Father’s Day gifting is a delicate art. Go too practical and you’re basically handing over an errand. Too sentimental and everyone has to pretend not to feel awkward.
The sweet spot lies somewhere between indulgence, usefulness and the sort of thing he probably wouldn’t buy for himself – which, conveniently, is where this guide comes in.
From Saint-Tropez swimwear and serious Highland whisky to expedition-ready fragrance and grand cru champagne, these are gifts with a little more imagination than socks or golf balls – and lot more class.
Your dad may not say he wants to be spoiled. But that’s why you have to do it for him.
Deanston
18 Year Old
Founded in 1966 inside a converted cotton mill on the River Teith, Deanston Distillery has built a reputation for waxy, honeyed Highland single malts made with traditional methods and unpeated barley.
Whisky enthusiasts often praise the dram’s creamy texture, orchard-fruit sweetness and excellent value among aged Highland whiskies.
The distillery also emphasises sustainable production, using renewable energy and traditional open-top fermentation techniques.
Its flagship Deanston 18 Year Old is matured entirely in first-fill American oak ex-bourbon barrels and bottled at 46.3% ABV without chill filtration or added colouring.
The whisky delivers aromas of vanilla, malt, honey, tobacco and nutmeg, followed by flavours of barley sugar, citrus, gingerbread and white pepper, finishing with warming spice and honeyed ginger.
Whether you’re buying for your old man – or dropping the least subtle of hints for your own gift – we promise this won’t disappoint.
£95, deanstonmalt.com
Montblanc
Explorer Extreme Parfum
Montblanc Explorer Extreme takes the brand’s adventure-minded fragrance line and gives it a darker edge. The first parfum in the Explorer family, it opens with bergamot before moving into patchouli and vetiver, then settling into warm amber and leather.
The sleek black bottle, wrapped in Montblanc’s Extreme 3.0 leather pattern, looks suitably expedition-ready – albeit more business-class lounge than base camp.
Rich, masculine and polished, it’s a scent built for men who like the idea of distant horizons, even if the day’s main journey is on the Jubilee Line.
£99 for 100ml, selfridges.com
Breitling
Chronomat B01 42
Nothing quite shows your old man gratitude for the time he’s spent with you like a watch that shows the time this well. The new Breitling Chronomat B01 42 White arrives with all the swagger you’d expect from one of the brand’s great all-purpose chronographs – and was launched on the wrist of equally handsome cover star Austin Butler. Your dad probably reckons he was a dead ringer for him back in the day. Let him have that.
The Chronomat has always occupied a pleasingly confident place in the Breitling universe: sporty but not shouty, technical but not joyless, substantial without tipping into dinner-plate territory. This 42mm stainless-steel model keeps the collection’s signature rider-tab bezel and Rouleaux bracelet, while the clean white dial brings a crisp, almost tuxedo-like clarity to all that engineering.
Inside is Breitling’s Manufacture Caliber 01, a self-winding chronograph movement with a roughly 70-hour power reserve, COSC certification and the sort of mechanical seriousness that allows your father to say “in-house movement” at least three times over lunch.
It is also water resistant to 200 metres, which means it can survive swimming, sailing and, more importantly, the emotional turbulence of a family barbecue.
There are Father’s Day presents and then there are heirlooms with a clasp. This is very much the latter: a proper Swiss chronograph with enough polish for the office, enough muscle for weekends, and enough occasion to make opening the box feel like a small ceremony.
And if this doesn’t win his approval, then what did you do wrong?
£7,850, breitling.com
Vilebrequin
Whales print swimwear
Vilebrequin first introduced its ‘Like Father, Like Son’ concept in the mid-1990s, effectively turning matching trunks into a luxury holiday must-have. The idea worked because it was emotionally simple and visually irresistible: Saint-Tropez ease, bright prints, holiday nostalgia and a small boy dressed like his father without either party looking like they’d joined a cult.
