Words: Jonathan Wells
Is it that time already? With every passing year, summer seems to rear its sun-kissed head ever earlier, calling on modern men to update and rejig their wardrobes for the warmer weather. Bulky boots are swapped for slip-on shoes. Beanie hats are traded in for baseball caps. And, from smart casual clothes to sharp suits, linen gets its moment in the sun. Because the heat must be beaten — and your clothes are the first line of defence.
It’s the same with watches. Whether you buckled up leather last winter or opted for a metal bracelet, chunkier straps simply don’t work come summer. They stick to wrists, hold too much heat and become increasingly, uncomfortably clammy with every mounting minute. So instead, we turn to fabrics. Here are our favourite fabric strap watches for summer…
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Chronograph ‘Everest’
Vacheron Constantin serves up a blend of sturdiness and softness with its fabric-strapped watch, adding a ‘Cordura’ option to the self-interchangeable strap system of the Overseas collection. The watch itself features a dial with an elegantly-grained finish, punctuated by bright orange accents — a dynamic colour matching the stitching of the nubuck calfskin-lined strap.
And, steadily keeping time inside the ‘Everest’s’ case is self-winding Calibre 5200/2. This twin-barrel in-house movement is fitted with a column wheel that controls the chronograph function’s start, stop and reset operations, and a vertical clutch to prevent any potential hand stuttering when the chronograph is started.
Tudor Black Bay Pro
This striking Black Bay Pro from Tudor shares the same complementary use of colour as the Vacheron above; lifting the rich yellow-gold of the eye-catching GMT hand and stitching it down the centre of a black fabric strap.
The watch itself comes in a 39mm steel case with polished and satin finishes, and ticks with Tudor’s COSC-certified Calibre MT5652. It’s waterproof to 200 metres — to survive even the furthest-flung summer adventures, and has a power reserve of approximately 70 hours.
Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical 38mm
If you’re looking to opt for a more military-influenced mechanical timepiece, look to Hamilton. This nylon-strapped style, the Khaki Field Mechanical, is coloured virtually entirely in one bold, block shade. It’s a deep, earthy green — a colour that betrays the timepiece’s hardiness and reliability.
In fact, ‘durability’ is the watchword for every facet and feature of this watch. A faithful recreation of its original 1960s forebear, and true to the brand’s military heritage, the stainless steel watch has triangular indexes coated in Super-LumiNova, a coloured PVD case coating and a nigh on indestructible NATO strap.
Montblanc 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Limited Edition
Inspired by the legendary professional ‘Minerva’ watches of the 1920s and 1930s — timepieces that were conceived for military use and explorers — Montblanc’s 1858 Monopusher Chronograph Limited Edition features a beige textile strap that picks its colour to complement the dial ring and hands.
Inside that 42 mm full satin-finished bronze case, you’ll discover Montblanc’s automatic MB. 25.12 Monopusher Chronograph Calibre. It’s a movement that indicates elapsed time with a central seconds hand and a 30-minute counter— both with white hands to create a contrast with the black dial.
Rado Captain Cook Automatic Chronograph
Rado offers up a material-mounted, depths-ready diving watch — boasting a subtle stripe down the centre of its fabric strap. The design may not be as striking as Tudor’s yellow-on-black option, but this gold-on-navy choice has a certain naval nod to it.
The entire watch, with its R801 automatic movement, 37 jewels, five hands and 59 hours of power reserve, is ship-shape. And, thanks to an antimagnetic NivachronTM hairspring and polished blue high-tech ceramic inlay on the bezel, it’s as functional as it is legible.
Breitling Superocean Heritage ‘57 Outerknown
Perhaps the most impressive summer strap comes courtesy of Breitling. A chronometer created for the beach, the ‘Superocean Heritage ‘57 Outerknown’ sits on a special ECONYL® yarn single-piece strap, co-designed by surfer Kelly Slater and repurposed from fishing nets and nylon waste pulled from the oceans.
The watch itself is similarly impressive, with a concave bidirectional ceramic bezel and a dial featuring oversized indices relaying the time told by the brand’s self-winding mechanical ‘Breitling 10’ movement.
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Automatique
Finally, there are few more durable, lightweight fabric options than the classic NATO strap. And, thanks to the seriously light titanium case of Blancpain’s ‘Fifty Fathoms Automatique’, this whole horological package will feel utterly unobtrusive on your wrist.
It’s water resistant to 300 metres, features a one-way rotating bezel and every part of the design — from that durable, buckled-up strap to the glossy bezel — is coloured in an ocean-appropriate shade of deep blue.
Want more watches? Here’s why the Ressence Type 5 is the ultimate gentleman’s diving watch…
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