Six Cool, Practical And Accessible Watches Ready for Summer

With summer just around the corner, it’s that time of the year again when we start planning our much-awaited sunkissed break from work. Part of the joy for many is figuring out where to go, what to do and, as the watch lovers we are, what to wear on your wrist! And with that in the back of our minds, we have gone through our recent archives to select some perfect summer-ready options! We’ve grouped six models; the first up are two downright performance bargains, followed by two pure divers and two travel-ready watches. All this at prices well below EUR 1,500!

Citizen Tsuyosa Automatic – eur 299

We start the list with one of the most surprising and genuinely affordable watches in recent times, the very cool Citizen Tsuyosa Automatic. Available in a number of colours, it radiates a luxury sports watch vibe at a bargain price. Coming in at just EUR 299, it offers incredible value for money. You can opt for a classical black dial, which is a no-brainer choice, or go bold and colourful with a Tiffany-style or a gradient turquoise dial – which will be just about right for summer! Regardless, you end up with a watch that has a cool look to it and is fitted with a mechanical movement. It is a true performance bargain!

For more information, please visit CitizenWatch-Global.com.

Quick Facts – 40mm x 11.7mm – stainless steel case, brushed & polished – sapphire crystal with cyclops, mineral glass caseback – 50m water-resistant – sunray-brushed dial – indices & hands with Natulite inserts – calibre 8210, in-house – automatic winding – 21,600vph – 40h power reserve – hours, minutes, seconds, date – 3-link steel bracelet with adjustable folding clasp – EUR 299

Seiko 5 Sports SKX Series 38mm SRPK33 – EUR 350

Seiko is a master of the affordable dive watch with a visual punch, and the latest Seiko 5 Sports SKX Series 38mm is a testament to that. And although it is now more compact than before, it has lost none of its charm. In fact, it might even be the best generation of the 5 Sports SKX yet! It’s available in four colours, with our favourite being the minty green dial. Yes, it’s a green dial but in a different and very fresh tone. Powered by the Seiko calibre 4R36 and priced at EUR 350, you can’t really go wrong with this one for the summer!

The see-through caseback of the Seiko 5 Sports SKX 38mm collection, for reference.

For more information, please visit Seiko-Watches.com.

Quick Facts – 38mm x 12.1mm – stainless steel case, brushed & polished – unidirectional rotating bezel with metallic insert – Hardlex crystal – see-through caseback – 100m water-resistant – mint green dial – LumiBrite on hour indices & hands – calibre 4R36, automatic – 21,600vph – 41h power reserve – hours, minutes, seconds (hacking), day, date – 3-link stainless steel bracelet with folding clasp – EUR 350

Tissot seastar 2000 professional – EUR 995

Moving to more sizeable and beefier options, the Tissot Seastar 2000 Professional is a legitimately cool and very robust dive watch. Yes, it’s a pretty hefty one at 46mm, but it wears and looks very cool. The stainless steel case has a glossy black dial with a wave-like pattern, a unidirectional rotating bezel with a ceramic insert and Super-LumiNova on the hands and indices. With its 600m water-resistant case, it’s also a competent companion for a dip in the pool, lake or ocean. Worn on a black rubber strap, it will set you back EUR 995. As for the movement, it’s powered by the Powermatic 80, of course.

For more information, please visit TissotWatches.com.

Quick Facts – 46mm x 16.25mm – stainless steel case, brushed & published – unidirectional rotating bezel with ceramic insert – sapphire crystal front & back – 600m water-resistant – black dial with wave motif – applied indices & hands with Super-LumiNova – Powermatic 80 calibre, automatic – 21,600vph – 80h power reserve – hours, minutes, seconds, date – black rubber strap – EUR 995

Hamilton Khaki Navy Scuba auto 43mm green – EUR 1,095

The recently introduced Hamilton Khaki Navy Scuba Auto 43mm in green is another dive watch perfectly capable of joining you on your summer adventures. The 43mm wide case is fitted with a gradient moss green dial with a matching ceramic insert for the bezel. The contrasting mix of textures is quite cool, and given the watch’s 300m water-resistance and 80 hours of running time, this is a worry-free watch for this summer. It comes on a stainless steel bracelet with a folding clasp and retails for a very reasonable EUR 1,095.

For more information, please visit HamiltonWatch.com.

Quick Facts – 43mm x 12.58mm – stainless steel case, brushed & polished – unidirectional bezel with ceramic insert – sapphire crystal – solid caseback – 300m water-resistant – gradient green dial – indices & hands with Super-LumiNova – 13-24h scale – H-10 calibre, automatic – 21,600vph – 80h power reserve – hours, minutes, seconds – 3-link steel bracelet with folding clasp – EUR 1,095

Mido Ocean Star GMT special edition – EUR 1,300

Several options are available for people who intend to cross international time zones this summer, although usually, that means stretching the budget a bit. Nevertheless, you don’t have to compromise on style, as one of the options is the very cool Mido Ocean Star GMT Special Edition. Retailing for EUR 1,300 it still offers very sensible value for money despite the slightly steeper price. The blue and red colour scheme just works, and the attention to detail is excellent. The red GMT hand pops out and points to the two-tone 24h flange. Our suggestion? Wear it on the red-white-and-blue NATO strap and enjoy your summer abroad!

For more information, please visit Midowatches.com.

Quick Facts – 44mm x 13.28mm – stainless steel case – unidirectional ceramic bezel – sapphire crystal – solid caseback – 200m water-resistance – blue dial – applied indices & hands with Super-LumiNova – two-tone red & blue 24h flange – Mido calibre 80, automatic – 21,600vph – 80h power reserve – hours, minutes, seconds, GMT 24h, date – 3-link bracelet or red/white/blue NATO-style fabric strap – EUR 1,300

Yema Superman 500 GMT – EUR 1,399

Another retro-chic and practical GMT diving watch is the Yema Superman 500 GMT. This was recently upgraded with new bezel options and colours but retained its relaxed 1970s vibe. Available in 39mm or 41mm sizes, it features the signature bezel-locking device built into the crown system. The bezel rotates both ways, allowing you to track a second timezone thanks to the 24h scale and central GMT hand. Inside you will find the Yema Calibre 3000, the brand’s in-house automatic ETA/Sellita alternative. Regardless of the size, prices start at EUR 1,399 on a steel bracelet.

For more information, please visit Yema.com.

Quick Facts – 39mm or 42mm x 13.92mm – stainless steel case – two-tone bidirectional bezel with locking system – sapphire crystal – solid caseback – 500m water-resistant – gloss black dial – indices & hands with Super-LumiNova – Yema calibre 3000, in-house – automatic winding – 28,800vph – 42h power reserve – hours, minutes, seconds, GMT, date – stainless steel bracelet with folding clasp & diver’s extension – EUR 1,399