Summer is here! Every year, watch enthusiasts look forward to a stylish summer wearing their favorite summer watches. Some people even go so far as to buy a new summer watch every year. But what exactly makes a timepiece great for the hot season? And what are some of the best summer watches out there? We’ve taken the time to select some of the finest watches that you can wear during high temperatures. So, let’s dive straight in!
What makes a great summer watch?
Let’s kick things off with the question of what makes a great summer watch: The truth is that if you ask different people, you get different answers. As always, the quest for a watch is highly personal, and not everybody wants the same from their timepieces. Having said that, there are definitely a few specific qualities that every watch fan looks for when picking the right watch for the summer.
Features of a Great Summer Watch
Let’s start off with the type of watch: Most people don’t want to mix it up with many different watches when they go on summer vacation. As such, a summer watch should look stylish in sporty conditions and on the water. At the same time, it should be appropriate for a nice late-night dinner. Over time, diving watches have emerged as fan favorites for the summer. They’re perfect for all your aquatic adventures, while still being acceptable as a stylish piece for the evenings.
Bright Colors for Summer
Secondly, the colors of a summer watch are often lighter and brighter than usual. This translates into dials that represent the colors of summer. Moreover, many people love to wear their summer watches on colorful rubber or NATO straps. Not only are they a perfect fit for in the water, but they are also comfortable in any situation. Of course, there are people who prefer to wear their watch on a bracelet, which is another great comfortable and sturdy solution. If you love a bit of extra color, however, rubber or NATO is the way to go.
Titanium: A Great Lightweight Option
When it comes to materials, stainless steel is a great choice for a summer watch. It’s able to withstand a beating and looks excellent in the summer sun. But if you’d like something that is lighter in terms of weight, you should consider a titanium watch. These are easier to wear due to their lower weight, and titanium is also the material of choice for many modern diving watches because it’s more corrosion-resistant – perfect for your summer watch.
Don’t Break the Bank
Price is another great discussion point. Should a summer watch just be a watch for the season, and then go into the drawer only to come out six months later? Or should you be able to wear your watch all year round? Most of the time, it’s obviously the latter, but a lot of people appreciate that they can wear their summer watch without worrying about it getting scratched. As a general rule, more affordable watches generate less stress. While I definitely look after all my watches, no matter the price, it’s something to take into consideration when looking for a summer watch.
Other specs or complications come down to your personal preferences. Whether a movement should be super accurate, come with a GMT complication, or have a specific size is up to you. The overall configuration of a summer watch is always a matter of personal preference, but let’s sum up a few of the important aspects that most enthusiasts would agree on:
- A versatile watch for aquatic adventures during the day and a chic dinner at night, often a dive watch
- A lightweight material like titanium guarantees comfort and corrosion resistance, while stainless steel is tough and shines bright in the summer sun
- A colorful watch that oozes the summer style with lighter and brighter colors
- The use of colorful rubber or NATO straps
- Affordable relative to your budget
Are there truly summer or winter watches?
Before we get into some of the best summer watches out there, you might be wondering whether there is such a thing as a winter watch. It’s a perfectly logical question. The answer is that most watches make great winter watches no matter what. The majority of watches come with dark dials and straps, which is why summer is the perfect season to mix things up. Having a summer watch is the perfect opportunity to change your daily look. Of course, you could do that by changing the strap on one of your current watches, but we’ll show you some colorful watches that simply ooze summer style. So, without further ado, let’s look at some awesome options.
1. Zodiac Super Sea Wolf
Zodiac is known for releasing colorful watches no matter the season. The brand’s Super Sea Wolf is a great collection of diving watches that come in a variety of nice summery colors – just check out the Super Sea Wolf Compression Automatic and you will know what I mean. The brand has also released colorful versions of the Super Sea Wolf GMT that make for a great summer watch. And only a couple of weeks ago, Zodiac released what’s potentially their greatest summer watch yet: The Zodiac Super Sea Wolf Ceramic Compression is a new series of watches that come with a white polished ceramic case and three different dial and strap colors. They are the perfect summer watches at $1,795.
2. Doxa Sub 300 Aquamarine
The second pick comes courtesy of the well-known diving watch brand Doxa. This manufacturer has a varied collection of divers that all feature stand-out designs. The most famous is without a doubt the Sub 300, which has become iconic in the world of watches. Doxa offers the watch with a wide variety of dial colors, including orange, yellow, dark blue, silver, black, and white. But the most fitting for the summer is the Aquamarine version with its cyan dial. Get it on either a bead of rice bracelet for a sturdy look, or combine it with a cyan rubber strap for true summer vibes. Both are available for around the $2,500 mark.
