Equally at home on land or sea, the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Annual Calendar would be a great gift for a special Dad.

Classic.  Handsome.  Easy to read and easy to maintain.  My Dad would have loved this watch.  Since their launch, Omega’s Seamaster Aqua Terra watches have attracted a large, enthusiastic following.  As the name implies, this is a watch rooted in both sea and land.

To start, there is the large face (shown here in chocolate brown), with distinctive vertical lines meant to resemble planking on a ship.  Or to look at it another way, pin striping on man’s suit or tie.  Accents are minimal which contribute to the watch’s appeal – luminescent red gold markers, a needle thin second hand whose triangular tip echoes the markers, and a lozenge-shaped aperture display for the easy to read month and date. The printed second strokes are contained in a inner ring with Arabic numerals every five seconds.

The Annual Calendar models come in either stainless steel or an elegant bi-color blend of stainless steel and 18 carat red gold.  The seamless integration of the case with the linked bracelet is a particularly nice touch.  For those who prefer, a black or brown leather strap is also available.

The watches are powered by Omega’s legendary Co-Axial caliber 8601/8611, a COSC  (the official Swiss testing institute for chronometers) certified  chronometer with the added function of an instantaneous annual jump calendar.  What that means to the wearer is that the watch automatically recognizes months with 30 and 31 days and needs to be manually corrected only once a year, on March 1.

A transparent case back allows the wearer to probe the mysteries of the watch’s inner workings, a feature my Dad would have enjoyed.  A domed scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides and water resistance to 500 feet hints at the rugged use this watch can withstand.

Undoubtedly many wearers will not put the watch through all its paces, but will enjoy the outstanding precision and the nod to all things nautical that come with the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra.  Fortunately, these watches are equally at home on dry land and would be a welcome and treasured gift.

There are only a few days until Father’s Day on June 20.  If you’re lucky enough to still have your Dad around, buy him a nice watch.  It will please you both.