Fratello Favorites: The Best Summer Watches — Lex’s Picks From Dennison, Panerai, And Certina (Again)

The heat is on once again. The Fratello team members will share the best summer watches according to them, and I’ll kick off the hottest series of the year. I’ve picked the best summer watches I could find, ranging from sub-€1k to above €10k and beyond. Sun’s out, watches out!

I’m not sure if it’s an honor to start our series of articles discussing the best summer watches. But at least I have free rein and don’t have to consider my colleagues’ picks. Well, honestly, I don’t think any of my favorite summer watches in five categories would have made it to their lists because our tastes vary widely. Anyway, for me, a summer watch should be fun, make me smile, and serve a purpose during the hottest months of the year. Versatility is key here, but with a list of five Fratello favorites, I could also play around a bit and pick a few that are more specialized. I thought of what to put into my imaginary waterproof travel case, and this is what I came up with.

Best summer watch below €1k: Dennison ALD Dual Time Malachite & Green Sunray In Gold

My dressiest watch for the summer is the least costly of my picks. The €780 Dennison ALD Dual Time Malachite & Green Sunray In Gold will not go to the beach or the pool with me, nor will it go on a hike or a bike ride. Instead, during the day, I can choose not to wear a watch, forget about the time, get rid of the watch-shaped tan line on my left wrist, and just relax, re-energize, and even regenerate. If I must know the time, I will ask the guy selling cold beer on the beach, and if that doesn’t work, I’ll check my phone. But at night, I will wear my “gold” Dennison with a swanky malachite dial and look like a million bucks for way less than that.

The watch has this effortless, retro-chic style best enjoyed during a casual seaside dinner while sipping a chilled Chablis, not knowing what the rest of the night might bring. This ALD Dual Time also shines on the dance floor, I’ve been told, so maybe an open-air disco on a Mediterranean island is the right place to check that out. I hope they have a disco ball.

Best summer watch below €2.5k: Certina DS Action Diver 38mm Titanium

I could actually buy two of these and still be on budget. The recently released Certina DS Action Diver 38mm Titanium costs €1,095. Yes, I could search for something closer to €2.5K, but I loved the previous edition of this lightweight diver, and I might love the new version even more, so why ignore that? So I will hypothetically buy two — one to wear and another as a backup. Why do I like this titanium diver so much? That comes down to its titanium construction, value for money, and design. It’s hardly surprising that I picked this watch, as its predecessor was on my list in 2023.

The new version has a couple of tweaks that upped its game. Certina updated the bezel insert from aluminum to ceramic, for instance. Normally, I would see that as a setback because a ceramic bezel, especially a colorful one, often looks a bit fake or lifeless. But that’s not the case here. The matte black bezel looks sober, functional, and not at all fake. The enhanced DS Concept Extreme Shock Resistance is also not fake. It beefed up the watch a bit, increasing the former version’s 12.2mm profile by a millimeter. I can live with that, though. The summer is not the time to fuss over a 1mm difference.

In case I want to explore the underwater world, no problem. Like its predecessor, the DS Action Diver 38mm Titanium has a 300m depth rating and complies with the ISO 6425 standard. This lightweight watch pairs robust functionality with understated, familiar dive-watch looks, making it a great all-day holiday timekeeper.

Best summer watch below €5k: Watch Angels × Alpina Startimer Pilot Chronograph Automatic IFR

I won’t pilot an airplane to my holiday destination, but I will bring the Watch Angels × Alpina Startimer Pilot Chronograph Automatic IFR in case the captain needs it during landing. I won’t explain how this serious and seriously good-looking pilot’s watch works; you can read that in the intro article I wrote. This watch impressed me with its concept. It was meant to be a real pilot’s watch, not something that looks like one. And according to pilots, the watch succeeded.

