Tested: The 11 Best Men’s Watches For Wearing This Summer

Different seasons call for different types of gear — which is pretty obvious for certain categories. For instance, you’d never want to wear a puffy waterproof parka in the middle of July, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. Similarly, flip-flops can put you on the fast track to frostbite if you wear them in the dead of winter.

There are other categories of gear, however, where their seasonal appropriateness is much less apparent. Watches are one such category. To be fair, most watches can be worn year-round without too much trouble. But if you really want to make the most of this genre of style accessory, you’ll want to look a little closer at your choices. For instance, summer is just about in full swing and, as such, we’ve gotten hands-on with some impressive and seasonally-appropriate timepieces that range from colorful automatic pieces to rugged tool watches to ones with supreme underwater capability. These are the best summer watches for men.

How We Tested

Figuring out where to start with the best summer watches was perhaps the biggest challenge since most brands don’t categorize by season. However, we used our knowledge of the space to figure out which watchmakers would serve this category the best. We looked at dive watches, colorful watches, titanium watches, and travel watches, whittling down the options to a select few for testing.

From there, we sourced our units for testing, getting hands-on with each one. The entire process took several weeks but we were finally able to settle on our favorite watches to wear this summer. The following guide details why we picked each model.

Wrist Size: We should also mention that our tester has a wrist diameter of around 8″, so keep that in mind when comparing it to your own wrist.

What Is a Summer Watch?

As you’ll see, the perfect summer watch can mean multiple things. If you’re into exploring the great outdoors, a lightweight, rugged tool watch may be your timepiece of choice. However, if you’re a beachgoer, you’ll want something colorful, and with diving capability. There are some models that do well to balance these elements, which are listed below.

While you probably want to stick to the dive, field, and travel watch sectors, you can branch out slightly in this regard, but keep most of the essential tenets in mind: durability, color, reliability (higher power reserves are optimal), water resistance (preferably 100m or higher), lightweight (titanium cases will help with this a lot), and NO leather.

While rubber and NATO straps are ideal, as well as mesh steel or titanium bracelets, leather is a big taboo for summertime as it will undoubtedly promote sweat under the wrist, leading to discomfort throughout your day. Also, leather doesn’t expand like rubber and even metal can.

What to Look For

Straps: When picking out a watch for the summer, you’ll want to choose strap materials that can endure the heat, and allow you to do so in the process. Materials like leather can be sweaty since they stick to your skin. Look for metals like steel or titanium, or comfortable materials like a stretchy rubber or a soft textile. The latter of which will also allow for some expansion and contraction as your wrist swells slightly in hotter climates. As we already stated, avoid leather at all costs.

Case Diameter: This will be of personal preference, but wider timepieces may dig into your wrist or hand during more rigorous activities. Unless you like big watches, stick to models that range from 36mm to 40mm.

Weight: Tangentially to diameter, the weight of the watch can have an impact on comfort during the hotter months. In terms of case materials, stainless steel doesn’t need to be avoided, as they’re very durable, but you can opt for materials such as titanium or carbon fiber if possible, which are significantly more lightweight.

Colors: Again, this will come down to personal preference and usage, but don’t be afraid to have some fun with your watch this season. This is the time of year to wear teals, oranges, and yellows. However, if you’re looking for something with a bit more versatility for nighttime wear, you can pick understated hues like blue or green.

Dive Capability: Summertime is synonymous with spending time in the water. If you’re thinking of going into the ocean or a pool, you may want a timepiece that has at least 100m of water resistance. While certain dive watches may go up to 200m or 300m, it won’t be necessary to find something that capable.

GMT: If you enjoy traveling for the summer, you may want to invest in a quality travel GMT watch that can handle multiple time zones at once so you can always keep track of the time of where you are and where you’re headed.

