Staff Picks: The Watches We Wore This Summer

Summer is over. Okay, maybe not quite — there’s still some hot weather to be wrung out over the next few weeks (although I have noticed more than a few sweaters being broken out around the Hodinkee office this week). Labor Day has come and gone, school has started, our white pants are put away for the season, and the carefree, relaxed days of summer are now largely behind us. With that in mind, I asked (read: pestered) a handful of my colleagues to find out what watches they had on their wrists this summer, and the answers didn’t disappoint.

DWC Terra Titanium [Mark Kauzlarich]

If there’s something you should know about a lot of us on the Hodinkee edit team, it’s that we love a good bit. So, after I came out of anesthesia from my spinal fusion earlier this summer, I decided to buy a watch to suit the moment.

Look, I’m not saying that James Stacey gatekept this from me, but when I saw the Delhi Watch Company Terra on his Instagram, I felt left out. Turns out, I’m not as chronically on “watch internet” as I should be, apparently, because everyone over in The Grey NATO-land was talking about this super cool, $47 titanium quartz-powered watch out of India, and I missed out. I missed out on all THIRTY THOUSAND of them, I might add (shows how little I’m in the loop), and people were charging an arm and a leg to get one.

Until the bit came around, that is. I got curious after my surgery and dug through my surgical notes for the info about the four screws and two rods and the little tire-jack-like spacer put between L5 and S1 in my lower back. Suddenly, I’m Mr. Titanium. I’ve got three titanium watches already (two Citizens and a Tudor), so maybe that’s gotta be my bit. Any Grade 5 or Grade 23 watch will match my built-in hardware, and the Grade 2 DWC Terra is close enough for surgical work (okay, maybe not).

I put out a call into the universe (or a special Slack) to see if anyone had a titanium Terra. One kind fella was willing to part with it for his cost ($50-ish dollars, plus the $50 or so it cost to ship to the US), plus shipping to me, and $120 later, I throw this thing on my wrist daily while sitting at my desk.

Sure, the finishing isn’t the best. The water-jet-cut 6mm slab doesn’t have the straightest sides, and the crown sits low on the titanium case. But it’s a $50 watch. Come on now. It wears a bit like a thin brick, but that’s because it’s shaped like a thin brick. It’s not dive-ready at 30m of water resistance, but it’s not a dive watch. It’s just weird, cool, and now five of my friends have asked where they can get theirs. Now I’m the guy with the secret.

The Citizen Aqualand Duplex I Lost On A Shipwreck [James Stacey]

While a few of the watches I wore most this summer were claimed by other teammates here (shoutout to the Doxa LE, the Timex LE, and the CWN1), I spent roughly the first half of my summer wearing a largely forgotten Citizen Aqualand Duplex from (I believe) the late ’90s. It’s a C506-Q00711 TA (that’s ref/dial spec/titanium), and it represents a lot more than just some techy titanium dive watch from 30 years ago. I adore Aqualands. And titanium watches. And ana-digi watches. So when a buddy (shoutout Foglark) offered to trade me for the C506, I figured the stakes couldn’t be lower, and I took delivery of the watch this past winter, though notably without the bracelet seen in the photo below. 

Fast forward to this past July, when I took the watch to Chicago for Windup, and also for its first (with me) dive for Windup In A Lake (a sponsored dive outing with Citizen). The evening before the dive, another good pal (shoutout SubmersibleWrist) traded me for the period-correct titanium bracelet. I sized and fitted the bracelet over a couple of pops at the bar, and the next day I extended the ratcheting dive extension over a 7mm wetsuit cuff and jumped into Lake Michigan to explore the wreck of the Wells Burt. 

While bobbing in the surf, waiting for other divers to get in the water, I felt the tension on my wrist release and looked down to see the Aqualand, bracelet and all, flutter past my fins and down into the occluded depths below me. My Aqualand was gone, and assuming a less-than-great springbar was to blame, I tried to enjoy the next 50 or so minutes of diving on the wreck (it was a great dive; don’t skip on Brock’s excellent photos here). 

After the dive, I climbed back onto the boat and shared my disappointing story with the other divers as they climbed aboard. My friend Geoff (@watchcowsdive) was the last to return to the boat, and after he sat down and removed his mask, he heard a bit of my sob story about the Citizen and said, “You mean this?” as he pulled the Aqualand from his BCD pocket. He had found it! It was a big moment on the boat, and my jaw was on the deck. Geoff chose to take a final lap of the wreck with fewer divers clogging his video and found the Aqualand resting within the confines of the old ship. 

As it turns out, the dive extension on the old bracelet simply extended to the point of letting go. Hilariously, the Aqualand did its job and tracked both depth and bottom time (see the screens in the first photo) during its lonely dive on the Wells Burt. It was definitely the watch moment of my summer, likely my year. Big thanks to Geoff for recovering the old Aqualand; I owe you. 

