15 of the best summer watches, from colourful beach bums to refined yacht-dwellers

Jamie Weiss

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you’re deep in the midst of summer – and I know from my colleagues in London and New York that it’s a particularly sweltering one. (Don’t worry, my fellow Aussies/Southern Hemisphere-based readers – we’re almost out of winter…) Nothing tops off a sunshine season outfit like a bright and colourful wristwatch, and whether you’re hiking through the hills, putting in some laps of the pool, or relaxing on the fairway, you’re going to need a solid timepiece not only to keep track of those long days but also to do it in style.

Here are our picks for the best watches for summer, or those looking to tote some summery vibes no matter the mercury: expect lots of colours, especially pastels, and watches designed for active summer fun. Also, check out our team picks for our favourite summer watch releases of 2025, in case you need some more hot horological inspiration.

Casio G-Shock DW-5600EP

Summer is a time to be active, so picking up a watch that is basically indestructible is a great idea. Although the CasiOak is the current enthusiast darling, the G-Shock’s classic 5600 square shape has been a fashion icon since the ‘80s. Now, it’s available in bright, neon colours that are usually reserved for sports drinks. Not many people set out to match their watches to their Gatorade, but the DW-5600EP Energy Pack watches are a budget-friendly beast. In addition to all the bells and whistles usually accompanied by a Casio digital module, the backlight illuminates a lightning pattern, offering another cheeky nod to electrolyte-fueled beverages. Also, like many Casios, you’re able to find them from a wide variety of retailers for a wide variety of prices, from mall kiosks to eBay and the like. Price: ~US$99 (or less)

Swatch SCUBAQUA

There’s just something inherently playful and summery about a colourful Swatch, but Swatch’s new SCUBAQUA range is particularly well-suited to aquatic summer fun. Constructed from a combination of bio-sourced transparent coloured plastic and glass as well as Swatch’s Bioceramic (as made famous by the MoonSwatch), the SCUBAQUA comes in 5 lively summer colours, inspired by deep-sea jellyfish. It also has acres of lume across its bezel, indices and hands. It’s not what you’d call a serious dive watch – it’s only water-resistant to 100 metres – indeed, that it’s so colourful and un-serious is part of its appeal, and it’ll certainly more than survive a summer pool party. Price: US$150

Seiko 5 Sports SRPK35

Some of the watches in this list are for those who like to take their summer days easy, kicking back, soaking up some rays and working on that tan. Not the Seiko SRPK35 – this watch is for the ones who seldom relax. Released in 2023, the SRPK35 has all the details to appease the most hardcore of Seiko fans. The wearable 38mm steel case, the bright and legible dial, the functional unidirectional bezel, and a brushed finish all over, to hide that scuff you earned while rock climbing. However, if you’d prefer a NATO or rubber strap, they’re easily fitted due to the drilled lugs on the case. If you prefer your action a little wetter, the SRPK35 is water-resistant to 100 metres. The movement is an automatic 4R36, boasting a day and date function, automatic winding, hacking and hand-winding, along with a power reserve of 41 hours and a beat rate of 21,600vph. Price: US$325

Baltic Hermétique Summer

Baltic’s Hermétique has long been available in summer-appropriate pastel hues, but the French brand’s latest Summer collection (funnily enough) turns the holiday vibes up to 11 with four bright new colourways: yellow, pink, orange and turquoise. For extra gelato effect, wear them on their dial-matching Tropic-style rubber straps – alternatively, there’s a beads of rice or flat-link steel bracelet also available to fill out those long lugs. Measuring at 37mm in diameter and powered by a Miyota 9039 automatic movement, these Baltics offer maximum summer cheer for minimum outlay, with enough horological and style credibility to keep them on your wrist beyond the summer months. Price: from US$704, available for pre-orders from the Time+Tide Shop

