Upgrade Him: Shopping for the Man in Your Life

The four items he needs this month - all far better gifts than a tie

By David Smith
Published: Nov 02, 2007

Oris - Carlos Coste Chronograph - Limited Edition

Inspired by the mind-numbing exploits of free-diving world record holder, Carlos Coste, Oris presents “The Ultimate Diver’s Watch.” This beautiful timepiece ($3,195) won’t save your sweetie as he attempts to hold his breath for 6 minutes and 23 seconds, like Coste did, but if he can stay underwater long enough to “use” the chronograph, he’ll become part of a very select fraternity and look pretty damned stylish doing so. And if he actually scuba dives, there aren’t many better gifts.

Water resistant to 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) and limited to 2,000 pieces, this watch is an eye-grabber, and the type that every man should own – masculine, heavy and sporty. If you’re not in the market for Rolex elegance (let’s face it, many aren’t), you’re buying into over a century of the finest Swiss chronograph craftsmanship with Oris. www.oris-watch.com

Michael Kors - Peacoat

Thankfully, some things never go out of style, and the peacoat remains a lasting testament to clothing classics derived from the military. Michael Kors stylishly updates with a blended 90% wool, 10% nylon jet black version ($495) that feels even better than it looks. The perfect weekend coat and as functional as ever, Kors reminds us that the peacoat remains as essential to a man’s wardrobe as ever. One caveat: if your man is the type who would wear an accompanying “hoodie” or baseball cap, club him over the head, and then hit the nearest army surplus store and save yourself about $430.
www.michaelkors.com

Triumph - Bonneville

The Tao of Steve had it all wrong. It wasn’t Steve McQueen’s attitude that paid the bills and gave the chills – it was his accessible, homegrown American style (and crazy good looks). Yet beneath it all, rumbled the British import that he made iconic – the Triumph Bonneville. Boasting “a pedigree that few models can match,” the Bonneville has aged like a fine Bordeaux. Updating classic British style with 21st century technology by way of an air-cooled, parallel twin cylinder engine accessing an ample 865 CCs of power, while twin balancer shafts “provide civility and refinement” – or in layman’s terms, remarkably quiet and effortless acceleration. For the McQueen attitude – he’s on his own, but the bike is a hell of a start. (Bonneville Black - $7,299 / Standard - $7,599)
http://www.triumph.co.uk/usa/

Johnston and Murphy Slimline Laptop Briefcase

Say what you will about Jeremy Piven (and that “hair”), but make no mistake, the guy’s got great style. He’s now shilling for Johnston and Murphy, that 150 year-old shoe-making institution that – finally – is designing products for people younger and hipper than your 75 year-old father. Walking a fine line between classic and modern, the Slimline Laptop Briefcase ($298) delivers chic functionality at a surprisingly affordable clip. The Slimline maxes out packing a 17” laptop and about a dozen legal or letter folders, and comes with padding in all the right places and a removable shoulder strap. The Dark Mahogany Waxhide option says you’re three quarters of the way to tenure, but the sophisticated elegance of the Black Tumbled version says CEO and comes highly recommended.
www.johnstonmurphy.com