Seiko 5 Sports GMT SSK005

If you’re looking for some of the finest automatic budget watches to gear up for the summertime (or any time), Seiko has you covered. A couple of years ago, the Japanese watchmaker replaced its beloved SKX with the 5 Sports, a new entry-level automatic diver, sporting a 4R34 GMT movement here, visible through the exposition caseback. From the three-handed version of the 5 Sports, this GMT retained the 100m water resistance, the unidirectional bezel with an elapsed time scale of 60 minutes, and most importantly, the fair price tag.

Seiko sure knows how to have some fun with its colorways, and this GMT diver is no exception, featuring an orange colorway reminiscent of the iconic Doxa divers (more on those later). Despite the larger 42.5mm case size, the watch wears well with a compact 46mm lug-to-lug. While it’s a solid option at under $500, and quintessentially Seiko, the steel bracelet could easily be swapped out for a third-party option.

Citizen Tsuyosa

For more affordable automatic watches, Citizen is another great place to start, offering a wide selection of reliable and attractive models for quite some time now. Last year, the Japanese watch giant debuted its Tsuyosa (Japanese for “strength”) model, with a handful of summery colorways, including the teal fume we got hands-on with. Despite the bright, clean hues, the Tsuyosa feels decidedly masculine and fits into a 40mm case that’s completely wearable for most. The presence is exaggerated even more with its bright stainless steel build, 49mm lug-to-lug, and a link bracelet that punches above its price tag.

The mediocre 50m of water resistance is somewhat disappointing considering this feels like a tangential dive watch. However, it does lack some other diver elements that one could make an exception. A great everyday timepiece for your every outing this summer, the Tsuyosa is also powered by a Miyota (owned by Citizen) 8210 automatic, viewed through the caseback.

Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer Mechanical

Hamilton might make one of the most iconic field watches on the planet with its Khaki Field Watch but the World War II-inspired timepiece has a sister model that we feel deserves just as much love. Based on the tonneau-shaped 6BB RAF pilot watches that Hamilton issued to the British Royal Air Force between 1973 and 1976, the Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer Mechanical is a faithful resurrection and yet another home run for both the brand and fans of military-inspired watches.

Up 1mm from the original, this version sports a 36mm case size, which might be small for some but makes up for it with some wrist presence. Oozing with character thanks to its barrel-shaped case, railroad-style dial track, and beautifully textured background, the pilot’s watch is also adorned with a lightweight and highly comfortable gray NATO strap for wrist breathability. There’s also 100m of water resistance, which can give you more usability this summer. And it’s also powered by the same H-50 automatic movement used in the Khaki Field, which has impressive accuracy for a sub-$1,000 watch.

DOXA SUB 200 Professional

Underwater explorers from Jacques Cousteau to Clive Cussler have been faithful fans of DOXA’s SUB watches, which debuted in 1967 and marked the first time a purpose-based diver was available to the general public. DOXA’s contemporary models take a lot of inspiration from the originals, both in design and performance. Maintaining distinct styling cues of the SUB 300 Professional, including the bold orange dial and the retro beads-of-rice bracelet, the SUB 200 Professional was introduced in 2019 as a more wearable version of the brand’s chunkier progenitor (200 and 300 for the watches’ water resistance depths).

Taking the diameter down from 42.5mm to 42mm, the barrel-style case is still made from the same marine-grade 316L stainless steel and features the Swiss brand’s patented bezel system, consisting of an outer rotating bezel with the depth displayed in meters and an inner fixed bezel with the time displayed in minutes. The aggressive aesthetic may not be for everyone but the watch’s provenance and legacy will be enough to attract most underwater enthusiasts. Plus, you’ll get the highly reliable (and fixable) ETA 2824-2 automatic for around $1,000.

Tissot Sideral S Powermatic 80

Before they came out last year, few had expected Tissot to drop perhaps the best summer watch we had seen in a while. Revived in striking yet playful yellow, red, and blue colorways, the Sideral S has a history that dates back to the early 1970s. The first watch to ever be made of fiberglass, thus allowing for unique color play, the original Sideral S was a divergence from the typical “dad watch” that had filled the space by that time. With this new reissue, Tissot has swapped the fiberglass on the cushion-shaped case for a more practical forged carbon, which works its way around the stainless steel inner case. Despite being 41mm in diameter, it’s a measly 3oz in weight. Other features include a 300m dive rating, 80 hours of power reserve, and a regatta countdown scale on the dial.

