I don't know what it's like where you are right now, but over here in Geneva, it's pretty hot. I was born and raised on a tropical island and even I think the weather here is kind of excessive. When the temperature starts rising, we know what to do in terms of clothing. We ditch the dark wool and bring out the white linen. The leather trousers can sit in the back of the wardrobe for a few months, while the denim shorts are in constant rotation. Anything that covers your toes is verboten — sandals and flip-flops only. But what about your wristwear? Are there watches that work better on you in the summer than in the winter? Spoiler alert: the answer's yes.
Let’s talk about materials. Unless you’re in perfectly airconditioned environments all day, you’ll be experiencing the heat directly, and you’ll want something light on your wrist. Heavy watches with non-porous bracelets or straps are the exact opposite of what I want to wear when the temperature is in the mid-30s. That means titanium or even something like ceramic, which is light and non-conductive. The additional advantage of watches like this, such as the Omega Ploprof in titanium, or the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch “Mojave Desert”, is that they’re sports watches as well, which comes in useful as we’re more active during the summer anyway.
Bracelet and strap material matters as well, because a leather strap that’s been sitting on your wrist all day stifling your pores and soaking up sweat is a truly unpleasant thing. Metal bracelets, depending on their design, can be heavy and leave your skin feeling clammy. Out of all the types of metal watch bracelets, the style known as the Milanese mesh is probably the lightest and most flexible, wrapping securely around your wrist without clinging uncomfortably. It also offers a charming retro vibe, as seen in watches such as the Breitling Superocean Heritage B20 Automatic with mesh bracelet.
Rubber straps are standard in sports models, but those with textured or ridged inner surfaces allow your skin to breathe even if (like me) you prefer wearing your watches snugly rather than loosely. I’ve always found that the rubber straps of Panerai, such as on their Submersible models, perform excellently in this regard, with their undulating design. They’re meant to be flexible in order to accommodate the expansion and shrinkage of a diving suit, which are frequently made of spongy neoprene. This makes them extremely comfortable when worn over the course of a full day, since we do tend to expand a little throughout the day (which is why your shoes pinch more in the evenings than in the mornings).
The heat wave we’re having in Europe right now is actually causing some health advisory messages to be issued — you read about elderly people keeling over in the street or suffering terribly in poorly ventilated apartments, which is quite alarming. Heatstroke is no joke, my dear WorldTempus family. To keep an eye on your vital signals, a smartwatch like the Frédérique Constant Vitality or the Louis Vuitton Tambour Horizon Light Up could be the answer.
And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to make myself an iced watermelon and mint smoothie.
