By 
At Avi & Co., we are celebrating Father’s Day with luxurious gifts for dad that can be passed down for generations. Our CEO and founder, Avi Hiaeve, grew up surrounded by watches and jewelry. He worked at his dad’s jewelry store in Long Island a few days a week when he was 14 years old. While his dad was a watchmaker in Russia, the hobby of timepieces is what inspired Avi to go into the industry. Now, Avi is a dad of five, and he enjoys sharing his passion with his eldest son.
Inspired by Avi’s experience with his family, I wanted to learn more about other people’s experiences with watches and their families. I asked a few people to share with me a watch story involving the father figure in their life. I was touched by the memories that were shared.
These were three of my favorites, and their names were changed to keep their stories private:
A Proud Dad and a Rolex Day-Date
Tyler, now in his early 60s, would drive his daughter, Alice, to her dance classes every week after school. Even on days that he was asked to work overtime, his genuine explanation was always, ‘My daughter comes first.’ He was a single dad, so he knew how important it was to be there for his daughter. After an infinite number of classes, Alice’s solo recital was finally up and coming. A week before her 18th birthday, Tyler knew he wanted to gift her something memorable.
He thought about all their unique memories together over the years. “This one moment always stood out to me,” he remembered with a smile. “Before every dance class, she would pull my wrist to her. ‘What are you doing,’ I’d ask. ‘Just checking the time,’ she’d say. I wore a Rolex Day-Date with a silver dial and fluted bezel. ‘Hurry, Daddy, five more minutes until class!’ she’d remind me, as if I had forgotten our weekly ritual.
“And even as she got older and knew how to tell the time on her own, she would still check my watch. It was as if all these years she was telling me, ‘You know Dad, that watch would be more useful around my wrist.’ And so, before I dropped her off at her dance recital, I asked her, ‘Wait, remind me what time your recital starts.’ ‘Seven,’ she reminds. ‘Do you need a new watch, old man?’ she teases me.
“’Probably,’ I say as I hand her a box. Her face lit up. At first, she didn’t want to accept it; she knew how much it meant to me. But I finally convinced her. She deserved it, and I wanted her to have it. It was a day that I’ll never forget.”
The Day-Date was originally designed for everyday use. As the first self-winding, waterproof chronometer to display the date and day of the week spelled out, the watch remains revolutionary even to this day. Rolex Day-Dates make special gifts for dad because it will appreciate over time, and it’s an inspiring memento that will never be forgotten.
Rolex Day-Date 36
Reference #118348
A Fishing Memory and a Royal Oak
“My dad was a very simple man,” James, mid-30s, says proudly as we sit down and speak about his late father. “In the summer, he loved to sit in his backyard, smoke a cigar (one of those Cubans, you know?) and drink this strong, smokey whiskey. He was a man’s man, you could say; he loved cars, cooking, and watches.
“He had a pretty big watch collection from what I can remember. He enjoyed collecting ones that were hard to find or limited edition. It was his hobby to go on scavenger hunts for these things,” he laughs.
“One of the watches he had in his collection was this yellow gold Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. It was a very handsome watch, and I always admired it every time he wore it, which was almost every weekend. He took really good care of that watch; it always looked like it just came out of the box.
“One weekend when I was little, he took me and my little brother fishing. While we were just waiting for the fish to bite, he asked what I wanted to do when I got older. We never really talked about that kind of stuff, and I didn’t know what to say at first. So, I said the first thing that came to my mind. ‘I want to collect watches like you.’ He laughed so hard, like a bear. Obviously, because that’s not really a job. But after that day, I realized that I did want to collect watches. So, I started small. I saved up my allowance and bought a Casio. When I went off to college, I bought myself a Breitling, and after that, there was no stopping me. I was addicted to the movements, the status, and the rich history.
“Fast forward to about eight years ago. It was my first Father’s Day. My wife and I had twins. And my dad gifted me his yellow gold AP Royal Oak. I don’t know if I cried more when my children were born or when I received that watch,” he says with a toothy laugh. “Both were special and symbolized the kind of father I aspire to be. And on days when I feel like I’m not doing a good job, I look at my wrist, and my father is with me reminding me that I’m doing okay.”
The Royal Oak came onto the scene as one of the most iconic watches ever created in 1972. Audemars Piguet’s most collected watch was designed by Gérald Genta in less than 24 hours at a time when the Swiss watch industry was facing an existential threat. There was great competition from Japanese watch brands who started making quartz timepieces, and Swiss masons specialized in costly mechanical watches. With customers on the lookout for a watch that they could wear all day no matter the occasion or condition, AP saw an opportunity for a high-end sports watch.
A Royal Oak is great for that father figure in your life who enjoys a variety of options. The infamous AP model appears in different colors, with every type of complication imaginable, and with a precious material of your choosing. Its delicacy will be enjoyed for years to come.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
Reference #26331ST
A Very Merry Patek Philippe Father’s Day
Jane, a hilarious woman in her early 40s, was all too thrilled to tell me all about her Grandpa Jack. “The first thing you have to understand is my grandpa is a character,” Jane says, her hands telling the story just as much as her words. “Like someone created him from scratch and he was just born from the page as an old man. I mean, don’t get me wrong – he’s a huge family man: he was always in the front row at all my school plays, but he disliked anything that he didn’t think was necessary. For example, in the summers my sister and I would always ask him to take us to the arcade around the block from him. His response was always the same: ‘You don’t need that. It’s just going to collect dust. Let’s go to a nice restaurant instead.’
“For holidays, he hated when my grandma would come home with new decorations. ‘We already have so much,’ he’d say. ‘Spend the money on something you need – like a condo in Miami.’ Sure, I get it now that I’m older. The man was an investor, and he didn’t want to accumulate anything he didn’t need.”
I asked Jane if Grandpa Jack was always into watches. “Absolutely,” she declares. “Ever since I can remember, he loved watches. As an avid watch enthusiast, one of the things my grandpa always dreamed of was owning a Patek Philippe Calatrava. He could talk about it for hours to whoever would listen. With someone who seemed so sparing with his money, you would think he would have bought one for himself. Sure, it may not be a necessity, but it was a guaranteed investment. Instead, he wore a Cartier Tank.”
While many would agree that this too is a beautiful timepiece, it’s not equivalent to a Patek. “And so, for his 80th birthday, I got our entire family to pitch in for his grail watch: a Patek Philippe Calatrava with a white dial and gold hour markers. When I tell you he cried and laughed and cried some more.” She put her hands to her cheeks as she recounted the memory. “His nose was pink by the time I got a chance to hug him.
“He pulls me away from everyone and whispers, ‘Janey, this was you, wasn’t it? I know it was.’ I never agreed or denied this accusation, but let’s say I’m number one on Grandpa Jack’s favorites list.”
The Calatrava is recognized as one of the finest symbols of the Patek Philippe style because of its pure lines. The collection is elegant, charming, and timeless. Created with an ultra-slim profile, its intention was to be worn comfortably under the cuff of a buttoned shirt. For the father who has everything, consider a Patek. The Calatrava is an iconic design, and its exceptional craftsmanship ensures it will remain a forever heirloom.
Patek Philippe Calatrava
Reference #7234R-001
For the adventurer, the sports fan, or the proud man who cheered you on for every milestone, Avi & Co. has fantastic gifts for dad. Be sure to check out our Father’s Day Promotion; all watch and jewelry purchases will receive a free accessory along with a special discount until June 19th. We hope you and your family have an extraordinary Father’s Day!