A fairly faithful reissue of the original, this new Sideral maintains the motorsports focus while wearing quite compact considering the dimensions. We also love the color options here, with vivid red and blue versions accompanying the yellow one we got our hands on. While the original watch was still beating with an automatic, this new version opts for the Powermatic 80, which makes some adjustments on the ETA 2824-2 for a higher power reserve and only a marginal difference in accuracy, allowing this to be more of a grab-and-go option. We also love the rubber straps, which have a rally-meets-diver style with a slim fit on the wrist.

Farer Hecla Carmine Red Ti Series II

You can really pick a handful of watches from Farer as solid pieces to wear for the summer. After all, the British watchmaker is really the King of Color. However, Farer really set a new standard with its dive watches, including this Hecla Carmine Red Ti, which is part of its Aqua Compressor line. Named after a 19th-century Royal Navy bombing vessel that made three journeys to the Arctic in search of the Northwest Passage, the red watch moves the bezel to the interior like a true compression diver and adds the extra crown for adjusting it, helping it achieve its 300m of water resistance.

Available with a matching red rubber strap, the Hecla Carmine Red Ti sports a 41mm grade 2 titanium case that weighs a staggering 2.2oz, especially considering the depth rating here. Sporting 40 hours of power reserve, its movement is a Swiss-made Sellita SW200-1 automatic caliber viewed through the exhibition caseback, showcasing the extra finishing touches made by Farer, such as the wave-like pattern on the winding rotor.

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf Compression Diver Automatic

While not as much of a household name as the Rolex Submariner or the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, the Zodiac Super Sea Wolf deserves to be in the conversation with the rest of the mid-century icons. Beginning in 1953 with the first commercially available purpose-built diver, the Sea Wolf then evolved into the Super Sea Wolf in the ’70s, with an increased water resistance of 200m. These watches were given modern iterations a few years back with the Super Sea Wolf Skin and Super Sea Wolf Compression, the latter of which we’re discussing today due in part to its summer-friendly seafoam green colorway that throws back to the original’s mid-century roots.

Unafraid to try new things with its heritage-inspired models, Zodiac has given this compression diver a 40mm stainless steel case which produces an excellent wearing experience for a modern diver. The green and orange color scheme is surprisingly elegant considering the playfulness, with the black bezel insert helping to ground the colorfulness. Powered by an ETA-replica STP1-11 automatic caliber, the watch gives a notably smooth tick of the seconds hand and a moderate 44-hour power reserve. If that’s not enough, it’s also paired with a perfectly-matching tropic rubber strap that tapers significantly.

Tudor Pelagos FXD

If you want a traditional dive watch for your summer ensemble, look no further than Tudor’s Pelagos FXD. Although the heritage-inspired Pelagos (along with the Black Bay) made its debut in 2012 as a nod to its history of making timepieces for the French and U.S. navies from the ‘60s to the ‘80s, it’s already a legend in the making. While the 39mm version was released as a response to fan feedback, Tudor still followed that up with a 42mm version that was more in line with the original. Dubbed the FXD, an abbreviation for the fixed strap bars that make the titanium case even more hard-wearing, this Pelagos still retains all the styling we know and love, albeit still hefty at a 52mm lug-to-lug and 12mm thickness.

Keeping the water resistance at 200m, this model is still more than capable of being taken underwater, if that’s what you’re using it for (the recreational dive limit is only 130m). Both practical and stylish, the timepiece sports a grade 2 titanium case and bracelet, which houses the manufacturer-caliber MT5602 automatic movement and has a versatile wardrobe function, able to accompany you on just about any outing this season. We loved this navy blue version for how easily it goes along with your summertime wardrobe.

