Fratello Summer Watch Picks 2025 — Daan’s Choices From Longines, Girard-Perregaux, And Ressence
The Sun is shining, temperatures are rising, and my kids are finishing their classes. At last, our summer vacation is just around the corner. It’s time to go through the watch box and pick my watches for a road trip through France and Spain. I’ll probably end up with the Rolex Explorer 114270 as my summer watch again since it’s just so damn handsome and comfortable. But what watches would I pick from this year’s releases? That’s what this article is all about. Let’s dive in.
Lex kicked off our series on this year’s summer favorites with three watches that could’ve all ended up on my list. I particularly like the Laventure Marine Type 3 as a summer option. However, as Lex already “stole” a few of my ideas, I looked for a few less obvious options.
The Longines Legend Diver
On a sunny spring day, we attended the Longines press event in Amsterdam. That’s where the brand presented all its releases for the upcoming year. One of them wasn’t a completely new watch, but the new white dial for the elegant Legend Diver made it feel like it was. Up until now, the available dial colors were all quite dark. The new white option freshens up the collection a lot.
What I love about it is that it has a matte white dial instead of a more standard lacquered or glossy one. It goes great with the blacked-out numerals, printing, and hands. The white and black outfit makes the vintage-inspired Longines Legend Diver feel more modern, but it’s still as elegant as it always was. It’s almost like it’s wearing a bright white tuxedo. I can totally see myself wearing this all summer long without thinking about switching it out for something else.
The clasp’s toolless micro-adjuster is also a nice bonus for when temperatures start getting intense. The Longines Legend Diver with a white dial costs €3,800 on the beads-of-rice bracelet.
The Girard-Perregaux Deep Diver Legacy Edition
I’ll be honest with you: I wasn’t aware of the Girard-Perregaux Deep Diver before I saw the new Legacy Edition in collaboration with Bamford. I also have my dive certification, but I haven’t dived since I qualified for it about 20 years ago. So the new Deep Diver Legacy Edition was completely new to me when I first saw it, and I would never actually use it as a dive watch. However, isn’t this the epitome of the perfect summer watch?
Its 38mm Grade 5 titanium case fits like a charm and is nice and light. I also love the combination of the 14-sided bezel and the beautiful radially brushed finish on the case. Then, we get to that white, orange, and blue dial. It almost looks like the designer tried to depict a radiant sun in a very blue sky. This Girard-Perregaux Deep Diver Legacy Edition screams summer.
It costs €16,000, which might be a bit much for a casual summer piece. If I could afford it, though, I know exactly what I would be wearing this summer.
Ressence is in a summer mood this year
Compared to the previous two options, the next watch isn’t the best in terms of summer-ready specs. Unlike its rubber strap, its “splash resistance” isn’t ideal for being around pools, lakes, and beaches. However, the colorful dials of the Ressence Limited Art Watch Type 8 DE1 (pink) and DE2 (turquoise) are so entertaining to look at on a terrace while enjoying a summer drink during the golden hour. Daniel Engelberg’s color-rich and concentric artwork looks like it was made specifically for the Type 8’s dial. The layout lends itself perfectly to the pink and turquoise rings and the dark hole in the middle. The Ressence Type 8 Limited Art Watch × Daniel Engelberg costs €19,000 before tax.
If you’re less into color, Ressence has another watch that works very well for the summer. The Type 9 S75, which celebrates Ahmed Seddiqi’s 75th anniversary, feels right at home at the beach with its sand-covered dial. Ressence’s founder, Benoît Mintiens, gathered the sand with Ahmed Seddiqi’s chief commercial officer, Mohammed Abdulmagied Seddiqi. They set out into the desert, collected sand from each of the seven emirates, and covered the Type 9 S75’s dial with it. Unfortunately, the limited edition of 20 pieces is already sold out, but I couldn’t let this one go unmentioned.
Which recent release would you pick?
There you have it — those are my summer watch picks for 2025 if I had to choose right now. Which watch are you wearing this summer? And which recent release would you pick? Let me know in the comments below.
