In this article, we show you 8 interesting watches to wear this summer. Summer is about to start, and hopefully, it will be a nice one! We deserved it. And in case you didn’t spend your holiday allowance (not sure if that’s a thing outside The Netherlands, but here it’s 8% of your annual salary you will get from your employer in May) yet, here are some options for a nice summer watch for all budgets.

When I go on a holiday, I try to keep the number of watches I take with me very low. Most of the time, I will bring just two watches actually. An all-rounder and something really low-budget, like a Swatch or a Seiko SKX007. It also depends a bit on where I am going. On a campsite, I try not to bring too much expensive stuff. When I am going to a hotel, and there’s a safe in the room, I dare to bring some more expensive watches as well. What I usually pack, is at least one watch that I can wear at any time. So in the sea or swimming pool, but also when going sightseeing (or shopping), and to a restaurant in the evening. But, how you spend your holidays might look totally different from mine, so that’s why I included a number of different summer watches (and here are the watches the Fratello team wore the most during a previous summer).

Strapping Prospex 1965 And 1970 Diver’s Modern Re-interpretation Watches

Seiko Prospex 1965 SPB239

This watch is a pretty good allrounder, including when spending your holidays abroad. It will work in the swimming pool but also when exploring cities or parks. The Seiko SPB239 has a 40.5mm case diameter and a thickness of 13.2mm. So it will suit most wrists and circumstances. Inside, Seiko’s caliber 6R35 ticks away the precious holiday time. It has a power reserve of 72 hours, just in case you’re swapping watches at some point. It features a screw-down crown, a screw-in case back, and a sapphire crystal. Water-resistant up to 200 meters. My colleague Lex wrote about this watch here in detail. The Seiko Prospex 1965 Diver SPB239 comes on a polyester strap and you’ll get an additional one in a khaki color.

The price for the Seiko SPB239 is €1,250 /  $1,300

Hamilton Intra-Matic H Chronograph

Another retro-inspired watch, but that’s apparently what most watch fans like and want to see. I like it, and that’s why I included it in this overview. This is the hand-wound Hamilton Intra-Matic H Chronograph with caliber H-51 and it has a very modest case diameter of 40mm. Perfect for nearly all occasions, including hitting the pool. It has a water resistance of 100 meters. Just make sure you don’t use the chronograph or crown underwater, and you’ll be fine. This watch will also look amazingly well when you’ll dress up a bit and visit a restaurant in the evening or for a nice lunch. There’s also a black dial version available of this watch, with white subdials, but I like this one best. We covered these hand-wound Hamilton Intra-Matic H Chronograph watches in this article. The watches are also available on a leather strap.

The price of the Hamilton Intra-Matic H Chronograph H38429110 is CHF2,075 / $2,095 / €1,945

Swatch – Any

I have a weak spot for Swatch. It is the brand I grew up with, together with Casio, and very often I am tempted to add one to my collection. And I do, every year I add a few. Truth to be told, I seldomly wear them but if I do, it is mainly during holidays. I also like to purchase a Swatch watch when I am enjoying a holiday. In many locations, you will find a special Swatch model that was done just for that city or country. Above is just an example of one of my Swatches, the 2Q SKIN Irony that is somewhat Bond-related, hence the Q reference.

The price of the 2Q Skin Irony is €215 / $220

Panerai Submersible PAM01209 Azzurro

I remember bringing my Panerai PAM00113 to a holiday in Italy in 2004. Only to find out I was about the only one there to wear one. I didn’t see anyone else wearing one, even not when I was spending a full day in Rome. That didn’t spoil the fun though, as a visit to the Panerai boutique and museum in Firenze made up for that. If I would be in the market for a Panerai today, I would definitely go Submersible. After owning two Luminor models in the past, I really warmed up to the Submersible models. This Submersible PAM01209 has a beautiful blue ceramic bezel. Inside is caliber P.900, a self-winding movement based on a ValFleurier ebauche. This particular model is a limited edition to 500 pieces, but there’s enough out there in the Submersible collection to choose from. Dave covered this PAM01209 here.

The price of the Panerai PAM01209 is €9,500 / $9,800

The Silver Bullet That Is The Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 925

Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 925 (Silver)

Despite the discussion on tarnishing, the Black Bay Fifty-Eight 925 is a handsome watch. The taupe color goes really well with the silver case and crown. My colleague Mike already bought his (during his holiday!) and told me he really enjoys this new Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 925. I prefer this model over the recently introduced chronographs in all honesty, but that’s just a matter of personal taste. This watch doesn’t have the Master Chronometer certification like the new Black Ceramic, but the MT5402 is a good performing movement nevertheless, with an average deviation that is stricter than a chronometer with +4/-2 seconds per day. The case diameter is 39mm, the thickness is 12.7mm and the lug-to-lug is 47mm. The weight of the watch on this fabric strap is 90 grams. This one could make you just bring one watch for the holidays. We covered this Tudor in this article.

The price of the Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 925 is $4,300 / €4,080

Rolex Yacht-Master 40 126621

One of the most discussed brands, but the fact is, it is the most coveted luxury watch brand in the world. The 40mm Yacht-Master is a versatile watch, but it is neither a diver (it has a bi-directional bezel) nor a dress watch. It’s a watch for the yacht club, I guess, to flaunt it. The perfect companion to bring to the Côte d’Azur or Capri to enjoy the holiday to the fullest. The raised numerals on the gold bezel look amazing and I simply love the combination of the brown dial with the rose gold elements. This might not be the typical watch to bring to a campsite though or to areas where it’s risky to wear such a noticeable watch. Inside is caliber 3235, with an incredible accuracy of +2/-2 seconds on average.

The price of the Yacht-Master 40 126621 is €13,800 / $14,595

Omega Seamaster 300M 210.32.42.20.04.001

The 300M is a diver for sure, but can also be seen as an allrounder. Available on the rubber strap pictured, or on a stainless steel bracelet. Although I wrote here that the steel version with black dial and Sedna (rose) gold elements is my favorite. But since then, this 300M with white dial and black ceramic bezel has been introduced and I love it even more. I own a 300M since 2000 and it has been one of my favorite holiday watches ever since. Perhaps it is time to upgrade! This modern Seamaster 300M has an in-house caliber 8800 movement, which is Master Chronometer certified.

The price of the Seamaster 300M 210.32.42.20.04.001 is €4,800 / $4,900

Casio G-Shock MT-G MTG-B2000PH2A “Blue Phoenix”

Yeah, I know. This is an awkward one perhaps. It is laying in our office for quite a while now, and I have to admit that the longer I see it, the more I like it. Would I wear it to the office or a diner? Probably not. But I would definitely wear this to the pool or the beach. Whether you like the MT-G Blue Phoenix or not from an aesthetical viewpoint, the build quality is amazing. Are you ready to spend this amount on a G-Shock though? Lex wrote quite a long epistle on this Blue Phoenix and called it “serious business”. With case dimensions of 51mm x 55.1mm, it surely is.

The price of the G-Shock MTG-B2000PH2A Blue Phoenix is €1,099 / $1,100

Do you have some other choices for a summer watch? Let us know in the comments!

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