures 40.1mm long by 24.4mm wide, making it more in line with the original Reverso model of 1931. The reversing case had sporting intentions, but has now been used as an opportunity for personalisation in modern times, presenting a great opportunity to engrave the watch with a personal memento. Or leave it blank and leave it to future generations to make it their own. Price: US$8,900

Vacheron Constantin Overseas 34.5mm Steel

When it comes to Holy Trinity-brand sport watches, let alone one to pass on to your offspring, the Vacheron Constantin Overseas 34.5mm is a personal favourite. It includes all the things you expect from the Overseas: perfect case finishing, a beautiful movement that’s received the Geneva Seal, a more robust build with 150 meters of water resistance, all in a more compact size. I also really appreciate that Vacheron includes an additional rubber and leather strap to allow for easy swapping between bracelet options. That way, maybe you can start sharing the watch with your offspring sooner while keeping the bracelet sized for you. Price: US$24,100

Time+Tide Timeless Pick: the watch you already own

Big life moments are a great excuse to add a watch to the collection. However, if it isn’t something you’re wearing, your offspring likely won’t have the same connection to it. Already got a beat-up Speedmaster you’ve worn the last 5 years? Already have your father’s old Submariner that was recently serviced and is still holding water resistance? Or even an old Seiko quartz that has served you well? Well-worn and cherished items will forever mean more to someone than something that was purchased “just because.” While I do focus on finding a great intermediate size for the sake of this article, I think we can all agree oversized watches look way better on females than males. Go ahead, let your daughter rock a Deepsea Challenge if one is knocking around your watch box.

Closing thoughts

In coming up with this article, there were a number of social norms and personal realities I was confronted with. I decided to focus on watches that are more unisex in sizing, maybe even on the smaller end of what would be common for masculine watches in 2025. Most of the women in my life prefer a more traditionally sized timepiece, both for themselves and for their partners. I’m about average in terms of my frame, with wrists that are on the smaller side of average, and my wife is pretty lithe (a 34mm Oyster Perpetual looks oversized on her). I figure my daughter will be somewhere in between once she’s older. With this in mind, the watches on this list will focus on sizes that could be considered “charming” on men, and maybe “bold” on women (for those of us who are average-sized and smaller).

I also realised that this list could work in a number of ways. First of all, for the watch-obsessed women out there, these are easy watches that you could pass to your sons and/or daughters. Additionally, all of these watches could also be easily shared between partners and their children once they’re old enough to be trusted with such objects.

We are now a quarter of the way into the 21st century, and while some things have not changed, some things have. Mechanical watches still largely rely on balance wheels, and watch collecting is largely still male-centric. Thanks to the internet, the watch community is changing, and there are more and more women joining the club. The way people dress and identify has also changed. The norms are still there, but so are people existing outside of those norms, and some of those people are getting into watch collecting.

Sizing and aesthetics are entirely personal. If these watches are not for you for a variety of reasons, I hope this list gets you thinking about watches outside of typical expectations. Most of these watches are also available in a variety of sizes, so should they be too small, or too large in some instances, there is likely a different version that will suit your personal preferences. Watch collecting is a hobby that should welcome all who are interested, and those of us already indoctrinated should encourage finding the right watch(es) for them!