Seven Summer-Ready Watches – All Under $2000

The first taste of warm weather turns me into a schizophrenic watch collector, eschewing my love of neo-vintage, small-cased chic. I crave accessible and fun watches that cheer me up and double as a non-connected training buddy when I’m out on my gravel bike or jumping into a lake. Fun wristwear can still be fairly priced without sacrificing quality or style, from tool-tough to pop art that also happens to tell the time. For some summer inspiration, read on for a list of great options for your next day at the beach, a weekend at the lake, or even just your everyday walk home (but make it warm and sunny). 

Swatch Scubaqua

The vibrant Bioceramic 44mm Swatch Scubaqua offers big, even hulking, bang for your buck and comes in four new colours for the summer season. The vibe is refreshingly basic and, in OG Swatch fashion, an accessible piece of translucent summer fun. But despite its toy-like charm, all the characteristics of a swim and snorkel-ready watch are here, with a lumed 15-minute track on the bezel and a 100m depth rating. The rubber strap comes with a reassuring claw-like Swatch lug fitting, and the fresh two-tone design is carried over from case to strap, with an ergonomic crown at 10.

The Scubaqua is a funky Swatch (with an even funkier name), and its thick 15.4mm case is remarkably light on the wallet. Pick the sinister Black Sea Nettle if you’re wrist-shy, but my choice would be the unflinching 1990s flash of the jellyfish-named Aurelia Aurita version with its tricoloured hands.

$150 on rubber strap, learn more at Swatch’s website

Tusenö Shellback V2

Sweden’s Tusenö speaks the international language of the tool watch. At first, the case appears to have distinct traces of Seiko 62MAS-redesigns, and it’s a 40mm diver in a world of shrinking case sizes. But the Shellback has an unflinching modernity to it and serious lume game. I have had it on my wrist and can attest to quality build tolerances, clean modern lines, and killer lume game. Small, unexpected details like the smiley logo above 6 o’clock stand out. It might spark some people’s typography OCD, but each letter fits perfectly within the open circle tip of the hour hand as it passes slowly over it. 

These small things make a difference, as does the vibrant sandwich dial and strong bracelet design. It’s a detail many brands fail to perfect. The TAG-esque feel of the tapered flatlink design is weighty, with an all-brushed design and no slack. The dive clasp also boasts a neat three-step sliding micro-adjust and is treated with a surface-hardening coating (1,200HV) to keep hairline scratches at bay. I would rate the Shellback v2 as a value proposition if it were fully Asian-built, but as a Swiss-made watch with a Sellita SW200 Elaboré grade movement, it has a lot to offer for well under $1000.

$749 on a steel bracelet, learn more at Tusenö’s website

TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph

I’m old enough to remember possessing an actual catalogue of the first Formula 1 collection, a big part of instigating my love of watches. For many, it represented the entry ticket to Swiss watchmaking, luring them onto the dizzying carousel of watch collecting. It has never stopped spinning for me, and the latest Solargraph versions brought it all back, a solid move from TAG Heuer.

If you’re old enough to remember your first F1, you’ll find the price tag a tad steep for a quartz tool watch. But witnessing the quality first-hand, this fun and comfortable 38mm sports watch fits its price point. Plus, all are charged by the sun, so get out and work on that tan.

$1,900 on bracelet, learn more at TAG Heuer’s website

Doxa Sub 200T Aquamarine

Some claim that the love of vintage-fueled dive watches is waning, but Doxa refutes any notion of a turning tide. I’ve had a Sub 300 myself and miss it, and the redesigned case of the Sub 200T only made it worse. This is one for my summer wish list, taking the well-known brand traits and Cousteau heritage, distilling it down to a compact 39mm. 

Offering 200m of water resistance in a slim case of only 10.7mm makes for a great everyday sports watch, and the Sellita SW200-1 is a no-nonsense Swiss engine. My unequivocal favourite for summer would be the cool blast of turquoise from the Aquamarine. Keep the price under $ 1,600 on the comfortable colour-matched FKM rubber strap and you’ll add a modern juxtaposition to the brightly vintage vibe.

$1,550 on an FKM rubber strap, learn more at Doxa’s website. 

Marathon MSAR Arctic Edition 36mm

Today, many outdoor enthusiasts swear by a GPS-tracking smartwatch, but I see Marathon’s 36mm MSAR Arctic Edition as the bulletproof, compact antidote. This smallest member of the Marathon family packs a mighty punch in a 36mm steel case, with a reassuring 13mm thickness and an 18 mm-wide soft rubber strap.

This is a tool in all senses of the word and a charming amalgamation of 300m dive spec solidity and a crisp white dial with an additional field watch-like 24-hour numeral circle. The solid feel of a 60-minute bezel is useful for timing, and the ETA High-Torque FØ6 quartz has a bulletproof reputation and accuracy to 10 seconds a year. Also, those tritium gas-filled indexes will come in handy at my planned sub-arctic campsite thanks to their constant glow.

$900 on a rubber strap, learn more at Marathon’s website

Farer Lissom

Some days, the coming heatwaves inspire a laid-back approach to life, and this is where the dressier approach by British brand Farer excels with the new 38mm Lissom collection. The Arber has a vibrant personality with a raspberry red dial and a size we associate with vintage-tinged designs, but the clean applied Roman numerals are modern. That also goes for their solid Lumicast® blend of Super-Luminova and ceramic, allowing for great low-light visibility.

Together with an orange small seconds display, the details pop off the textured dial, and a tonally matched raspberry suede strap seals the deal for me. If you love matt black monochrome tool watches, you’ll raise an eyebrow, but maybe this is exactly what you need to celebrate the new season. The Arbor is Swiss made with a Soigné-grade 4-position adjusted hand-wound La Joux-Perret D100 movement featuring blued screws and brand-specific decoration. With its flair and slim comfort, the Lissom offers value and smile-enhancing colour in spades.

$1,295 on a choice of straps, learn more at Farer’s website

Mr Jones Khaosify

Some summer days, I don’t even want to be reminded of the time, so I am happy to sacrifice some readability for Mr Jones’ special brand of artful watches. Based in Covent Garden in London, the brand commissions artists and illustrators to turn their steel cases into canvases for expressive art. Illustrator Mr. Phil designed the 40mm Khaosify Mechanical, a watch all about expressive imagination, without traditional hands. Instead, the hours are indicated by a white cloud-eye figure, while the white arrow-like creature points to the minutes. 

These are multi-stage printed onto thin transparent discs, with a few wild characters also printed onto the Sellita SW200 movement itself. Like all of Mr Jones’ creations, the Khaosify offers a fun and not-too-serious consideration of art in watchmaking and design.

$695 on a leather strap, learn more at Mr Jones’ website.

​Hodinkee 

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