3. Seiko 5 Sports × Rowing Blazers
Japanese watch brand Seiko and American fashion brand Rowing Blazers released their third collaboration only a couple of months ago. The watches are inspired by the preppy style of Rowing Blazers. More specifically, their design takes inspiration from the world of rowing. The third collab is a continuation of the second, with four vintage-inspired Seiko 5 Sports models featuring standout dials. This time around, the brand chose to go for pink, purple, yellow, and a white dial with colorful hour markers. All four watches come with a stainless-steel bracelet and colorful NATO strap to mix things up. These four watches are the perfect unisex summer models. Only the yellow dial variant is still available via the Rowing Blazers online store for $495. For the other models, you’ll have to pay a slight premium on Chrono24. What you get in return, however, oozes awesome summer style.
4. G-Shock GMA-S2100BS
Another great summer option for women is the colorful G-Shock GMA-S2100BS. This watch comes in three different “CasiOak” versions in green, pink, and white with colorful dials. Every element of the watch and dial is executed in a vibrant color. Plus, these watches come with the usual variety of different functions that G-Shocks are known for. On top of that, the resin case and strap ensure that the watches are super comfortable to wear. On top of that, again, they weigh just 41 g, which is extremely lightweight. But seeing as they’re G-Shock models, they’re super sturdy and can take a serious beating. At around $100, this is the perfect affordable option for a worry-free summer watch.
5. Citizen NJ015
Another great affordable series for the summer is the Citizen NJ015 line. The watch was introduced last year and belongs to the same category of watches as the popular Tissot PRX. These modern sports watches with integrated bracelets are an absolute win for Citizen. Last year’s NJ0150 references came with a dark blue, black, or beautiful yellow dial. This year’s NJ0151 references from the Tsuyosa collection come with a “Tiffany” blue, dark blue gradient, or stunning turquoise gradient dial. The yellow and “Tiffany” blue dials are true summer standouts. At $450, these are awesome, affordable summer watches.
6. Baltic Aquascaphe Titanium
We mentioned the pros of titanium dive watches for summer, and the perfect affordable example is the Baltic Aquascaphe Titanium. This modern titanium version of the brand’s popular Aquascaphe is an absolute stunner. It’s a very competent diver with the looks of an amazing summer timepiece. It comes with a dark blue dial, titanium case, and blue ceramic bezel. Some may think it looks too serious for summer on its dark blue strap, but the color is a beautiful deep hue that perfectly reflects the color of the ocean.
7. Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 75th Anniversary
Speaking of the depths of the ocean, Omega just released the 75th Anniversary collection of its Seamaster. The collection consists of eight different Seamaster watches with dials that get increasingly darker with greater water resistance. While all the watches have stunning Summer Blue dials, the two unisex Seamaster Aqua Terra models have a slightly paler hue. The ladies’ model comes on a beautiful bracelet for around $7,000. The men’s model comes with your choice of a stainless-steel bracelet ($6,600) or a light blue rubber strap that matches the dial color ($6,400). The latter is the one to go for if you want that luxury Mediterranean style executed to great perfection.
8. Oris Divers Sixty-Five “Cotton Candy”
We’ll close this list out with three beautiful retro divers from Oris. The brand’s Divers Sixty-Five “Cotton Candy” collection consists of three watches with gorgeous dials. We saw the first “Cotton Candy” collection two years ago with bronze cases and bracelets, but this time, Oris chose stainless steel as the material for its three new models. You have the choice of a mint green, light blue, or dusty pink dial, and all of them are perfect for summer. If you don’t want a stainless-steel bracelet for $2,550, Oris also offers the three watches on color-matching Perlon straps for $2,350. And if you prefer the bronze versions, you can also get these still. With their 38-mm cases, the Oris Divers Sixty-Five “Cotton Candy” models are perfect for both men and women as stylish summer watches.
There you have it, a selection of stylish timepieces that could be great picks for summer 2023. Obviously, there are so many more models to choose from. Regardless of whether you opt for a new colorful strap for an existing watch in your collection or buy a completely new summer watch, we wish you a great summer!
