We’ve already defined precisely what sports luxe means. There’s a template, a way of achieving the very specific look that Gerald Genta laid down. But that’s not to say there’s no wiggle room in there. Whether in terms of price point, finishing or simply how the various components are executed, watchmakers great and small have been coming up with ever more nuanced ways of working within those parameters to extraordinary results. So, whether you’re looking for a sporty summer watch with 1970s flavour or a haute horology masterpiece with an industrial edge and integrated bracelet, here are the watches for you.
Price Range
Under £1,000
Citizen Tsuyosa
Part integrated sports watch, part accessible alternative to the Rolex Oyster Perpetual, the Citizen Tsuyosa (translating to ‘Strong’ from Japanese) is a colourful, not-too-industrial take on the formula. It’s one of the more simplified pieces on this list, not too dissimilar in looks from a non-integrated number, but still has a sporty enough air to suit the zeitgeist. It also has an automatic movement which, for a watch this handsome and this accessible, is pretty amazing. Its water resistance is a little lower than I’d like for a sports watch, but if you’re looking for value for money, you’ve found it – and the yellow is a particular highlight.
Case/dial: 40mm diameter stainless steel case with yellow dial
Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
Movement: Citizen 8210 automatic movement with 40h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: £299
Tesouro Aspire Black
Fancy something with all the big, bold character of a Hublot Classic Fusion, without having the bank account of the brand’s footballer followers? The Aspire from Tesouro hits all the right notes. From the screws in the bezel to the machined would-be lugs, it has that perfect combination of brushed, industrial finishing and sporty style. It’s backed by a pretty basic movement, but the Miyota 8215 is a workhorse for a reason – and if it makes the Aspire this accessible, we’re all for it.
Case/dial: 44.5mm diameter stainless steel case with black dial
Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
Movement: Miyota 8215 automatic movement with 42h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: £375
Tissot PRX Powermatic 80
For an accessible steel watch with integrated bracelet, look no further than the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80. This 1970s design was recently reimagined in a new 35mm variant, pushing it towards a new audience of slimmer wristed individuals and those who favour vintage proportions over some of the modern giants out there. The brushed steel case is lovely, as is the bracelet and the dial features a characteristic texture of rows of squares. The true killer aspect of these watches though is that they’re less than £1,000 while still offering an automatic movement with 80-hour power reserve.
Case/dial: 40mm diameter stainless steel case with ice blue embossed chequered pattern dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Tissot Powermatic 80 automatic movement with 80h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: £610
Herbelin Cap Camarat
A sports luxe watch’s natural home is along the French Riviera, so it’s no surprise to see that Herbelin have a serious contender in the field. The Cap Camarat offers a flat, circular, screwed bezel on a satisfyingly faceted case, complete with a Nautilus-esque dial in deep, dark green. There are a few above-and-beyond nods to practicality like the sloping crown guard, but otherwise it’s a safe, accessible riff that doesn’t stray too far from the formula. It’s a handsome, go-anywhere, do-anything watch that’ll appeal to anyone.
Case/dial: 40.5mm diameter stainless steel case with green dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement with 38h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: €849 (approx. £730)
Yema Urban Traveller
Yema’s Urban Traveller features an octagonal case in stainless steel with a gently facetted round bezel. It doesn’t have the visible screws commonly associated with the style but instead has six recessed channels around the inner edge giving it the same industrial, urban vibe. The pattern on the dial is also more complex than the typical squares or lines that Genta favoured, opting instead for a repeating pattern of octagons, diamonds and irregular polygons. It’s powered by the Yema 2000 automatic movement, the second generation of the French brand’s in-house calibre. It has a 42-hour power reserve and accuracy of +/-10 seconds per day.
Case/dial: 39mm diameter stainless steel case with textured dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Yema 2000 automatic movement with 42h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: €890 (approx. £760)
£1,000 – £5,000
Christopher Ward The Twelve (Ti)
Depending on who you ask, the Twelve is either the coolest, all-encompassing 1970s design around or it’s a derivative pick ‘n’ mix of key design elements. There’s credence to both. A Laureato bezel meets a PRX case meets a bracelet eerily reminiscent of the Octo Finissimo. A full house. But none of that stops it just… working. Those parts may be inspired by others, but The Twelve is greater than the sum of them, particularly in its titanium edition with a striking blue fume dial. That dial uses a fantastic three-dimensional riff on Christopher Ward’s logo and, as is the modus operandi for the British watch giant, offers some of the best value-for-money on the market. Read ‘em and weep.
