Father’s Day round the world

June 19th marks this year’s Fathers’ Day, so we thought we’d check out where the idea came from and how it’s celebrated across the world…

Compared to the arguably medieval origins of Mother’s Day, Father’s Day is a relative newcomer. The first celebration was organised at the YMCA in Spokane in 1910 and the idea for Father’s Day came from Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd, who wanted to honour her father, a veteran who raised his six children as a single parent.

The concept was embraced by businesses more quickly than the public, with Hallmark, the greeting card company claiming it’s now the fifth biggest card-sending holiday and cigarette lighter company Flaminaire almost singlehandedly responsible for introducing the idea to France. Even now, Wikipedia suggests that neckties, hammers and golf clubs are the most popular gifts. The Germans celebrate with a group hike pulling a small wagon loaded with beer or wine and indulging in sausage-based cuisine. It’s thought the tradition has evolved from Ascension Day processions where the most prolific father in the village would be presented with a large ham. Official statistics show that alcohol-related traffic accidents rise three-fold on Father’s Day.

In India, the custom has been imported into the major cities, where a family meal and gift giving are the norm. In the North Eastern state of Nagaland, it’s a huge holiday involving church prayers and presents.

Fathers in Japan can look forward to gifts of sake or gourmet treats. While in Sri Lanka, many schools hold special events to honour fathers. Dutch fathers can look forward to breakfast in bed and family dinners, often at grandparent’s houses or restaurants. They are also presented with gifts their children have made at school. Handmade gifts are sweet, but remarkably few dads really want a personalised jar of Marmite, or yet another pair of novelty socks.

Finnies launch exciting new partnership with Swiss made DOXA watches

DOXA first started producing timepieces in 1889, in the small town of Le Locle, in the heart of the Jura Mountains, Switzerland's cradle of watchmaking.

The name ‘DOXA’ is the Greek word for glory. Over time, it has come to signify the splendour of watches with a reputation for value, quality, and exceptional craft.

In 1908, DOXA filed a patent for the ‘8-Day DOXA Caliber’. It was so impressive that Bugatti adopted it as standard equipment for all their racing cars. It then became an industry standard, and other automotive, nautical and aviation brands promptly began to feature a DOXA.

1967 is where the story of the modern-day DOXA begins.

DOXA's drive for innovation, precision and durability led to the purposedesigned, professional-grade DOXA SUB dive watch being born, developed with legendary diver Jacques-Yves Cousteau.

The SUB 300 was a breakthrough for the watch industry and the professional diving community. It featured a patented ‘No-Decompression’ bezel, requested specifically by Jacques Cousteau and was the first commercially available diving watch and the first to use the (now iconic) orange dial. Next came the SUB 300T, which was the first-ever watch to feature the new technology of a Helium Release Valve. These radical innovations made DOXA watches the benchmark for military and professional divers, even to this day.

Fast forward 50 years to 2019, DOXA celebrated not only the 130th anniversary of the brand but also their re-establishment in the watch industry.

DOXA announced the re-release of many of their iconic Diving watches from the past, including the SUB 300, SUB 300T and the SUB 1500T, all released in the bright and exciting DOXA colours. They also released the new SUB 200, a professional diving watch with a Swiss automatic movement and a box sapphire crystal and bezel for under £1,000. Arguably one of the best value Swiss Diving Watches available today.

Since 2019, DOXA has gone from strength to strength. Their watches are gaining a large (and growing) fanbase throughout the UK and beyond.

Their commitment to the brand's DNA and heritage has seen them receive substantial press and blog coverage both online and in print.

DOXA carefully chooses their retail partners for customers to receive service from knowledgeable, informative, and caring staff.

Thus, DOXA is delighted to announce a partnership with the longestablished family luxury retailer, Finnies The Jeweller in Aberdeen.

Matthew Finnie, Director of Finnies, commented, “We are delighted to be working with DOXA, the watches are already getting a lot of interest from our customers. The designs are fantastic and are an amazing addition to our range of watches”.

219-223 George Street Aberdeen AB25 1HY Tel: 01224 636632

finnies.com