Best beach watches: Timepieces to withstand sand, salt and surf
If you’re fond of sand dunes and salty air, you’ll be needing a knockabout, colourful addition to your suitcase
Ralph Lauren RL67 Safari £2,150
Watches don’t feel more sunkissed and outdoorsy than this – geared towards the savannahs of Africa if you believe the marketing hype, but, more realistically, looking the part for a lazy picnic in the dunes, or an afternoon snoozing in a hammock.
ralphlaurenwatches.com
Nomos Ahoi Atlantik £2,600
Being German, Nomos is pragmatic with a sideways sense of humour – hence its first water-resistant piece being pitched as a swimmer’s, not diver’s watch (who actually goes diving in a £2,600 watch?). Being Berlin-designed , it’s also sublimely hip.
nomos-glashuette.com
Baume & Mercier Linea £3,600
The would-be darling of the Hamptons set appeals to the flannel-shirted tycoon and his Chanel-jacket-and-capri-panted wife. Linea’s double-wind strap comes in several colours come “the season”, each for £125. Darling, you shouldn’t have!
baume-et-mercier.co.uk
Swatch Scuba Libre £57
It may be plastic fantastic, but this exuberant summer toy will happily venture 200m below the waves. It’s also £28 below the Shore (see below left), making it a highly affordable airport gift for the kids. Actually, sod the kids, get one for yourself.
shop.swatch.com
Shore Projects Project 1 £85
Here’s a thing: a new British brand, offering smart design, Swiss movements and switchable straps in a rainbow of Farrow & Ball shades… for £85. Shore is definitely going after the Jack Wills teen crowd, but for messing about at the seaside, it’s perfect.
shoreprojects.com
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver £17,400
The octagonal Royal Oak is more used to the boulevards and teak decks of the Riviera than the beaches themselves. But thanks to waterproofing and clever use of high-tech ceramic, it’s now fit for reckless paddling.
audemarspiguet.com