Case/dial: 40mm diameter titanium case with Astral Blue dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Sellita SW300-1 COSC-certified automatic movement with 56h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: £1,595
Ollech & Wajs OW 8001
Despite not getting any of the limelight, Ollech & Wajs were nonetheless one of the earliest adopters of the integrated bracelet in the OW Ref.8000 – a watch that for its 50th anniversary has been revamped and re-released as the OW 8001. Everything from the brushed, brutalist case to the ubiquitous integrated bracelet is pure ‘70s sporting style, build quality and visual appeal in equal measure. Better yet, this one’s actually built for sports, with 300m water resistance (a cut above the usual 100m for these pieces) and an extra-thick sapphire crystal to survive impacts. All in all, it’s a seriously cool, vastly underrated entry into sports luxe canon.
Case/dial: 39.56mm diameter stainless steel case with double lacquered ‘Havana Fume’ dual
Water resistance: 300m (30 bar)
Movement: Bespoke Soprod Newton P092 COSC-certified automatic movement with 44h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: CHF 1,856 (approx. £1,600)
Maurice Lacroix Aikon Automatic Summer Edition
A summer-ready take on the sports luxe vibe, the Aikon Automatic Summer Edition is a brightly coloured beast in 42mm of steel. It makes good use of that space too, with a detailed dial with square pattern in ice blue. It also features the characteristic Aikon bezel with prominent grips on top of a round case and integrated steel bracelet. It’s powered by the automatic ML 115 (base Sellita SW200-1) with 38-hour power reserve.
Case/dial: 42mm diameter stainless steel case with Clous de Paris dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Miyota calibre 9015, automatic, 24 jewels, 28,800 vph (4 Hz) frequency, 42h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: CHF 2,450 (approx. £2,200)
Frederique Constant Highlife Felipao
Taking the solid template of Frederique Constant’s still recent Highlife, similar in shape and style to their Citizen stablemate’s Tsuyosa, the watchmaker is tapping into digital art with this collaboration from Felipao. A dial designed after the Spanish pop artists signature polyhedral motif with a cute or sweary (depending on your perspective) two o’clock index, it’s a fun, colourful expression of Felipao’s style. To top things off, each of the 100-piece limited edition will come with an NFT sculpture. Even if that makes you roll your eyes – and it should – it’s a cool watch and one worth investing in. Definitely more-so than NFTs.
Case/dial: 41mm diameter stainless steel case with blue polyhedral textured ceramic sphere dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: FC-303 COSC certified automatic movement with 38h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: £2,250
Tag Heuer Link
It’s the 60th anniversary of TAG Heuer’s seminal Carrera racing watch, but even before 2023, it’s been easy to forget about the Link. However, in this era of sports luxe dominance, it hits all the same notes. Granted the bracelet has a bit more curvaceousness than the usual flat, industrial bent with its S-shaped links, but it bleeds into the cushion-adjacent case in that perfect 1970s way. The fact that it was Ayrton Senna’s watch of choice (at least in its original incarnation) also taps nicely into TAG Heuer’s racing history. There aren’t too many options of colours these days, but the blue is always a solid choice.
Case/dial: 41mm diameter stainless steel case with sunray brushed dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Tag Heuer Calibre 5 automatic movement with 38h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: £3,000
Baume & Mercier Riviera 10746
While their diving bezel-equipped Azure variation might have been the coolest Baume & Mercier of the year, its functionality precludes its inclusion here. It doesn’t count. But all the aesthetics, including the translucent blue dial, are here too, complete with a screwed, sporty dodecagonal (12-sided) bezel. Despite having all the same ingredients as plenty of other watches here, the 10746 is somehow one of the most individual, Swiss-made but it’s perfectly suited to a yacht on the Cote d’Azur, while offering a relatively accessible price tag. Is it perfect? No, but it’s pretty darn close.
Case/dial: 39mm diameter stainless steel case with transparent smokey blue sapphire dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Swiss made automatic movement with 120h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: £3,600
£5,000 – £20,000
Carl Suchy & Söhne Belvedere
Moving from the gloriously Viennese Waltz collection to an integrated bracelet sports piece is a big ask, but the Belvedere does a solid job. It still has elements of the brand’s flagship collection – mainly a similar dial finish with two sections of differently oriented lines – but bulkier, sportier and with an integrated look that bleeds from steel to rubber fluidly. It is however slimmer than you’d expect and while I wouldn’t call it elegant, it’s still a solid wear-anywhere option. It’s also a cut above other watches at its level from a movement perspective with a modified Dubois Depraz number. It’s a completely new dance for Carl Suchy & Sohne, but they’ve not missed a beat.
