Six Sizzling Summer Watches

Summer is here, and with it comes all kinds of activities, getaways and fun. Summer is an action-packed time of year, from swimming to hiking to exploring new cities and places and everything else. So, that naturally raises the question, what're you gonna wear on your wrist while you tackle everything summer has to throw at you? Well, that's where a summer watch comes in. While everyone's ideal summer watch will be specific to them, a summer watch is typically a colourful and versatile Go Anywhere Do Anything (GADA) watch that has lots of water resistance and can be matched with plenty of outfits and worn on any occasion.

Typically, you'd want a summer watch to be one of the least expensive watches in your collection. This is just so you don't have to worry about damaging it or being overly cautious of it attracting the wrong kind of attention and disrupting your enjoyment of the new places you explore. So, without further ado, let's dive into our six picks for the best watches to wear this summer. 

1. Casio Duro MDV106-1A - $69.95

The Casio Duro MDV106-1A is a typical diver's watch that's perfect for summer. While it might not be colourful, it passes every other summer watch criteria. It's water-resistant to 200 meters, so you can wear it in the pool or the ocean and do just about anything you want without worry, and it's tough and durable, so it can withstand the rigours of summer activities. And best of all, it's very, very affordable at just $69.95 from Casio's own website, so it's a watch you can strap onto your wrist and forget about, making it an excellent option for budget-minded watch enthusiasts who want a watch they won't have to worry about.

2. Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch - $285

The next watch on our list, like the last, fails on one criterion, but it still has the potential to operate as a fantastic Summer watch, the Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch. Launched to an enormous amount of hype, the MoonSwatch is a bioceramic (plastic) collection of colourful timepieces that pay homage to the celestial bodies of our solar system. With their bright colours, relatively cheap retail price and iconic design, they make for a great Summer watch. However, as we mentioned, it has one caveat, since it is made of bioceramic, it is only water resistant to a depth of 30 meters, so not a watch that we could recommend you wear in the water, but for everything else, it's a great option. 

3. Zodiac Super Sea Wolf Compression Diver - $1595

Another great option for summer, the Zodiac Super Sea Wolf Compression Diver, is when we get into the watches with genuine horological heritage, high-quality constructions and no fault whatsoever with regards to their viability as a summer watch. Water-resistant to 600 meters, it's even more robust than the Casio Duro and viable as a true divers watch. Offered in a plethora of colours, the Super Sea Wolf has a unique and stylish design that's sure to turn heads and pair with your colourful Summer outfits. However, if you want a more toned-down version, Zodiac offers those too. Priced at just $1595, it is a lot of watch for the money, considering Zodiac's impressive history and the Sea Wolf's impact on dive watches across the industry.

4. Doxa Sub 300T - $1890

A legendary diver's watch that's been around for over 60 years, the Doxa Sub 300T is known for its distinctive orange dial, which was originally selected by DOXA thanks to its highly visible properties in low-light conditions, like when it is underwater. Water-resistant to 300 meters and boasting heavily-lumed hands and hour markers, the Sub 300T is a serious diving watch. However, it's also inherently stylish on account of its grain of rice bracelet, bright selection of dial options and accompanying bezel – all of which combine to make it a great summer watch. With its robust construction, meaning you can wear it without worry, and its colourful options allowing you to pair it with your bright summer outfits, it's a fantastic summer watch option.  

5. Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref. 124300 - $6700

A classic that's perfect for any occasion, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual is not as flashy or expensive as some of the other watches in Rolex's catalogue. Still, it's incredibly well-made and will last a lifetime, just like anything else Rolex makes. Boasting a truly robust, no-frills stainless steel construction, it makes for a beautiful watch to wear daily. With 100 meters of water resistance, it is perfectly comfortable in the water, and with its array of bright dial colours, it is also a fantastic option for a summer watch. We'd recommend the discontinued turquoise or yellow dials for the summer months, but if you have to stick to a colour that is still in production, then the green variant is the way to go!

6. Richard Mille RM25-01 - $1,000,000

The ultimate summer watch for the jet-setter, the Richard Mille RM25-01 is one of the brand's craziest watches. Nicknamed the Sylvester Stallone after the famous Hollywood actor, it is fitted with a manual winding tourbillon movement that also features a 24-hour display, a chronograph, a 30-minute totaliser, a power-reserve indicator, torque and function indicators and even a fully-operational compass. Designed to be the ultimate wrist-mounted survival companion, the RM25-01's Carbon TPT and titanium construction ensure that it is incredibly robust. Water resistant to 100 meters and capable beyond most of its wearer's wildest dreams, this mechanical marvel is the ultimate summer watch, albeit whoever owns one of the 25 pieces that Richard Mille made probably only uses it when they're exploring their own private island.