Summer is a little late in arriving in Europe this year. I write this with the wind whipping at the olive trees under an overcast sky outside my window, an altogether dampening prospect for someone who thrives in heat and humidity (rather like the poppies my team and I tried to grow from seeds, which are currently huddling in skinny clusters in their pot near our office window). It’s mid-May over here, and we shouldn’t still be seeing people in the street wearing fluffy anoraks; I object strenuously to this. To ward off these wily gusts of chilling wind and intrusive clouds (no one invited them here), we’re giving this Monday morning a much-needed booster shot of colour.
Lagoon turquoise. Sunset violet. Bahamas blue. Verdant green. Pamplemousse pink. These aren’t the names of the colours used in the official descriptions of the following watches, but they might as well be. These timepieces evoke the vivid hues of summer, of long vacation days and frosty cocktails under a beach umbrella. Strap one on and feel inspired for your next flight out to paradise.
Classic: Patek Philippe Ladies' Calatrava ref. 4997/200R-001
That lush, velvety purple of the dial takes you a thousand miles away from whatever drab office cube or cramped train carriage you’re in right now. There’s no watch as iconic as the Patek Philippe Calatrava when it comes to old-school luxury, and this feminine model in rose gold with a diamond-set bezel reminds us that luxury is (above all else) about pleasure. The scalloped dial guillochage and inverted dart indexes radiate warmth, and if that isn’t enough to make you get your swimsuit out, the self-winding cal. 240 visible through the transparent caseback should definitely help raise the ambient temperature at least a few degrees. Grab your hydrating facial mist — it’s getting hot in here.
Modern: Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Shades
Sleek, clean, light and with ten different dial colours to match any occasion, the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Shades is your next default travel timepiece. It’s undeniably built for action, with its rounded lugs and ergonomic bracelet, but the variety of dial shades ensures that whatever you do, you’re having fun doing it. The watch comes in two case diameters, 34mm and 38mm, the perfect size range for all-day wear. Lastly, the Co-Axial Master Chronometer cal. 8800 beating within is a mechanical guarantee that the watch stays reliable and precise, unlike the wifi at that holiday villa you found on AirBnB.
Retro/Vintage: IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40
Before 2023, I had never experienced the desire to plunge my face into a watch dial. Thanks to IWC and their new Ingenieur Automatic 40 with aqua dial, that has now changed. The blended shade of green-blue (or is it blue-green?) used in this watch is simultaneously piercing and hypnotic, changing with the angle and light, like the pellucid waters of a sheltered lagoon. You want to dive headfirst into it. You will only be able to restrain yourself with great effort. The IWC Ingenieur was first designed as an antimagnetic watch to be worn by science professionals, and it is an incredibly robust watch in many ways. It is quite possible that it could also withstand repeated headbutting by an obsessed journalist, but I probably won’t try to prove it one way or another.
Formal: Blancpain Ladybird Colors
According to Blancpain, strictly speaking, this should be considered a springtime watch. Over here at WorldTempus, we’ll take any excuse to prolong the time we get to wear the new Ladybird Colors, so let’s just agree to call it a summertime watch as well. Those familiar with Blancpain’s existing watch collections will know that the Ladybird is a collection of mechanical timepieces of exceptionally small diameter — at its launch in 1956, it was advertised as having the world’s smallest round mechanical movement. The Ladybird Colors is a sub-collection of the Ladybird, larger in terms of diameter but still towards the small end of the spectrum, measuring in at just under 35mm. With its panoply of fresh colours (strap and dial indexes) and diamond-set bezel, the Ladybird Colors is all sparkling effervescence, like a sweet, fizzy fruit spritz.
Sports: Hublot Big Bang Unico Nespresso Origin
The eco-friendly message behind this green watch may not exactly be subtle, but maybe that’s just what we need right now. The collaboration between Hublot and Nespresso shows us that partnerships between the two worlds of luxury and fast-moving consumer goods can be done without impinging on the values of either. The anodised aluminium case of the Big Bang Unico Nespresso Origin is made out of recycled metal, part of which is sourced from spent Nespresso capsules. The grounds themselves are recycled in the straps, both the rubber and fabric options. The choice of material makes sense as well, since aluminium is prized for its lightness, perfect for a sports watch.
