Fratello Favorites: The Best Summer Watches At Three Different Price Points — Mike’s Picks From Citizen, Panerai, And Rolex

It’s summertime, and the heat is on! Well, depending on where you live, perhaps the heat hasn’t shown up yet, but we trust that it’s coming. With that, it’s time for each of us at Fratello to name the best summer watches at three different price points. I’m on board with some oddball picks that I’d happily wear during my holidays.

Summer watches — are they “a thing”? I think they are because there’s something nice about donning a watch that gives you the feeling of getting away from the daily grind. Granted, for most, it also means dealing with airports, cranky kids, and early morning towel-laying lounge-chair swipers from a certain country. Still, the best summer watches add an air of casualness and functionality without looking toy-like.

Determining the best summer watches

I admit there was no scientific approach when I determined my picks for the best summer watches. As you’ll see, I chose a highly practical watch, a sentimental favorite, and a whimsical crush. I think it’s important, though, to understand my frame of mind. As an American who grew up in South Florida, the idea of traveling somewhere to go to the beach seemed ridiculous. We had (and have) summer weather all year, so why pay exorbitant prices for a pool and a beach?

Also, the idea of an American beach holiday is very different from the European version. Sure, Europeans have boozy, trashy destinations (just look up “stag-dos” or resorts with full English breakfasts, and you’ll find plenty of options), but the experience tends to be different here. In America, the beach vacation seems to be more about piling as much crap into a car as possible, sitting in traffic for hours, and then staying for a long weekend in an overpriced house with family members you’d rather not see. My experience in Europe is that people head south to enjoy the food as much as the water. It’s semi-exotic, lengthier, and more relaxed. I don’t mind either approach, but the European experience shaped my picks for the best summer watches.

Sub-€1,000: Citizen Promaster BN0220

There are an endless number of choices for the best summer watches under €1,000. However, I chose one of my all-time favorite grab-and-go pieces, the Citizen Promaster BN0220. Many of you will question why I opted for this over the Mechanical Diver, and the answer is simple: this watch is so light and comfortable, and it feels like it could survive nuclear impact. Plus (and this is controversial), I love its funky looks.

The BN0220 takes its design inspiration from a more hardcore 1982 quartz release and tones it down with “just” a 200m depth rating. The watch is big with its 45.8mm diameter, but this is deceiving because the lug-to-lug is identical. I purchased mine in Japan shortly after it came out in 2021, and it has traveled everywhere with me. I throw it in the front pocket of my backpack and treat it like an afterthought. Guess what? The watch comes back for more and always looks good.

Since 2021, Citizen has issued more colors of this Eco-Drive-powered titanium diver, but I still like the OG colorway best. A version with an all-luminous dial exists for the lume freaks, and trendy blue or green options are available. The watch glows like a night lantern and ships with a wetsuit extension for those who like to dive. Best of all, a Citizen watch is a safe bet if your travel destination is in a dodgy area. At €399, this watch won’t blow your entire vacation budget.

Sub-€10,000: Panerai Luminor Base Logo

I’ve chosen a sentimental favorite as one of the best summer watches. The Panerai Luminor Base Logo PAM01086 is a watch that oozes summertime vibes. Panerai takes me back to a summer cruise with my parents in my early 20s. We stopped for the day in Nassau, and my dad and I were scoping out the local watch shops. The famous John Bull had a shop in the Atlantis Resort that carried Panerai. This was when the brand was in its earliest days of popularity. There were few retailers, and they often had few in stock. We looked at two watches that day — a rose gold Radiomir and a blue 40mm Luminor Marina.

I could never pull off the larger 44mm models, but if I could, I’d rock a basic manual-wind Luminor Base Logo. Elemental, bold, and fun, this watch represents Panerai at its core. With water resistance to 100 meters, it’s fine for most activities and works well on an OEM rubber strap. The P.6000 caliber has 72 hours of power reserve, which is plenty. I’ve never seen Panerai models like this as office watches, but they look damn good on the tanned wrist of a vacationer enjoying a leisurely lunchtime bottle of wine. I only wish I could wear one! At €5,700, the Luminor Base Logo isn’t inexpensive, but it leaves plenty of room under the €10,000 cap to spend on travel.

Image: Bulang & Sons

Budget be damned: Rolex Submariner 16618

Look, if I were on an exclusive island or knocking back Roederer like water, there is only one watch I’d choose for the occasion. The Rolex Submariner 16618 is one of the most decadent yet competent dive watches ever created. Therefore, it crowns my list of the best summer watches. This watch came out in the late ’80s (very appropriate for the period, by the way) and was in production until approximately 2008. There are a lot of examples on the market, and they used to be a screaming deal for less than €20K. Now, though, with higher gold prices and people realizing how damn sexy they are, prices are up.

Image: Wind Vintage

Still, there’s nothing quite like the sea-inspired vivid blue bezel and dial on the 16618 to give off a sense of not giving a rip about anything. Some early models even turn purple, like this lovely example from Wind Vintage. This watch screams open shirt, leathery tan, and a possible interest in plastic surgery. Despite all that, I love it because it’s a big middle finger. I say that because it’s still one hell of a dive watch that can hit 300 meters, fit over a wetsuit, and tell time within chronometer specs. Also, I don’t want the newest model. Give me the 16618 with its brassy old gold and sexier 40mm case. At around €21,000—35,000 depending on the year and condition, this is chump change for the French Riviera set. Sadly, I’m not part of that group.

Final thoughts on the best summer watches

I hope you enjoyed my eclectic picks for the best summer watches at three price points. I hadn’t realized I chose quartz, manual-wind, and automatic options, but there you go! Everyone has a different idea of what a summer break should be, so your choices may differ wildly from mine. Still, this was a fun exercise. Enjoy your summer wherever you go and whatever you choose to do!