During lulls between major watch release seasons is when you can find a lot of the more interesting and sleeper hits of the year. This is where we are as we hit the hump of summer, with a lot of fun and vibrant watches for the warm weather, the Olympics in full swing and watchmakers not slowing down. This month we saw a slew of pastel-colored dive watches from Breitling, a stark white diver from Doxa, “California dials” for Timex’s affordable Marlin Automatic collection, TAG Heuer’s Connected watch with a Super Mario Bros. theme and much more.
Timex Marlin California Dial
CourtesyA California dial features half Roman numerals and half Arabic numerals on the dial. (How it got that name is a little more mysterious.) It’s the type of design that’s mostly known to collectors and usually found on somewhat obscure and more expensive watches, but Timex offers its own affordable take. Now, there are several new such versions in the Marlin Automatic collection, and they all look pretty killer for the price.
Price: $199
Laurent Ferrier École Annual Calendar Navy
CourtesyIf you didn’t know, Laurent Ferrier is one of the high-end independent watchmaking world’s stars. His École Annual Calendar, like all of his watches, is classic in style but exquisitely refined — and this new version brings a vibrant, almost sporty look with its blue dial and popping orange highlights.
Price: $~54,000
Oak & Oscar Jackson Big Eye Chronograph
CourtesyChicago-based Oak & Oscar took their flyback chronograph, the Jackson, and gave it an interesting new look with a “big eye” treatment — a feature that’s associated with vintage watches in which one subdial is significantly larger than the other. Housed in a 40mm case, it’s powered by an Eterna EMC 3907M manually wound movement, but you’ll have to wait for another edition or look secondhand because this one sold out quickly at launch.
Price: $3,150 (sold out)
Breitling Superocean Pastel Paradise Dive Watches
CourtesyDo dive watches have to look serious and mean all the time? Certainly not. Breitling’s new capsule collection of dive watches in five variations come in a playful and pleasant set of colorways that seem meant for tropical oceans and beachside cocktails. They’re perfect for a hot summer, and the 41mm diameter is going to be a sweet size for many wrists.
Price: $4,630+
Hermès Slim d’Hermès Squelette Lune
CourtesyThe Slim d’Hermès is absolutely one of our favorite dress watches. Now, a new version takes it in a decidedly more avant-garde direction with a skeletonized dial and movement so you can appreciate its intricate workings in depth. A moon phase display at 6 o’clock only makes it more interesting. Blued hands contrast with an overall dark finish for the surfaces beneath and will hopefully provide decent legibility — in addition to looking cool.
Price: $20,550
H. Moser & Cie. Heritage Perpetual Calendar
CourtesyThis new version of H. Moser & Cie.’s perpetual calendar watch has the complex and elegant functions of the brand’s own perpetual calendar movement, but with an aesthetic tweak that elevates its feel even further: The dial features the brand’s signature fumé (smoked gradient) look but executed in grand feu (high-temperature firing) enamel with a deep blue tone.
Price: $110,000
Casio G-Shock MR-G Hana-Basara
CourtesyOne of the most interesting things you could do with $8,000? Get this ultra-high-end G-Shock inspired by a flamboyant style of samurai armor, with a case made of a titanium alloy that’s harder than titanium and a uniquely faceted bezel that’s hand-cut and finished by an individual craftsman using his own technique. Is it also very tough and packed with great Casio tech? You bet.
Price: $8,000 (sold out)
Doxa Sub 200 Whitepearl
CourtesyKnown for its specific pallet of named dial colors, Doxa has now introduced a new one: Whitepearl. It comes on the brand’s entry-level diver, the Sub 200, and it offers not only a fresh summer-ready style but guaranteed optimal legibility for when you’re actually diving.
Price: $990
TAG Heuer Connected Super Mario Smartwatch
CourtesyHoused in the watchmaker’s Carrera-style case, the bezel features familiar motifs like mushrooms and stars, and Google’s Wear OS provides custom-designed watch faces and animations. As you reach your fitness goals, you unlock more Super Mario-themed features (power up, as it were).
Price: $2,150
Nixon The Heat: Team Edition Watch
CourtesyWith a warm and summery colorway, Nixon’s new watch was made to be gifted to athletes and others for the Tokyo Olympics, and only 500 examples were made. The remaining models are available for purchase by the public on the brand’s website.
Price: $200
Tissot Seastar Professional 2000
CourtesyIn typical Tissot fashion, the brand’s latest dive watch offers some impressive bang for buck. With 600m of water resistance, a ceramic bezel, a helium escape valve and a Swiss automatic movement, this is a serious diver with a not-t00-serious price tag. At 46mm, though, you’ll need serious wrists to wield this new Professional model (check out the full collection for other sizes and options).