Form follows function in the case of the Watch Angels × Alpina Startimer Pilot Chronograph Automatic IFR, and the form is also impressive. Shout out to the watch’s designer, Thomas Funder, who admitted it was tough to understand the functionality and turn it into a practical, pleasing design; he made it work beautifully in the end. The blue sunburst dial is more about function than appearances, but it looks great with its metallic shine and applied Arabic numerals filled with plenty of lume.

The chronograph, with a 12-hour counter for timing extended flight phases and a dedicated UTC hand for simultaneous reference to aviation-standard universal time, has a 43mm steel case topped with a substantial 44.5mm ceramic bezel insert. Water resistance is rated to a vacation-proof 100 meters. Inside the case beats the Swiss-made automatic caliber AL-570 (Sellita SW531 b), which offers a 62-hour power reserve.

In case you want to bring the Watch Angels × Alpina Startimer Pilot Chronograph Automatic IFR on your vacation, this is what you need to know. This purpose-built 300-piece limited watch is available for preorder through the Watch Angels website for €4,295, with delivery slated for December 2026. This means this will be our 2027 summer watch.

Best summer watch below €10k: Panerai Luminor PAM01731

For the first time in a long time, I’ve been thinking about Panerai. For a while, the collection didn’t speak to me, but after seeing some of the novelties during Watches and Wonders, it sparked renewed interest. The watch I picked to take with me this summer is based on the 1960s reference 6152/1. The Luminor PAM01731 is a 44mm steel watch with a matte dark brown sandwich dial. The large polished case with drilled lugs is prominent, but the sculpted design, with iconic features such as the distinct crown protector, helps me overcome its rather shiny appearance. Just imagine how this watch will shine in the summer sun.

Faux patina isn’t my thing, but a tobacco-brown dial with beige Super-LumiNova is a sophisticated-looking no-brainer. It makes the numerals at 12, 3, and 6 o’clock, and the sub-seconds display at 9, look distinguished. The watch doesn’t have a date, which is perfect for holidays since you’ll probably want to forget all about that. Under the domed sapphire crystal, rose-tone hour and minute hands and a small seconds hand display time. Inside the 300m-water-resistant case beats the manual-winding P.6000. In case I need some horological entertainment, I can unbuckle the trapezoidal buckle of the dark brown calfskin strap, turn the watch over, and look at it through the screw-in display case back. What I will see is a 19-jewel movement that ticks at 21,600 vibrations per hour and packs a 72-hour power reserve. Before vacationing with the Panerai Luminor PAM01731, I will pay €8,900 at the local retailer.

Best summer watch above €10k: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Diver

My grail summer watch is, without a shadow of a doubt, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Diver. But which one? It’s the recently released reference 15720ST.OO.A403CA.01. This is the Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Diver with a teal dial, rose gold hands, and a teal rubber strap. The teal-dial version is my favorite watch of the three newcomers. With its white and black inner bezel and rosy hands and crown details, this ROO looks sporty and rugged yet quite distinguished. Blue and pink gold can sometimes look a bit flashy and unrefined, but teal, a more grayish type of blue with a few touches of pink gold in a steel setting, looks timelessly handsome.

The 42mm steel case, with its 14.2mm thickness and 55mm length, immediately gives you that confidence-inspiring feeling. And so does its weight of 165 grams. This watch feels luxurious, but it also makes you want to dive off a cliff into the turquoise water below. But before doing so, it is worth having a look at the wonderfully finished case. Despite its raised bezel, it feels soft and smooth. The bezel’s brushed surface also feels satin-soft, and eight polished screws enhance its appearance. This watch also wears well, with the XXL pin buckle on the rubber strap keeping it steady on the wrist.

You might take off the watch because you don’t want a large, distinctly shaped white spot on your wrist. When you do, you can take a look at the movement through the display case back. Audemars Piguet updated the latest generation of ROO Divers with the in-house automatic caliber 4308. The high-end movement matches the slightly serious colorway of this exclusive summer watch, which costs €30,000. That’s serious money for a seriously fun watch.

Now, which watches would you take on your summer vacation? Let me know in the comments section.