THE JOURNAL
Without question, a good watch is for all seasons. Heck, a good watch is for life. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t situations – and occasions – when one watch is more suitable than another. We don’t wear hiking boots to weddings. And we only bring out the bucket hat when we’re sure it’s going to be that kind of night. Your average summer is a real buffet of dress codes, from beach-chic to Shakespeare in the park. We’re not saying they all have a specific watch to match, but that a little seasonal forethought can keep your watch on point wherever you end up. Here are five types of summer watch to bolster your choices.
01. The pastel one
Not to sound too “fashion” about it, but pastels are the colour trend of 2025. Baby blues, mint greens and sandy beige are in. Rich, bold primary colours are… well, not out – because that’s not the watch world’s way – but the hottest thing right now is something a little cooler. It’s no coincidence we chose a beautifully muted green for the Ressence Type 3. Other great options include Oris’ sky-blue Divers Sixty-Five and NOMOS Glashütte’s Club Campus in a tangy coral.
02. The titanium one
You don’t necessarily want a couple of hundred grams of steel – or even gold – on your wrist when it’s warm out. Almost every serious watchmaker now offers something in titanium. It’s not just lighter, it’s stronger, tougher, hypoallergenic and less thermally conductive. Why does that matter? Leave your stainless-steel watch in the blazing sun, then put it on – you’ll see why it matters. Ressence makes terrifically comfortable titanium models, pairing the light metal with soft, summer-proof straps. Or there’s the high-tech titanium and fibreglass case of the Bell & Ross BR-X5, which also glows in the dark. Could be a talking point around the campfire, perhaps.
04. The waterproof one
We don’t really need to explain this one too much: it’s summer. If you don’t end up on a beach or in a pool (or, if it’s a lively one, maybe in a fountain in some scenic European city square), you are – in the parlance – doing summer wrong. Doing summer right calls for 100m water resistance. As the industry’s minimum standard for a professional dive watch, this is more than enough. Stylistically, you’ve got a broad range to choose from: the chic Hermès Timepieces Cut to the bold Epic X Skeleton by Jacob & Co. Both are rated to 100m and will serve you well out on the waves.
04. The (relatively) inexpensive one
The best watch is the right one for the moment. And sometimes that doesn’t mean indulging your inner billionaire, but strapping on something that isn’t going to be too distracting. The truth of it is there are great watches at every price point; a Timex is a stone-cold classic, for example. Bamford Watch Department’s B80 ticks a lot of boxes – it’s also titanium. Or you could take a look at La Californienne’s laid-back Daybreak style – a collection inspired by the Golden State’s beach days could hardly be more summery, after all. Or, if you’ve invested in one of our travel watch pouches, you could… take it off altogether? Is that even possible?
05. The formal(ish) one
As we’ve recently written, summer suiting is a very different beast to the absolute heights of formality – but you still want it to be known you’ve made an effort. We would err on the small side but, without doing a full Paul Mescal on it (whose been known to flaunt a teeny 24 by 16.5mm Cartier Mini Tank), that could mean a 40mm Hermès Timepieces Arceau or a 43mm IWC Schaffhausen Pilot’s. You can avoid the heaviness of black leather – lighter colours are your friend here – and possibly try an unorthodox strap, like the hobnail-patterned rubber of Gerald Charles’ Maestro. It’s a good way to bring the heavyweight impact of a gold watch into something approaching a relaxed summer mindset.