Also, go back and check that reference number again; the dive was on July 11th.  

Timex Ironman 8-Lap Limited Edition for Hodinkee [Matt Thompson]

Over the past year or so my love for all things cycling has shifted from grinding out intervals on my road bike to embracing the easygoing nature of bikepacking – trading my FTP for some good ol’ ABV. A big part of that is letting go of so much of the technology I surround myself with and replacing it with a simpler understanding of the world. I don’t need to maintain a certain average speed so long as I can get to the campsite before sunset to make a fire and share stories with my friends. In the midst of this, I’ve found the Timex Ironman 8-Lap Limited Edition for Hodinkee the perfect companion.

It goes without saying, but this watch is meant to be used for sport. It’s lightweight – I barely notice it on my wrist. I can sweat it in, I can swim in it, I can crash into a tree on a mountain bike trail… and the Timex will be just fine. And with all of that already winning me over, it just looks so freaking cool.

Unimatic U3-DHBR Heritage Chronograph Diver [Shota Akiyoshi]

Earlier this year, my favorite editor, TanTan, gifted me the Unimatic U3-DHBR Heritage Chronograph Diver, and I fell in love with it immediately. The proportions, case size, and warm brown dial felt natural to me and fit my personal style perfectly.

Since then, it has traveled with me through Switzerland, Germany, Japan, and Puerto Rico, picking up more character along the way. One of my favorite memories was wearing it during a family vacation in Puerto Rico — by the pool, in the water, and swimming with my family. It’s a dive watch, after all. I took this photo at Hotel El Convento, the historic former convent in Old San Juan. Beside the hotel’s beautifully aged key fob and our small travel keepsakes, the watch already felt like part of the history of the trip.

Now, it feels like more than a watch. It’s becoming a small record of where I’ve been.

Panerai Luminor 1950 PAM 233 Dot Dial [Adam Schoenberg]

In early March, I had breakfast with Panerai CEO Emmanuel Perrin and Brand President Laurent Toinet. I’d been looking forward to it. Panerai has played an outsized role in my collecting journey, and lately I’d been fixated on one reference. When Emmanuel asked about my favorites, the door was open. I said the PAM 233 with the dot dial. He told me he’d been hunting one too.

Shortly after, I found mine: a single-digit serial example — one of the first out of a run that totaled 2,500 by the time production ended in 2008. It hasn’t left my wrist since. Every Sunday I wind it and think through the week ahead, all seven days of it, with an eight-day reserve to spare. It came to Italy with us this summer, where the GMT and AM/PM indicator earned their keep. Robust, useful, quietly special. That’s the whole Panerai argument in one watch.

Tudor Black Bay 58 Bronze Boutique Edition [Andy Hoffman]

It’s nice to have a record of what trouble one gets into each summer. With my Tudor Black 58 Bronze (Boutique Edition), the ever shifting and mostly darkening patina plus a few more dings and scratches, keeps the score.

I could put this watch on in June and not take it off until the end of September and I wouldn’t complain. I don’t really think about it when it’s on the wrist. With a 39mm case that wears easy, 200 meters of water resistance, and T-fit adjustment for the bracelet, it’s definitely low maintenance. But the Tudor proprietary bronze and aluminum alloy used for the case and the bracelet are keeping track. That generally means this watch just keeps adding a unique darkening patina that I see as a report card for what I’ve done with it. In recent summers the BB58 Bronze was with me hiking hills in Lugano, snorkelling and paddle boarding in Geneva on Lac Leman, and an unexpectedly ridiculous descent to a Mediterranean swim spot in Spain. It also served as a proper dinner companion at restaurants from upscale eateries in Italy to kebab shops in Germany.

I’m considering treating the watch with a mild acid solution (such as lemon juice) to restore its original gold-like luster — but I’m not sure I want to remove the record it’s picked up since I got it back in 2023.

Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas [Meyme Nakash]

It feels like a crime to work at Hodinkee and not wear a watch every day. However, it doesn’t help that the office is set to 68° (feels more like 60°, if you ask me) during the summer, and that my favorite watch is better suited for sleeveless attire. Since I’m always well-layered to combat the (in my opinion) frigid conditions at work, I save my Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas for special occasions and weekends when I’m out and about.

I received my beloved Bulgari for my twenty-first birthday, some five years ago, and it’s still one of my most treasured possessions. As you’ll see, the watch shows some wear from how much I’ve worn it over the years. And while I often fight the urge to get it polished to restore its original luster (yes, I’m aware—not a smart move), I also know that all those scratches and dents are merely evidence of how much I love and cherish this watch—not just as an accessory, but also as a keepsake that marked my coming of age.