Case/dial: 40.8mm diameter stainless steel case with blue dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Modified Dubois Depraz calibre DD90000 automatic movement 42h power reserve
Strap: Rubber
Price: €6,400 (approx. £5,700)
Bell & Ross BR 05 Chrono A523
Taking the “sport” in sports luxe a bit more seriously is the Bell & Ross BR 05 Chrono A523. Although, just because it has a chronograph and is inspired by F1 doesn’t mean it has abandoned the industrial design elements that earn it a place in this article. It still has an integrated steel bracelet and the case features a rounded square design with prominent bezel and visible screws. The A523 model is a new collaborative limited edition made with the Alpine F1 team, sporting their team colours and their logo for the seconds hand counter balance.
Case/dial: 42mm wide stainless steel case with black dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Bell & Ross BR-CAL.326 automatic movement with 38h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: £6,600
Zenith Defy Skyline
The Zenith Defy might not have the heritage of the El Primero but it’s still a venerable collection in its own right, dating back to the 1960s. One of the most recent additions to the range is the Skyline, a steel watch with integrated bracelet and a distinctly genta-esque design. By which I mean the octagonal case and dodecagonal bezel have all the geometric shape language expected of a sports luxe timepiece. The dial is also lovely with a field of four-pointed stars against a monochromatic backdrop. The boutique edition stands out as a favourite with its salmon stars and grey dial. A modern take on the collection that is most welcome.
Case/dial: 41mm diameter stainless steel case with sunray-patterned dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: El Primero automatic movement with 60h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: £7,900
IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40
With all this talk of Genta-adjacent design, it’s nice to come across another watch that is actually a Genta original design. The IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 traces its lineage back to the Ingenieur SL Ref. 1832, taking a name that had been in IWC’s collection since the 1950s and lavishing it with that familiar sports luxe watch industrial twang, visible bezel screws and all. The modern reinterpretation isn’t a direct homage though as it introduces changes that riff on the original concept. In particular, the dial is new with a unique checker board appearance with lines and squares.
Case/dial: 40mm diameter stainless steel case with black dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: IWC 32111 automatic movement with 120h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel case
Price: £10,500
Piaget Polo Field
The Piaget Polo Field is the latest addition to the Polo collection and the first green dial edition not to feature a precious metal case. In that respect, it takes the collection back to its proper sports luxe roots in robust steel. Another way in which it embraces a sporty aspect is the texture of the dial, which features two widths of horizontal lines that creates the impression of a polo field in the middle of the display surrounded by spectators. On top of that, it has a green rubber strap making it comfortable during more strenuous activities, although at a price of £11,500, that might not be advisable.
Case/dial: 42mm diameter stainless steel case with green dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Piaget 1110P automatic movement with 50h power reserve
Strap: Green rubber
Price: £11,500
Chopard Alpine Eagle Cadence 8HF
The Alpine Eagle is one of the biggest, most overt nods to 1970s integrated sports luxe watches with its flat, punchy bezel – with visible screws, of course – and its Nautilus-esque shoulders. Finishing across the board is in line with the best of Chopard watchmaking, while the high frequency movement in this particular version (an incredible 8hz if you were wondering) amps up the chronometric performance to high flying levels. Paired with a cool black dial with orange highlights, the Alpine Eagle Cadence is a serious contender.
Case/dial: 41mm diameter titanium case with absolute black dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Chopard 01.12-C automatic movement with 60h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: £18,500
£20,000+
Girard-Perregaux Laureato Aston Martin
Girard-Perregaux’s Laureato Aston Martin edition does away with the traditional steel to wow in full green ceramic, integrated bracelet and all. On top of that, it’s GP’s first coloured ceramic watch. And what a colour it is: rich, deep British racing green in tribute to Aston Martin’s racing colours. Across the diamond patterned dial, ceramic case and bracelet it looks incredibly smart. All the more impressive considering how difficult coloured ceramic is to create, making the consistent tone across all elements of the watch a real achievement. It’s still recognisably a Laureato with the octagonal bezel on a round case.
Case/dial: 42mm diameter green ceramic case with sunray green cross-hatched dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Girard Perregaux GP01800 automatic movement with 54h power reserve
Strap: Ceramic bracelet
Price: £21,900
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding
Another of Genta’s legendary designs is the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, as exemplified by the Selfwinding Ref. 15550ST.OO.1356ST.08. It has the beyond iconic octagonal bezel with eight octagonal screws, integrated bracelet and a Tapisserie dial. Tapisserie is AP’s distinctive dial texture (available in multiple styles) consisting of geometrically arranged cubes – the forbidden luxury chocolate bar. It looks great in almost any colour but this 37mm model is particularly striking in ice blue. Under the surface is the Calibre 5900 with 60-hour power reserve.
