Tested: The 5 Best Men’s Watches For Wearing This Summer
Summer is one of the best seasons for watch enthusiasts. You can finally take off your winter or spring coat and let your wrist soak up some much-needed UV rays. As a bonus, you can also show off your watch. It’s not just about showing off, though. This season is a great time to find a watch that complements your summer wardrobe style.
In the winter, spring, and fall, your watch is generally covered by your sleeve if you live in the northern hemisphere like I do. Your watch might occasionally appear as it slips out from under your cuff when you grab a drink or hand something to someone. Sure, you’ll probably be wearing something you love on your wrist, but chances are it won’t make a huge impression on your overall look due to the limited amount of visibility it receives.
The summer is different, as you’ll be in a T-shirt most of the time, or perhaps a long-sleeve shirt that exposes your watch. There will be plenty more eyes on your wrist for at least a nice, solid 4 months. With this fact, it’s time to step up your game and make sure you’re wearing a cool watch—something with a little more pizzazz than usual, maybe something retro with color, and mechanical function. Dive watches are also very popular this time of the year, and collectors like us love a good heritage or story behind the watch on our wrist. Let’s take a look below at some great offerings available this summer in 2024.
1. Mido Decompression Worldtimer
The Decompression Worldtimer from Mido’s Ocean Star line is an absolutely must-have summer watch; you won’t find anything like it at any price point. This is a watch that stands on its own as a cool retro reissue of the original Mido Decompression Timer from 1961. However, in this new iteration, the WorldTimer function has been added, which is quite apparent with the cities etched onto the rotating bezel.
The standout summery feature of this watch is the colorful decompression timer dial, which is color-coded in a rainbow gradient of yellow, green, pink, and blue on the blue bezel variant. This feature is designed to calculate the necessary decompression stops required during ascent to avoid decompression sickness. As someone mentioned before, just looking at this watch makes you want to be on a yacht somewhere out in the Mediterranean or off the coast of Florida with a cigar in your mouth.
The overall design language of this watch is pure fun, but it’s also Swiss-made with a build quality to match. It’s also featuring some great specs, such as the Mido Caliber 80 automatic GMT movement, based on the ETA C07.661 architecture, running at 21,600 vph (3 Hz), and offering an 80-hour power reserve. This movement features an independently adjustable local hour hand, providing “traveler”-style GMT functionality.
2. Doxa Sub 300T
The Doxa Sub 300T is quite an impressive watch with a utilitarian diver vibe from the 1970s. To be more precise, this is also a reissued watch of the original 1968 SUB 300T Conquistador. Functionally, this watch stands out with its patented unidirectional bezel that includes a diving table, making it suitable for professional divers. This is a serious dive watch with a water resistance of 1200 meters, and the orange dial and other bright dial choices we’ve chosen provide great visibility underwater, but they look the part while lounging on the beach and match really well while out in a summery linen shirt.
One of my favorite aspects of this watch is its beads of rice bracelet; it adds some retro flash in a similar way to a Jubilee-styled bracelet and really complements the cushion case of the watch. The 20mm lug widths are also great, allowing for a nice selection of aftermarket straps to switch up the look of the watch during any season. As a brand, Doxa remains relatively low-profile, which is another reason why I like their watches. They create fantastic watches that you won’t find on everyone’s wrist in the summer, but they do still have a dedicated group of enthusiasts who enjoy both their modern and vintage offerings.
The 300T is one of the larger models they offer; it has an ETA 2824-2 automatic movement, which is quite reliable and precise, with a 42-hour power reserve. This movement operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour and includes both hacking and hand-winding functionalities.
3. Rolex Submariner
The Submariner is not on here for its flashy color, unless you’re into the new 12 series Date version with the green bezel or the now discontinued Sub Date “Hulk.” The one we’re featuring here is the original all-black Submariner; either the new 12 series or the 114060 will do—occasionally incorrectly referred to as the “No Date Submariner.”.
