The Top 10 Summer Watches of 2018

 

The Days are longer, the sun shines hotter, and jumpers make way for polo shirts. And that, of course, is also a great opportunity to give some wrist time to the new goodies the watch world blessed us with. Therefore in this blog, we will focus on the hottest new watches for the summer of 2018.

 

1. Rolex GMT-Master Pepsi in Steel

 

Let us be straight with this. The hottest summer watch, in almost a traditional sense, is the new Rolex centerpiece. This year: the GMT Pepsi 2018. It is fitted with a jubilee bracelet and a ceramic bezel previously reserved to the white gold only version. The only problem will be actually getting your hands on one of these bad boys, but if you do you will be the lucky owner of the hottest watch of the year.

 

2. Omega Seamaster Olympic Games Gold Collection

 

If you are more the kind of guy who waits out the heat to roam the restaurants the Olympic Gold collection will be right up your alley. With a beautiful blend of vintage design and modern technologies it the arguably classiest option in the entire Omega lineup.

 

3. Breitling Navitimer Super 8

 

If you are looking for a conversation starter the Breitling Navitimer Super 8 will be a great fit. The brand recently got a new CEO and is going through a bit of a redesign. Among the novelties is this stand out piece which catches the eye by virtue of its green dial and big left side crown. Based on an old Omega design, it truely has a compelling story to tell.

 

4. Tag Heuer Monaco Bamford

 

This is the kind of watch you’d probably be more likely to see in the VIP area of some club in southern Europe. The new Monaco Bamford will not be for everyone, but there will also be some people who love it all the more. Bamford has proven that there is a real market for their modified watches, and this collaboration piece with Tag Heuer is another milestone for them legitimising them as a name.

 

5. Sinn 103 Sa B E

 

Sinn has been on my radar for a while now. While they have yet to have a true break out piece, their persistence and continuous production of quality timepieces leaves me confident that they will in the near future. The Sinn 103 Sa B E will not be that watch, but in the meantime it is just a plain good watch with no hidden clauses attached.

 

6. Omega Seamaster Professional Diver 200m Co-Axial Master Chronometer

 

The Omega Seamaster has come a long way. What originally started as the Pepsi of dive watches, is now more like a Coke Zero. That is to say, if you want a Submariner then the Seamaster won’t do it for you, but other than that it is a dam good watch. With the co-axial movement, a ceramic bezel, and an update to the iconic wave dial it is one of the best value propositions in the retail market today.

 

7. Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse Ref. 5738R

 

This watch is definitely not suited for any beach or nightclub, but there is no watch that will command more respect on the golf club. Conservative by nature, some may consider this watch boring but they forget that that is part of the intentional appeal for this timepiece. The Patek Phillippe Golden Ellipse is the VW Phaeton of the watch world.

 

8. Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight

 

The Tudor Black Bay has had many iterations, each one more impressive than the other. Finally though we have reached what I consider possible it’s ultimate version. The funny thing is, the Fifty-Eight is not that different from the model that began the craze. It is all about dimensions with this watch being 39 mm in diameter instead of 41 mm and much more importantly slimmed down from 14.75 mm to an incredibly slender 11.9 mm. This not only makes it cheaper than the Submariner, but also more wearable.

 

9. Grand Seiko Blue Ceramic Hi-Beat GMT Special Limited Edition

Grand Seiko is an oddball. At times they make these incredibly classically inspired watches like the Eichi, but other times they make a watch that looks like it belongs on the set of Transformers. The Blue Ceramic Hi-Beat GMT falls into the latter category, but that is not to say this is a bad watch. Made with the typical Grand Seiko level of quality that has earned them the title of “Rolex of Japan” this watch is pure and unadulterated fun.

 

10. Patek Philippe Aquanaut Chronograph Reference 5968A

 

While it may not have caught the eye of the public in the same way that the Pepsi did, Patek Phillippe was never about that in the first place. Very much unlike Patek though is the bracelet on this watch. Patek decided to go for a bright orange rubber strap, which gives this watch a young appeal and would not leave me surprised to see it on the wrists of some of the better-earning rappers.