Price: $1,025
Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Gold Tokyo 2020
CourtesyIf you win a gold medal at the Olympics, you should go ahead and get yourself a gold watch. As the Olympic Games’ official timekeeper since 1932, Omega has a pretty good excuse to make limited edition watches each time the event rolls around. There’ll be multiple such releases, of which the new gold version of the Aqua Terra is the latest. There are other versions available as well, including one in steel for less than half the price.
Price: $18,500
A. Lange & Söhne Cabaret Tourbillon Handwerkskunst
CourtesyAt the pinnacle of high-end German watchmaker A. Lange & Söhne’s catalog are its complicated, hand-made and fun-to-try-to-pronounce Handwerkskunst watches. The newest is limited to only 30 examples, is full of typically rare and exotic crafts and techniques, from its decoration through its horological features.
Price: On request
Casio G-Shock GM5600SN-1
CourtesyThe rainbow IP (ion plating) finish has been seen on a few G-Shock iterations in the past but this is perhaps the most affordable yet. Even better, it looks great on the classic 5600 series’ steel bezel and is just another example of how G-Shock has recently stepped up its game in offering different and interesting materials and finishes.
Price: $260
Bell & Ross BR 03-94 Patrouille de France
CourtesyFrench watchmaker Bell & Ross’s latest partnership — on in which the brand worked with pilots of the French Air and Space Force to create a special edition chronograph — leverages multiple brand strengths. It comes in B&R’s signature square case and feels right at home in a catalog underpinned by aviation themes.
Price: $6,400
Urwerk UR-100V P.02
CourtesyIndependent watchmaker Urwerk has teamed up on a three-way collaboration with the watch collector group Collective Horology and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York. Urwerk’s UR-100 model features its signature wandering hours complication, and this version is meant to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first Space Shuttle program with visual cues inspired by the Enterprise’s control panel. Only 20 examples will be produced.
Price: $62,500
Bremont MBII Savanna
CourtesyBremont’s partnership with maker of airplane ejection seats Martin-Baker has yielded the MBII Savanna watch. The new model features a sand-colored, Grade 5 titanium case that’s matte-finished with a “protective, tactical coating,” a matching dial and a matching rubber strap. The middle case is made from aluminum and has the line’s signature knurled treatment meant to reference ejection seat components. It also features an inner rotating bezel controlled by a second crown.
Price: $5,795
Timex x Todd Snyder MK1 Bootcamp
CourtesyOne of the longest and most fruitful partnerships in all of watches, the Todd Snyder x Timex collab is 10 years old. To mark the occasion the brands are bringing back the MK1 that’s based on a disposable watch Timex developed for the US marines in the 1980s — and which Todd Snyder helped reissue in 2016. With a 40mm case and quartz movement, it’s a colorful interpretation of the classic field watch and even includes a symbol on the dial at 6 o’clock that references the British “broad arrow,” for an extra “military” touch.
Price: $128
Tutima M2 Chronograph Commando
CourtesyDespite the “Commando” name of its new variant and that the Tutima M2 is a genuinely badass watch, a green gradient dial takes this chronograph in a decidedly more elegant and fashionable direction. Vibrant orange highlights only kick it up a notch, and you can get it on a full titanium bracelet to match the case or a kevlar strap.
Price: $4,900+
Reservoir GT Tour Carbon IDEC Sport Edition
CourtesyReservoir has well defined concept based on gauges, and speedometers in particular. It takes the form of a retrograde minute hand (meaning it whips back to its starting position every hour rather than moving continuous circles) and a jumping hour indication in an aperture. At the bottom of the dial is a power reserve indicator. The effect is striking and cool, and the latest model to join the brand’s motorsport collection is in all black laminated carbon for the IDEC Sport racing team. Only 24 examples will be made and the price includes a one-day VIP seat at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2022 race.
Price: $8,600
Casio G-Shock Move
CourtesyG-Shock’s line of watches made specifically for fitness include all kinds of functionality for activity tracking including a built-in step counter and, of course, smartphone connectivity. The brand is expanding its lineup with models featuring the square shape of its most classic and iconic model, and it comes in a mean all-black or this neon-lime green.
Price: $150
Victorinox Airboss Mechanical
CourtesyAlso known as the maker of Swiss Army pocket knives, Victorinox watches are appropriately tough and outdoor-ready. New versions of the brand’s automatic pilot watches include this very modern-feeling all-black version that incorporates a slide rule bezel and plenty of luminescent paint on the dial for low-light visibility. These Airboss Mechanical watches were also announced alongside new versions of the FieldForce Classic GMT quartz watches ($425+).
Price: $1,195