A stylish digital watch my dad will actually wear?

December 18, 2008 7:23 AM

I want to get my dad a watch for the holidays. I've tried before, but he always goes back to his plastic women's Ironman digital. Any suggestions for a thin, smallish, digital but still fashionable watch for everyday, casual wear? It doesn't need tons of functions -- time and alarm. Stopwatch would be a bonus but not necessary.
posted by SampleSize to clothing, beauty, & fashion (8 answers total)

Has he actually expressed a desire for a new watch? Or are you just tired/embarrassed of seeing the women's Ironman on his wrist? He obviously prefers the Ironman for some reason.

How about the latest version of the Ironman?
posted by Thorzdad at 8:25 AM on December 18, 2008

Why do you want to get your father a watch, if he already likes his plastic women's ironman digital? Why change a good thing?

I ask this from the perspective of a man who has for decades worn plastic women's digital sports watches, including ironmen (ironmans?) because they are functional and don't look like nerdy huge calculator GPS two-way-radio watches.
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 8:29 AM on December 18, 2008

No, it doesn't embarrass me. I think it would be a good gift because I know he does care about style, but I think the watch is just kinda invisible to him right now. I'm pretty sure that if I found something that has the features he likes in the Ironman but is also stylish and fashionable, he would really like that.
posted by SampleSize at 8:48 AM on December 18, 2008

How about a Casio F-91W? It has all the qualities and functions you mention, plus some interesting history. I don't know if I would claim that it's stylish or fashionable, but I wear mine every day and I've gotten several compliments on it. I too used to wear a women's Ironman digital, for the same reasons mentioned by M.C. Lo-Carb!.
posted by benign at 8:52 AM on December 18, 2008

What does he like about the watch he has? Is it the small size of the watch, the size or brightness of the LED, the sportiness? What functions does he use?

If we know those, we might be able to help.
posted by 26.2 at 9:09 AM on December 18, 2008

Thin
Small
Lightweight
Reasonably durable
Digital and easy to read
posted by SampleSize at 9:29 AM on December 18, 2008

Look into Swatch, mainly the skin series. I had a non-skin Swatch that was still very moderate in size. I had no problems with it, but cannot attest to how long it lasts as I lost it years ago.
I don't have large forearms, so some men's watches are just enormous, so I understand liking a smaller watch so it fits you proportionally.
posted by ijoyner at 5:14 PM on December 18, 2008

Fossil has some digital watches that are fairly small (especially the Starck kind). They might be too trendy though.

I was also going to suggest Swatch (but from their website, it doesn't look like they have any digital watches). The thing is, not too many people make digital watches anymore; they're not in style right now. People like those kinetic, self-winding ones. And after googling the timex women's ironman, I have to say it looks like a pretty great watch -- super practical and not flashy but also not ugly.
posted by bluefly at 11:24 AM on December 19, 2008