What’s the best gift our fathers give us? OK, you might think it was that Swiss Army knife (just dangerous enough to be exciting) or Lego motorbike (who was that a present for, really?). But no, the answer we are looking for is time. Our parents give up thousands of hours for us – and of course they ask for nothing in return. However, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t give them something that shows we get it. With Father’s Day around the corner, indulge his watch habit (or start one – it’s never too late…). Plus, there are good odds your dad gave you your first watch, so there’s a nice symmetry there.

If you were to take charge of an established luxury watch brand, one of the biggest and most pressing questions that would come across your spacious desk is this: how do I keep the idea of mechanical watchmaking, as expressed by my brand, current and interesting? Watchmakers deal in tradition above all else. But one cannot simply keep making the same watches year after year. As an industry with connections to the worlds of style and fashion, but also engineering and technology, there is an expectation of regular progress. Gotta keep it fresh, in other words.

Savile Row-trained designer Mr Alexander Lewis launched his eponymous womenswear label in 2013 to critical acclaim. His latest project, Sheep Inc, describes itself as “the world’s first carbon-negative fashion brand”. Chicago-born, half Brazilian and resident in London, he is a member of the MR PORTER Style Council and a keen watch collector. Given the chance to pick a fantasy three-watch collection, Lewis reveals a considered approach that combines the sentimental, the sartorial and the practical.

For 172 years, L’Épée 1839 stuck to what it knew best – producing handmade clocks in the finest Swiss traditions for distinguished customers. It made carriage clocks and alarm clocks and was also a notable maker of mechanical music boxes.

What’s the best gift our fathers give us? OK, you might think it was that Swiss Army knife (just dangerous enough to be exciting) or Lego motorbike (who was that a present for, really?). But no, the answer we are looking for is time. Our parents give up thousands of hours for us – and of course they ask for nothing in return. However, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t give them something that shows we get it. With Father’s Day around the corner, indulge his watch habit (or start one – it’s never too late…). Plus, there are good odds your dad gave you your first watch, so there’s a nice symmetry there.

If you were to take charge of an established luxury watch brand, one of the biggest and most pressing questions that would come across your spacious desk is this: how do I keep the idea of mechanical watchmaking, as expressed by my brand, current and interesting? Watchmakers deal in tradition above all else. But one cannot simply keep making the same watches year after year. As an industry with connections to the worlds of style and fashion, but also engineering and technology, there is an expectation of regular progress. Gotta keep it fresh, in other words.