Case/dial: 37mm diameter stainless steel case with light blue “Grande Tapisserie” dial
Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
Movement: AP 5900 automatic movement with 60h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: £22,800
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Skeleton 8 Days
It’s by no means rare to see a sports luxe watch skeletonised and Bulgari’s ultra-thin Finissimo Skeleton collection is always worth looking at in a bit more depth. Somehow, through esoteric horological rituals unknown, the movement boasts an eight-day power reserve while rising no more than 2.5mm high. It’s something that’s hard to wrap your head around, even when the entire thing is on view in the latest edition. Otherwise, it’s the Octo Finissimo that’s made Bulgari’s watchmaking what it is today, an even more industrial take on the original Genta Octo, which on one of the finest bracelets in the industry, makes for an super-comfortable, lightweight titanium watch.
Case/dial: 40mm diameter titanium case with skeletonised dial
Water resistance: 30m (3 bar)
Movement: BVL 199 SK manual winding movement with 8 days power reserve
Strap: Titanium bracelet
Price: £24,600
H. Moser Streamliner Flyback Chronograph
In an example of convergent evolution, not every watch arrives at cool sports-luxe design via the Genta-style industrial aesthetic. The H. Moser Streamliner owes its minimalist and fluid design to the Streamliner trains of the 50s and 60s, the predecessors to modern bullet trains. The Streamliner Flyback Chronograph features a cushion shape case with a smooth surface that blends into the integrated steel bracelet. It’s a lot more flowing than the other sports luxe watches here, although it definitely earns its place with the precision and beauty of its fumé dial pairing with the robust steel case and sporty chronograph function.
Case/dial: 42.3mm diameter stainless steel case with funky blue fumé dial
Water resistance: 120m (12 bar)
Movement: HMC 907 automatic movement with 72h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: CHF 45,000 (approx. £38,600)
Laurent Ferrier Sport Auto
Quietly one of the coolest watches launched in the last few years, the Laurent Ferrier Sport Auto has close ties to the prestigious 24-hours of Le Mans. Laurent Ferrier himself competed in the race more than 40 years ago, coming a more than respectable 3rd as an amateur driver, and the Sport Auto is his envisioning of the watch he wishes he could’ve worn on that occasion. I can’t think of a single event that encapsulates the concept of sports luxe as well as Le Mans, where practicality and style go hand in hand. The Sport Auto has a 41.5mm tonneau case with cushion bezel made in titanium with an integrated bracelet.
Case/dial: 41.5mm diameter titanium case with blue gradient dial
Water resistance: 120m (12 bar)
Movement: Laurent Ferrier LF270.01 automatic movement with 72h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: CHF 46,000 (approx. £39,500)
Patek Philippe Nautilus 5811/1G
Here it is, the current grandaddy of the movement, the latest edition of the Genta-designed Nautilus. When the famous steel 5711 was discontinued, this is the watch that was touted as its successor. While it’s in white gold, as opposed to the earlier model’s more practical stainless steel (a finger on the luxe end of the scale), it aesthetically encapsulates everything that made the 5711 an impossible ask for anyone that didn’t already own a clutch of Patek Philippe high complications. That means the same muscular shoulders and porthole bezel (if slightly larger than the original), the same flawlessly machined bracelet, and even that horizontally striped blue dial. It’s not as in-demand as a new steel version would be, but good luck getting one of these bad boys regardless.
Case/dial: 41mm diameter white gold case with sunburst blue dial dial
Water resistance: 120m (12 bar)
Movement: Patek Philippe 26-330 S C automatic movement with 35h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: £56,190
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Moon Phase Retrograde
While the salmon-dialled platinum Patrimony stole the retrograde show this year, Vacheron Constantin’s application of retrograde indicators to their superb 222-based Overseas shouldn’t be overlooked. Across the top half you have a retrograde pointer date; at the bottom a hyper-accurate moon phase with an ‘age of the moon’ indicator, basically a numerical representation of the moon phase. Combining an haute horology complication with a sporty steel case and a comfortable, quick-change integrated bracelet, it’s one of the best watches of its ilk out there, retrograde hands down.
Case/dial: 41mm diameter brushed stainless steel case with blue dial
Water resistance: 50m (5 bar)
Movement: Vacheron Constantin 2460 R31L/2 automatic movement with 40h power reserve
Strap: Stainless steel case
Price: Price on request
Oracle Time