NOMOS Glashutte Ahoi Neomatik Atlantik

NOMOS Glashutte’s Ahoi Neomatik Atlantik may not be the obvious choice for a summer watch, but upon further investigation, you may be disappointed you hadn’t discovered this minimalist piece sooner. Known for its Bauhaus-inspired dress watches, the German watchmaker took a risk with its sea-themed Ahoi diver line, and it paid off. The waterproof textile strap makes it great for adventuring, as does the 200m of depth resistance and crown guards. Powered by the NOMOS-manufactured DUW 3001 automatic movement, the stainless steel watch keeps its second counter in the subdial at the 6 o’clock spot.

Truly versatile, the Ahoi Neomatik Atlantik is 36mm in diameter and sports clean lines and an accessible deep blue color that allows it to accompany you to the beach and then out to dinner later. Evoking the hue of its namesake ocean, the Atlantik is decidedly more preppy than tropical –– perhaps more traditionally New England. 4mm smaller than its non-Neomatick version, this timepiece is super compact, furthered by a 45.5mm lug-to-lug and a 9.6mm thickness. Made in-house, the DUW 3001 automatic caliber is said to be the size of nine stacked postage stamps (though we didn’t take the time to compare). Our biggest issue here is the dark navy strap, which does its job but isn’t the most robust or premium option we’ve seen from NOMOS. However, it may still do just fine on a hot summer day.

For a deeper dive, read our NOMOS Glashutte Ahoi Atlantik watch review.

Omega Seamaster Diver 300M

Debuting in 1948 to honor the brand’s 100th anniversary, the Seamaster still remains arguably the most important dive watch in history. And as other watch lines have fallen by the wayside or gone in and out of production, OMEGA’s flagship timepiece is now celebrating its 75th anniversary. With its own fair share of iterations since it was first released in 1993, the Diver 300M is the de facto face of the series. Powered by OMEGA’s COSC-certified Co‑Axial Master Chronometer Caliber 8800, the standard version of the model is this stainless steel version with a blue dial that sports a wave motif and a matching blue ceramic bezel. At 42mm, the watch comes with a steel bracelet and a timeless aesthetic that can go with any outfit and any occasion.

Wearing true to size with its 50mm lug-to-lug and 13.6mm thickness, the 42mm steel case sports a screw-down crown on the right side, bookended by highly polished sloping crown guards, allowing for the titular 300m of water resistance. The other side features a dedicated manual helium release valve to prevent internal damage during decompression. Despite all the technical achievements of the watch, the blue ceramic dial is still the most engaging aspect of the Seamaster with its etched wave pattern in the background, polished rhodium-plated hands with lume, and segmented chapter ring grouped into five-minute intervals. It’s adorned with a classic five-row steel bracelet with vertical brushing to match the case, although there are a few other styles available as well.

For a deeper dive, read our Omega Seamaster Diver 300M watch review.

Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57 Watch

If we had to pick a single sport that best encapsulates the spirit of summer, it would obviously have to be surfing. Dating back to ancient Polynesian cultures, modern surfing has become a staple of Western life — especially amongst those in California and Hawaii — and there are even watches tied directly to the surf culture of years past. That includes the Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57 you see here, which is actually a tribute to an original watch from 1957. Along with its gorgeous throwback minimalist styling, this watch boasts an automatic movement, a 100m water-resistant stainless steel case, a mesh band, luminous markings, and more. It’s even available in a number of different versions, so you can find the one right for you and your style this summer.

With a sophisticated swagger that’s hard to beat, the Superocean Heritage ’57 stays well under 40mm with a 38mm case size that fortunately doesn’t size itself up like other vintage reissues love to do. Moreover, the 42mm lug-to-lug and 9.3mm thickness lend the watch to a very modest wearing experience. Adapting the ETA 2892-A2, the Breitling 10 movement boasts a 42-hour power reserve and is a highly accurate caliber. The default strap options here are a metal mesh bracelet and a tweed strap, the latter of which probably wouldn’t serve you too well in the hot summer months.

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