Studio Underd0g Pink Lem0nade

One look at this Studio Underd0g’s dial is enough to make your mouth water. You can practically see the condensation running down the crystal as if it were an ice-cold glass; that’s how refreshing the dial of the Studio Underd0g Pink Lem0nade is. The lume gradient from yellow down to pink is beautifully soft and slightly otherworldly thanks to a unique manufacturing process, and the entire thing glows bright green after dark. Basically, it’s got a double dial: a sapphire layer on which the numerals are printed sits atop the lume layer; it’s one of the most interesting uses of lume in a watch. The 37mm case is surprisingly elegant, with sensible numerals and hands tying it together as a fun yet versatile watch. The Swiss Sellita SW210-1 is a manually wound movement, giving you a more physical connection with the watch as well. No matter how good it looks in photos, it also looks ten times better in the metal. Price: US$1,173, exclusively in-store from the Time+Tide Shop

Zodiac Super Sea Wolf Ceramic

Zodiac has had a phenomenal lineage of dive watches, but the Super Sea Wolf Ceramic couldn’t be further away from the brand’s vintage offerings, with a blast of green, white, and orange so bright you’d swear you could smell its fruitiness. The watch itself does have some 1970s stylistic cues; however, the white ceramic-capped case transforms it into a thoroughly contemporary experience. The seafoam green dial is perfectly contrasted with the sherbet orange minute hand and minute track, and it’s all brought together by the supple rubber tropic strap in a colour-matched green. Zodiac uses STP movements owned by Fossil, its shared parent company, and the STP 1-11 is a well-respected clone of the ETA 2824-2 with some changes. The power reserve is 44 hours, with a 4Hz beat rate. Price: US$2,000, available from the Time+Tide Shop

Longines Conquest 34mm

Small wrists need to enjoy summer too, and the recent additions to the Longines Conquest catalogue make for beautiful summer watches. Not only are they water-resistant to 100 metres for swimming safety, but the 34mm case retains all of the sportiness you’d expect from a larger watch. If anything, it’s actually quite an authentic interpretation of a 1960s sports watch with delicious modern touches. This variant’s pale green dial is stunning with its fine sunburst brushing and neat indices, and the steel H-link bracelet shows its utilitarian side. The calibre L888.5 is visible through the sapphire caseback, showing off some nice decoration for this price point to go with its 72-hour power reserve and 25,200 vph beat rate. Price: US$2,050 (on rubber), US$2,200 (on bracelet)

Doxa SUB 250 GMT Sharkhunter Vintage

Being famous for its bright orange dials, you could pick out really any Doxa Professional for this list. However, the recent release of the SUB 250 GMT has plenty of perks for summer. Not only is the GMT a great complication for travelling overseas or across state lines, but the 40mm case is wonderfully slim at just 10.85mm thick. That’s pretty impressive for a watch with 250 metres of water resistance, retaining full functionality as a dive watch, including the patented decompression scale on the bezel. The Sharkhunter Vintage dial is a nice changeup from all the brightness, going for more of a hazy sunset feel. But if that isn’t really your thing, you’ll also find summer loving with the Professional Orange, Divingstar Yellow, Aquamarine, or Sea Emerald references. Price: US$2,780, available from the Time+Tide Shop

Oris Big Crown Pointer Date

Oris seems to be overhauling its catalogue this year, but it’s not leaving behind the love of pastels and colour. It can sometimes be tricky to find brightly coloured watches that still take themselves seriously, and it’s that blend of respectable fun that makes the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date so attractive. It’s vibrant and exciting, but still versatile enough to come to the office. The more affordable versions with Sellita movements can be had in dark or light blue and blinding yellow, while the in-house Calibre 403 references are ripe for summer in pastel sage or terracotta pink. Price: US$2,400 (Sellita), US$4,500 (Calibre 403)

Tudor Black Bay 54 Lagoon Blue

Tudor is increasingly becoming associated with summery, pastel tones, with the enthusiast-favourite brand drumming up newfound levels of hype with its Flamingo Blue and Pink-dialled Black Bay Chronos, and now making a proper summer splash with the unexpected Black Bay 54 Lagoon Blue, the latest edition to Tudor’s ‘Daring Watches’ line. Indeed, the Lagoon Blue shifts the Black Bay out of tool watch territory in a way we haven’t seen before, with a light blue grained dial that resembles the bottom of a 5-star hotel pool and a mirror-polished bezel that provides exceptional light play. Paired with a Jubilee-style bracelet, this Black Bay offers dressy zest for your dog days. Price: US$4,350

Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Orange

Sometimes, all it takes to make a watch summer-ready is a subtle pop of colour, and that’s exactly what Omega’s done with their latest Seamaster Diver 300M variant. The latest example of this popular dive watch to feature what is increasingly establishing itself as the new Seamaster Diver design language – no date window, a matte dial texture and a Milanese bracelet rather than the classic three-link bracelet – I think it’s best enjoyed on its integrated bright orange strap, which complements the orange highlights found on its centrally mounted seconds hand, the four cardinal applied hour markers and the Seamaster logomark. Price: US$6,500 (on rubber), US$6,800 (on bracelet)

That said, while this orange-tinted Seamaster Diver is the brand’s latest and greatest summer watch, an honourable mention must go to the “Summer Blue” range of Seamasters that Omega released in 2023 to commemorate the Seamaster collection’s 75th anniversary. As the name implies, this range of watches all feature balmy blue dials, with each exact hue used darkening as the water resistance rating increases: the Aqua Terra 150M features quite a light blue, whereas the Planet Ocean Ultra Deep 6000M has quite a dark blue. They’re all summery, though, and deserve a mention.

IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN Miramar

IWC has always been a master at playing with colours in ceramic, but their latest tone prepared in collaboration with Pantone, TOP GUN Miramar, is particularly playful and perfectly poised for summer wearing. A powdery baby or sky blue, it’s actually inspired by the colour of the T-shirts worn by members of the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program (better known as TOP GUN), which occasionally peek out from under their flight suits. With a case-matching rubber strap and screw-down-crown-secured 100 metres of water-resistance, this Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 is also ready for a dip in the pool. Price: US$13,500

Hublot Big Bang Unico Summer 2025

For the last eight years, Hublot has released a summery take on the Big Bang Unico, including a lairy Summer Purple in 2022 and a Tiffany blue model in 2021 – but this year’s Big Bang Unico Summer easily ranks as the most out there. This vibrant colourway that combines a sky blue ceramic bezel with a vibrant orange ceramic case and dark blue details, sandwiching a white inner core. The ceramic is micro-blasted all over, giving the watch a playful, almost toy-like finish, especially in these colours. To my eye, it reminds me of the life rings and deck hardware you’d find on a yacht, probably parked in Saint-Tropez or Mykonos or something – appropriate, considering ‘Hublot’ is French for ‘porthole’. Price: US$31,300

Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time 5164G

If you’d rather splash the cash than the water in your pool, the Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time 5164G is one of the biggest summer flexes you could manage. Following the discontinuation of the 5164A in stainless steel, this new model is entirely cased in 18k white gold. The blue-grey opaline dial colour is definitely distinct from Tiffany blue, which is frankly overdone these days, but it’s still totally refreshing from the deep navy blues we’re used to. The 30 metres of water resistance (and the price tag) will probably have you keeping it away from the ocean; however, the dual time display, day/night indicators, and the date coupled to local time make it a perfect watch for jet-setting and going on holiday. Price: US$64,930

T+T Timeless Pick: Zenith x Time+Tide Defy Skyline Skeleton White Surfer Ceramic

Easily the most eye-catching watch we’ve ever produced, our latest and final entry in our ‘Surfer’ collaboration trilogy with Zenith, the White Surfer, was designed from the outset to be the ideal summer watch. Inspired by the time-honoured Aussie tradition of a dawn surf, this high-beat beauty is cased in a blindingly white ceramic case, paired with a refreshing blue gradient skeletonised dial that fades from a cobalt blue at the top to a light, glacier blue at the bottom – the El Primero movement below also featuring light blue mainplates. Water-resistant to 100 metres, a large screw-down ceramic crown protects it from the waves, and it comes with a white rubber strap perfectly suited for summer weather, which can be swapped in a jiffy thanks to the Defy Skyline’s quick-change system. A limited edition of 100 pieces, as of publishing, we still have a handful of watches yet to be sold, but I wouldn’t be surprised if by the time summer rolls in Down Under, they’ll all be gone, hence the ‘Timeless Pick’ placement. Price (retail): US$19,600 in the Time+Tide Shop