When I first got it, it wrapped snugly around my lower forearm. I remember thinking it was made for me. It has naturally stretched over the years, and today, it fits a bit looser. That means I need to readjust it every now and then so it doesn’t slide down to my wrist. I still adore my Serpenti, and personally find the double wrap more versatile than the triple Tubogas (but that doesn’t stop it from sitting high on my wishlist). So yes, this is the watch I wore most this summer. It’s also the watch I’ve worn most of my adult life so far. Hopefully, I can get my hands on a comparable piece that’s more wearable for the office soon (sigh).

Doxa SUB Army 200T for Hodinkee [Tim Jeffreys]

My watch of the summer was the Doxa SUB Army 200T for Hodinkee Limited Edition. I’d long had my eye on a Doxa, and this felt like the one I’d been waiting for. Once I had it, I barely took it off—it dove into fjords in Norway, spent lake days in North Carolina, and hit the beach in California. Having it almost made me want to travel more, do more.

It felt perfect on the wrist—so perfect that I found myself outside my comfort zone, wearing it on the rubber strap over the NATO, something I don’t usually do. And even though I’ve only had it for a couple of months, it feels like it’s always been there. I’m looking forward to it being a travel companion for many more summers to come.

Otsuka Lotec No. 5 Kai [TanTan Wang]

There are a lot of words to describe the Otsuka Lotec No. 5 Kai. But the one word that I’ll use this time, and why it was on my wrist almost nonstop this summer, is that it is… addictive. Plenty of collectors have already gushed about the No. 5. And admittedly, the wandering hours complication certainly isn’t new, so you can’t really say that this watch is revolutionary at all. But what Jiro Katayama has achieved is a wandering hours watch that feels refreshing in its execution, and most certainly at its price point (ignoring the moment these watches are having on the secondary market).

When I took delivery of my No. 5 Kai, I expected it to stay on my wrist non-stop for at least the first week. But it’s ended up being my watch of choice for a lot longer now. It is, amongst Jiro-san’s creations, the most wearable design, thanks to the case design of the No. 5 that hugs the wrist with its short lugs and reasonably conventional silhouette. But a look at the dial shows a very fun, unabashedly industrial execution of a wandering hours that offers you endless entertainment when you stare at it through the oversized crystal. And despite how unique a look the No. 5 Kai offers, it feels much more versatile and low-key compared to my M.A.D.1S, for example, even after I paired it with a yellow rubber strap. 

It’s lighthearted, yet offers so many interesting layers for any watch nerd to appreciate. Would I ever see myself wearing this with a suit or any modicum of more dressy attire? Probably not, which is why it’s been the perfect companion for a few months of T-shirts and shorts, and my watch of the summer.

Tudor Black Bay 58 [David Aujero]

The Tudor Black Bay 58 was easily my most-worn watch this summer. I kept reaching for it because it never felt like a decision. It worked with whatever I was wearing and wherever the day was going, especially when that meant heading to the beach.

I wore it almost exclusively on the bracelet. I love the extra presence the steel gives it, while the 39mm case keeps it comfortable and unfussy. But what I’ll remember most has little to do with its dimensions or specifications. This was simply the watch that came along for the summer: beach days, family trips, and all the smaller moments in between. Scrolling through my camera roll, I like seeing the Black Bay 58 quietly present in so many photos. It’s a small reminder of just how much living it did with me this summer.

TGN x CWC “Crew Watch No. 1” [Griffin Bartsch]

It’s been a little over a year and a half since the CWN1 showed up on my doorstep, fresh from the UK in dazzle camo packaging, and I still haven’t gotten over it. Since then, it’s been with me all over the world, and pretty literally. I’ve worn it on the top of Pen y Fan in Wales’s Brecon Beacons, and in the forests in Nagano Prefecture. I’ve worn it for adventures big and small, and for the moments in between. And when the summer comes, I basically don’t take it off.

That’s because, for me, when the warm weather strikes, I just want a watch that won’t get in the way, and no watch does it better than the CWN1. And if I needed to prove it to myself, I more than did when I (temporarily) traded my CWN1 for a Tudor Pelagos FXD for a couple of weeks back in July. Seriously, if you ever need to confirm your affection for a watch, give it up for a few weeks. If, after two weeks, you’re starting to remind yourself of Ewan McGregor early in Trainspotting, well, that probably tells you something.

But I’m getting beyond the point. The CWN1 is a watch that — two weeks aside — barely left my wrist. I took it hiking in Acadia, jumped off docks into (very cold) Ocean water, strapped it on for long bike rides, and wore it for drinks in the backyard all summer. Through it all, it was perfect. I have no doubt it will be next summer too.