For Father’s Day, the brand’s ‘whales’ print makes a particularly appealing gift. The pattern appears on men’s swimming shorts, matching boys’ trunks and now a girls’ one-piece swimsuit, widening the family uniform.
Vilebrequin has always had a natural affinity with marine life – turtles, fish, jellyfish and various ocean creatures have long paddled across its bright, sun-drenched prints – and whales sit happily within that aquatic vocabulary.
There is a more serious undertow, too. The brand launched Fondation Vilebrequin in 2021 to support ocean protection, biodiversity, education and more responsible fashion.
And if you’re anything like us, your dad is the biggest fish in your pond, so you may as well treat him like one. (Yes, we know whales are mammals. Geek.)
Vilebrequin ‘whales’ print men’s swimming shorts, £250; boys’ swimming shorts, £125; girls one-piece swimsuit, £130, vilebrequin.com
Billecart-Salmon
Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut NV
There are Father’s Day gifts that say “I remembered”, and Father’s Day gifts that say “I have taste, disposable income and possibly unresolved issues around paternal approval.” Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut NV sits firmly in the latter camp.
Made entirely from chardonnay from the grand cru villages of the Côte des Blancs – including Avize, Chouilly, Cramant and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger – this is champagne with a Savile Row sort of confidence: crisp, precise, beautifully tailored and more about class than ostentation.
Billecart-Salmon describes the cuvée as combining complexity, vinosity and a notably fresh finish; expect fine bubbles, citrus lift, chalky minerality and just enough brioche richness to make it feel celebratory rather than severe.
It’s the bottle to open before lunch, during lunch, after lunch, or while Dad explains, at great length, why the lawn has never looked better.
£75, bbr.com
Bennett Winch
The sport holdall
Bennett Winch has served up a smart answer to the racket-sports boom. Its new Sport Holdall is designed for those who need one bag to move from office to court to gym without looking like they’ve packed for a minor expedition or their amateur debut at Wimbledon.
Handmade in the brand’s London workshop, the lightweight carryall is made from hard-wearing nylon. It features two discreet outer pockets sized for tennis, squash, pickleball or padel rackets.
Inside, a laptop sleeve keeps work essentials protected, while a removable waterproof pouch quarantines shoes and sweaty kit.
It’s one less excuse for your old man next time you beat him 6-0, 6-0.
£1,250, bennettwinch.com
LANX x WALSH
Made in England collection
Lanx has teamed up with fellow Northern footwear stalwart Walsh for a trainer collection with proper local soul. The Bolton maker has been producing running shoes since 1961, while Lanx founder Marv grew up nearby in Bromley Cross – often walking the cobbles with a Carrs pasty in hand.
The result is two styles based on the iconic Ensign upper: the men’s Bromley and women’s Halliwell, named after the road opposite the Walsh factory. Heritage, family nostalgia, EVA midsole innovation and a world-class pasty: now that’s a collab with real flavour.
When it comes to trainers, dads can get a bad rap. Wear these, and even the most seasoned sneakerhead will doff their beanie in respect.
£190, lanxshoes.com
Yukiguma
Junmai Daiginjo Sake
If your father is the type who appreciates discernment over display, then we might just have the perfect gift.
Nothing says, “I respect you as a well-travelled man of the world” quite like a serious bottle of sake – and Yukiguma is very serious indeed.
Meaning ‘snow bear’ in Japanese, Yukiguma is a premium Junmai Daiginjo brewed at the foot of Mount Ikoma in Osaka Province – which certainly delivers more considered vibes than “bought in a panic from the petrol station”.
Made with pristine spring water and highly polished rice, it’s a sake built around elegance rather than excess: clean, refined, gently sweet and beautifully balanced.
This is a bottle that speaks to Japanese tradition without requiring Dad to pretend he understands the finer points of rice polishing ratios. Serve chilled, pour generously, and allow him to nod appreciatively as though this was exactly what he was expecting all along.
£120, marlo.wine.com