Some collectors find this model a little mundane and boring, but I find it the quintessential dive watch, and it excels for summer wear. This is a watch that has all the everyday wear specs that you need in a watch, and it looks absolutely amazing in any setting, whether by the water somewhere or in the city. It does exceptionally well as a summer watch, as it’s ready for any type of activity thrown at it.
If you’re not sure which reference to choose, you can read our Submariner 124060 vs. 114060 sizing guide here. Generally speaking, both models are incredibly similar, but Rolex implemented some minute changes that you’d perhaps like to be aware of.
One neat and often overlooked aspect of the Submariner is the glidelock clasp on the bracelet, which allows you to make small adjustments to the bracelet size in a matter of seconds. I really didn’t think I’d be using this feature much, but I ended up using it all summer as my wrists swelled and retracted in size during very hot days. This small feature makes the Submariner one of the most comfortable watches I own, despite its somewhat beefy dive watch heft.
The Sub is sporting the very reliable Caliber 3130, which has a smooth seconds hand, and I catch myself gazing at the iconic lollypop seconds hand hovering around the dial while enjoying my coffee on warm summer mornings.
4. Omega Seamaster 300M Summer Blue
The Mido Decompression Wordltimer might be colorful, but the summer edition of the Seamaster cranks up the lumens to a whole new level of blue—and with that, the purchase price as well. I had the pleasure to enjoy this watch for a few weeks, and the shade of blue chosen for both the dial and bezel is stunning and reminiscent of a tropical lagoon. The blue shifts from an almost deep navy to an almost white or ultra-light shade of soft powder blue. You’re essentially getting all the good stuff that the classic Seamaster is known for but in a summer package.
This watch comes in a 42mm case size, but it wears a 40mm, feeling nearly identical in size to a modern Submariner. The lugs are actually a little bit slimmer in profile than a Sub, and the curve on the wrist is a touch more as well, lending the watch a very elegant and sporty feeling on the wrist. The only downside, in my opinion, is the blocky bracelet that has no tapering whatsoever.
Technically speaking, the Seamaster offers a lot. First off, it’s sporting a fantastic movement, the Co-Axial Master Chronometer caliber 8800, which is METAS-certified for accuracy. This movement has a silicon balance spring and is anti-magnetic up to 15,000 gauss. The movement is also light and decorated with Geneva waves in arabesque, although it’s not viewable due to the steel caseback.
5. Oris Artelier S
So far, we only have dive watches on our list. How did that happen? I guess they’re just optimal choices for the warm season. I would have liked to fit in a chronograph of some type, but I couldn’t find something that really screamed summer with its color choices. So let’s leave out the chronograph for now and add something dressy to the list, like this new release, the Artelier S from Oris, with its rich forest green dial.
I’m not a huge dress watch advocate, with very little time to wear them, but I still consider a dress watch a must-have in any watch collection, even if you’re going to wear it on only one occasion in the summer. You’ll be very glad you have one on hand.
I recently reviewed the Artelier S, and I must say, I was very impressed with the watch. The quality of the finish is exceptional, which I found exceeded the usual quality found on Oris’s line of sports watches. Oris seemingly stepped up their game here to differentiate this watch from the rest of their offerings, which, as a watch fanatic, I can really appreciate.
One big reason I really like this dress watch for summer wear is simply the green dial; it’s a color you don’t see often on dress watches. Another big reason is the exhibition display caseback, which makes this watch really fun to take off the wrist with some friends and admire the SW 200-1 movement. The Artelier S is perfectly sized at 38mm, lending it a subtle but not too small of a wrist presence. Although I have not tested different straps on this watch yet, I also believe it would make an excellent candidate for a variety of different strap materials, colors, and textures.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the five men’s watches tested for this summer prove to be exceptional choices, each offering unique features tailored to different styles and preferences. Whether you prioritize elegance, durability, functionality, or innovation, there is a watch on this list that will complement your summer wardrobe and activities. From classic designs to modern smartwatches, these timepieces not only enhance your look but also withstand the rigors of summer adventures. Investing in any of these top-rated watches ensures you stay stylish and punctual throughout the sunny season.
