Nautical Nuances: Watches Ready To Set Sail This Summer

As the weather heats up and some of you get ready for summer plans at sea, here is a fleet of nautical inspired luxury watches to bring aboard. Whether you’re lounging comfortably on deck or diving in for a swim, these top timepieces are built to be both ultra stylish and water ready.

Rolex Yacht-Master 42

Rolex continues to beef up its catalog of bigger watches by unveiling a fresh new Yacht-Master model–released earlier this year at Baselworld. Sporting a white gold 42 mm case (the largest offering in the Yacht-Master lineup so far), a black ceramic timing bezel, and a black rubber Oysterflex bracelet, the new Rolex Yacht-Master 42 nails nautical style. Like all modern Rolex watches, the Oyster case is sealed shut to offer a water resistance rating of 100 meters (330 feet) and wearers will appreciate the wing-like accents under the bracelet to keep the airflow going and stickiness at bay.

Chanel J12

If there’s one thing the house of Chanel is great at, it is offering iconic silhouettes in monochromatic palettes that stand the test of time—and it is no different at the Maison’s watch division. For 2019, Chanel re-launched its J12 model to mark the 20th anniversary of the popular ceramic sports watch. Design wise, much stays the same from the ceramic case to the ceramic link bracelet to the lacquer dials. What is different, however, is the automatic Chanel Caliber 12.1 inside the watch, which is not only COSC-certified but also made by Kenissi, a movement manufacture now partly owned by Chanel. With a well-proportioned 38 mm case water resistant to 200 meters (660 feet) and available in black or white, the new Chanel J12 is a fabulous choice for a ladies’ summer nautical watch.

Breguet La Marine Alarme Musicale

Making its debut late last year, the La Marine Alarme Musicale 5547 is the latest watch to join Breguet’s maritime-infused watch collection. While the watch carries some of Breguet’s familiar design details, such as the Breguet style hands, Roman numerals, and the traditional fluting on the caseband, it has also been modernized to suit contemporary tastes. The 40 mm case is fashioned from corrosion-resistant and lightweight titanium while the dial is sleek in sunburst slate grey. Plus, in addition to a second time zone feature to keep track of what’s going on at home, the chiming sound of the alarm can awake you from your afternoon nap just in time for cocktail hour.

Panerai Submersible Luna Rossa

The 36th America’s Cup may be two years away but Panerai is ready with the Submersible Luna Rossa watch. The model was announced a few months back in honor of the new Panerai and Luna Rossa challenger team relationship. As expected, there are plenty of nods to the partnership on this Submersible from the Carbotech material of the 47 mm case similar to the carbon fiber hull of Luna Rossa’s AC75 ship to the grey sailcloth dial crafted from Luna Rossa sails. The GMT function will come in handy whilst on vacation and the black rubber strap and 300-meter water resistance can withstand any water-related activities you are planning to partake in.