Fratello Summer Watch Picks 2025: RJ’s Choices From Rolex, Omega, Grand Seiko, And G-Shock

Yes, I know this series is supposed to be about watches for summer, but is there such a thing as a typical summer watch? I think I’ll go against the grain and refer to my picks as “holiday watches” instead, as preparing for a vacation is when I carefully select the watch (or watches) I want to bring with me.

G-Shock Riseman GW-9200-1ER

I brought a G-Shock on my last holiday

My family already had our “big holiday” in May when we visited South Africa. We flew to Cape Town and enjoyed a fantastic two weeks exploring the famous Garden Route. Since South Africa can be unsafe in some areas, I decided not to bring anything expensive and took my G-Shock Riseman instead. I bought this watch many years ago but hadn’t worn it much. The G-Shock started working after charging it in the sunlight, and I wore it for 16 days straight. I never bothered to read the instruction manual, but two weeks were enough to learn how all the functions work. The altimeter was a nice feature, as was the ability to track temperatures (although I realized you need to take the watch off so the thermometer can do its job).

However, I also realized it wasn’t easy to go so long without one of my beloved watches. When I got back, one of the first things I did was go to the (external) safe and pick up some of my prized possessions. Would I bring these on a (summer) holiday, then? It all depends on the destination. Even though I felt very safe in South Africa, I wouldn’t be comfortable wearing an expensive watch there. But it’s not advisable to wear expensive watches in certain European cities either.

So, my list is based on holiday destinations I (tend to) visit rather than summer or any season in particular. You can wear colorful watches all year round if that’s your shtick. Please remember that I will travel from Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam) when you see my destinations below.

Destination: Florida, USA — Rolex GMT-Master II (Tiger Iron)

The United States has always been one of my favorite travel destinations, particularly for holidays. My wife and I have not been there together for quite a while, and we can’t wait to visit the West Coast or Florida. The national parks are amazing, we get to meet many friendly people, have some great steaks and burgers, and do some occasional shopping. And now that we have a daughter who will join us, visiting one of the amusement parks is mandatory. We aim to go there next year for a two-week holiday, and I can’t wait as it has been too long since I was there on a private occasion.

However, now I need to choose a watch that can accompany me on a trip to Florida. I decided to select watches (for all destinations) that are either newly released or currently in their brands’ catalogs.

Fond memories of wearing the GMT-Master II

I brought a GMT-Master II on one of our first trips to the USA in 2008. I have fond memories of wearing and using that watch during that holiday. The Pepsi bezel was nice and colorful, and the fourth hand helped me keep track of home time. Those were still the years before WhatsApp, back when we had to call family members once in a while to give them an update.

Since I have recently switched to gold and bicolor watches, the new Rolex GMT-Master II with the tiger iron dial greatly appeals to me. I love distinctive dials, and this one, composed of tiger eye, red jasper, and hematite stones, makes the gold GMT-Master II particularly different from the rest. I also learned from Michael Stockton that a gold Rolex pairs well with Florida, so I wouldn’t be too hesitant to wear one.

The Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 126715CHNR-0002 has a retail price of €51,250. If you order one this year, you might be OK for your holiday in 2033.

Destination: Tokyo, Japan — Grand Seiko Tokyo Lion Tentagraph SLGC009

I can’t wait to show Tokyo to our daughter. What a beautiful city. There are so many things to explore. I’ve been there on several occasions, but it was always for work. I extended one trip with my wife and got a few days of free time. It was a great experience, and I would love to go back to see (and do) more. What better watch to bring than something from Grand Seiko? A Grand Seiko with a GMT function would make sense for the same reason the Rolex I chose does.

However, the Grand Seiko release that made a huge impression on me this year was the Tokyo Lion Tentagraph SLGC009. When I first unboxed it, I thought it would be too large and clunky, but once on the wrist, I noticed how well this 43mm watch wears. In fact, having the Grand Seiko Tokyo Lion Tentagraph on the wrist reminded me slightly of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Concept from the early 2000s due to its shape and wearability.

A rubber strap works perfectly in hot weather

This watch’s titanium case ensures it wears comfortably light (but still 139 grams), and the rubber strap is perfect for the hot summer days in Tokyo. Grand Seiko’s Tentagraph SLGC009 is water resistant to 200 meters, just in case. Its high-beat (36,000vph/5Hz) chronograph movement is a joy to admire through its curved sapphire crystal in the case back. Grand Seiko’s 9SC5 movement also features its Dual Impulse escapement. This escapement transfers energy to the free-sprung balance wheel indirectly through the pallet fork and directly from the escape wheel.

As my colleague Lex stated in his hands-on article, the SLGC009 is a bold watch. I concur, but Tokyo, which is a cool and vibrant city, deserves a watch like this.

Grand Seiko’s Tokyo Lion Tentagraph SLGC009 will become available starting in August (still summer) and has a retail price of €17,500.

Destination: St. Tropez, France — Omega Seamaster Ploprof 1200M Summer Blue

A holiday destination closer to home is St. Tropez, in southern France. The Côte d’Azure is a popular destination, and I’ve been there on many occasions since my childhood. You can go from cheap to expensive, but St. Tropez falls into the latter category, of course. Usually, we would pick a campsite or hotel near Cannes and visit St. Tropez for a day. It’s close in distance, but the drive can be long due to traffic jams caused by those with a similar plan.

If, like me, you grew up watching movies like Le Gendarme de Saint-Tropez and its sequels with actor Louis de Funès, the place has something mythical about it. A perfect watch to wear when visiting beaches in the Côte d’Azure is an Omega Seamaster Ploprof 1200M. I did so when I was there a few years ago, but for this article, I picked the current Summer Blue edition that Omega introduced back in 2023. This version is closer to the vintage PloProf 600M when it comes to the case dimensions. Omega launched the Summer Blue collection of Seamasters on the Greek island of Mykonos, but the colors will also perfectly suit the French Riviera.

Whether you dip in the pool or go into the sea via the sandy beaches, the Ploprof 1200M will not disappoint you. On the blue rubber Isofrane-like strap, you’ll feel like the French Comex divers who used the original PloProf in the late 1960s, before it became available to the markets (in 1971).

Better than the 1970s PloProf

However, the movement in Omega’s Ploprof 1200M Summer Blue is most definitely better than the vintage caliber 1002 used in the 600M. Omega’s modern caliber 8912 is a certified Master Chronometer and will keep excellent time.

I’ve worn the new Summer Blue edition for a while, and it’s more comfortable than the 1200M that I own. However, I do prefer to have a shark mesh bracelet on there. The good news is that the bracelet of the 1200M (2009–2019) will fit, but as you will then fit it to an O-Megasteel case, the hue of the metal might be slightly different.

The Omega Seamaster PloProf 1200M Summer Blue has a retail price of €15,800.

Or stick with a G-Shock

All three watches I selected aren’t cheap; on the contrary, they are expensive. But I also don’t believe in typical summer watches or season-related watches. However, if you want something affordable and reliable that doesn’t attract the wrong crowd, I can recommend the G-Shock Rangeman GW-9400-1. It’s similar to the Riseman that accompanied me on my last holiday, and has all the neat functions. The Riseman is no longer in production, and the 2013-released Rangeman has inherited some of its functions. It costs just €299.

After I finished writing this article, my wife and I decided to go to Denmark this summer. So it’s an unlisted destination in this list, but any of the four watches will do. I might bring an extra watch since it is within the EU, meaning no hassle at the border. My trusty PloProf 1200M will be among them.