In the course of your lifetime, how much do you think you’ve cost your dad? Fifty thousand? A hundred? More? Putting an exact figure on it is nigh-on impossible, given all the tiny ways in which he’s funded you over the years, but we can certainly offer a ballpark figure: and it’s a lot. Last year, the US Department of Agriculture put the average cost of raising a child, from birth to the age of 17 in a middle-income, two-parent family, as a cool $230,000. The equivalent cost in the UK is around £150,000. And that’s before you take into account the vertiginous costs of higher education. Throw in a few luxuries – a first car, a leg-up on your first house – and the total bill is in danger of passing the half-million mark. Parenthood can be an expensive undertaking.

But, look: we’re not about to reduce fatherhood down to a few zeroes – OK, a lot of zeroes – on a balance sheet. The relationship shared between father and son is far more than that. Besides, most fathers would surely argue that the cost of raising a child is money well spent. But with Father’s Day fast approaching, it’s time to repay the favour. With that in mind, here are a few ways to show the old man some love.

It’s worth remembering that when it comes to choosing a gift, it’s the thought that counts, and the smallest gifts are often the most thoughtful. Here are just a few highlights from MR PORTER’s selection of gifts that won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

• Oliver Spencer Loungewear Miller cable-knit socks

Are socks too predictable a gift to ever seem thoughtful? That depends entirely on the socks in question. And this cable-knit Egyptian cotton pair from Oliver Spencer Loungewear will knock his, well, old socks off.

• D R Harris Arlington shave kit

D R Harris has been helping men to look and smell their best since 1790. A visit to its shop in London’s historic St James’s neighbourhood is like taking a trip back in time. It’s possible to recreate the experience in the comfort of your own home with this traditional shaving kit, which incorporates a badger-bristle shaving brush, a decorative razor, and soap and aftershave scented with the brand’s citrussy Arlington blend. 

• Tom Daxon Sicilian Wood eau de parfum

Fragrance is another gift that, like socks, can disappoint if poorly chosen. The trick is to steer clear of mass-market scents commonly found in duty-free stores and opt for something from a lesser-known, specialist perfumier instead. Tom Daxon’s Sicilian Wood ticks that box and is a lovely fragrance to boot, opening with notes of lemon, tangerine and bergamot before mellowing to reveal its sandalwood and cedarwood base notes.

• Byredo Apocalyptic scented candle

If your dad’s the old-fashioned type who might bristle be flummoxed by a scented candle, try this one from Byredo on for size. It’s black, it’s called Apocalyptic, it’s perfumed with notes of “fire iron”… In short, it’s just about the manliest scented candle we’ve ever smelled.

• Caran d'Ache 849 ballpoint pen and pencil set

In the digital age, the pen has developed a vintage quality not too dissimilar from that of the vinyl record. For all that we might communicate almost exclusively via WhatsApp and iMessage these days, there’s still something special about the written word. This writing set from Caran d’Ache, which includes a fountain pen, ballpoint pen and mechanical pencil, is a stylish way of saying “let’s keep in touch”.

• Mulberry full-grain leather cardholder

This cardholder from Mulberry has plenty of room for credit cards, but none of the bulk of a billfold wallet. If he’s still not ready to let go of hard cash, you could always throw in a silver money clip.

Feeling flush? The gifts featured here might cost a little more, but what you’re getting for your money is something a gift he’ll treasure for life.

• Czech & Speake leather-bound manicure set

Czech & Speake’s handsomely appointed, leather-bound manicure kit has everything he could ever need for keeping his nails neat and tidy. And, let’s be honest, quite a lot more. With two pairs of scissors (safety and nail), slanted tweezers, two pairs of nail clippers, a cuticle nipper and a double-ended cuticle pusher, this is without a doubt the most complete nail-care set he’ll ever receive. 

• Trianon 18-karat gold tiger's eye cufflinks

The trick to buying cufflinks as a gift – actually, the trick to buying anything as a gift – is to choose something that is somehow unique. Trianon, a purveyor of fine jewellery based in New York, is a name to remember in this regard. Its USP is to combine traditional precious metals and stones, such as 18-karat gold and diamonds, with lesser-known materials. These cufflinks, for instance, are set with a lustrous, reddish-brown gemstone known as “Tiger’s Eye”. As with most of the things made by Trianon, you won’t find anything like them anywhere else. 

• Frédéric Malle Monsieur eau de parfum

In the hands of expert perfumier Mr Frédéric Malle, patchouli – that earthy aroma forever synonymous with long-haired, kaftan-wearing hippies with flowers in their hair – is transformed into a thoroughly modern fragrance. If your dad’s old enough to remembers the 1960s, he’ll find this fragrance as nostalgic as it is refreshingly new. 

• William & Son leather snakes and ladders set

William & Son was founded two decades ago by Mr William Asprey, seventh-generation member of the Asprey family. It specialises in selling the sort of things you’d like to own if you lived in a big, old house in the British countryside, such as lovely leather-trimmed hip flasks and plus-fours. We’re partial to its line of homeware, which include faithful – if rather more luxurious than we remember – reproductions of classic board games. This leather snakes and ladders set is a particular favourite. 

• Le Gramme father and child polished silver cuff set

This sterling silver set from the minimalist French jeweller Le Gramme includes one 15-gram bracelet for dad and one five-gram bracelet for his young child. It’s unreasonable to expect the child to buy this one, given that he’s still years from achieving financial independence, but it makes a touching Father’s Day gift from one parent to another.

There are moments when a “World’s Greatest Dad” mug just doesn’t cut it. They may not come around every year, but when they do, there’s no better way of showing your appreciation than with a proper watch. Here, we’ve selected three for your consideration.

• IWC Schaffhausen Pilot's Chronograph

If your old man fancies himself as something of an Action Dad, this might help to channel some of that untapped masculine energy. With a dial that harks back to the old “B-Uhr” navigator’s watches worn by bomber pilots during WWII, this pilot’s chronograph from IWC Schaffhausen is an unashamedly chunky watch at 44mm in diameter. The engraving on the caseback of this all-black ceramic version celebrates IWC’s ongoing partnership with the US Navy’s Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor programme, better known as Top Gun. (Yes, it’s an actual thing.) 

• Cartier Drive de Cartier

Cartier boasts a long history of making some of the world’s most shapely wristwatches, and the Drive de Cartier is proof that the company hasn’t lost its touch. First unveiled in 2016, it echoes classic Cartier design language – just look at those bold Roman numeral hour markers – while managing to feel like its own watch, too. It’s also a total bargain, as fine watches with in-house movements made by historic manufacturers go, coming in at just over £5,000 or $6,000. 

• Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute

Looking to invest in a classic? You won’t do much better than Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Art Deco-inspired Reverso. Invented in the 1930s to meet the needs of polo-playing British Army officers stationed in India, whose timepieces were vulnerable to damage during matches, the Reverso features an ingenious mechanism that allows the case to be flipped over, concealing the fragile glass and revealing the stainless-steel caseback. A somewhat obsolete feature today, the back of the watch is now used to house a secondary watch face in Duoface versions. If you opt for a traditional, single-faced model – the one pictured here is a Reverso Tribute with a leather strap from the Argentinian polo bootmaker, Casa Fagliano – then the rear caseback is a great spot to add an engraved personal message. We’re going with “World’s Greatest Dad”.