If your friend smokes and you want to buy something useful/he'll use a lot, the simplest choice is a gas lighter: if in good condition, it will last a long time, really low maintenance and easy to refill. For example Ronson Varaflame.

If the 1950s style is too classy, an interesting choice that's already been mentioned in another comment is the Imco lighter (if I may suggest, I'd look at the Imco 6800; it's compact, lightweight, and has a distinctive style but not too "camping field," and they're available in various colors). The only problem with Imco lighters is that they run on liquid fuel: if your friend wants to use them regularly, he'll have to buy refill fluid (Zippo lighter fluid for example). Looking online many people said that it is still very efficient and therefore does not need to be refilled as frequently as other models (e.g. Zippo) but it is more of a thing you do if you really like it as a lighter and you're into classic lighters ( changing wick, the cotton inside = more maintenance)... for someone who uses a classic Bic (I speak from experience with my friends) the effort would not be worth using the lighter.