Boldr x Nitecore T-Rex
When a watchmaker offers as much bang for your buck as Boldr, you don’t ask for bells and whistles. And yet… in its beefy collaboration with torch and low-light specialist Nitecore, you get not only a cool, blacked-out diving watch with a T-Rex on the dial, you get a 500-lumen torch to go with it, both with the same laser-engraved T-Rex footprint detail. Throw in some palaeontologist-baiting accessories and you have a stealthy daily beater just waiting for the sun to go down.
Price & Specs
40mm stainless steel case with 200m water resistance
Seiko SII NH35A calibre automatic movement with 41-hour power reserve
£379, available at Boldr.
Vario 1945 D12 Field Watch
Australia has some of the most spectacular landscapes in the world, from immaculate coastlines to rugged bush – and any watch hoping to tackle it needs to be a seriously rugged piece of kit. Enter the Nullarbor Terrain. The Australian-designed timepiece is part 1960s diver, part explorer, combining an everyday 100m water resistance and sandwich dial with a compass bezel.
It might be built to survive, but the Terrain is still easy on the wrist with a 40mm stainless steel case and the Miyota movement is the ultimate workhorse. Best of all – if you’re quick – you can still get it for an early bird discount over on Kickstarter for just under £350.
Price & Specs
37mm stainless steel case with 100m water resistance
Miyota 82S5 automatic movement with 40-hour power reserve
£298, available at Vario.
Wages Watches Naval Capital
Naval Capital Yellow watches – and bright dials in general, but yellow more so than the rest – are in vogue right now, with accessible watchmakers aplenty making a summery splash on the wrist. Fledgling watch brand (it opened its doors this year) Wages has seized upon that particular zeitgeist with the Naval Capital, a streamlined 40mm everyday wearer with that bright mustard hue we’ve all come to know and love. Powered by an automatic movement, it’s also a lot of watch for the money, just in case you were hesitant you could pull off yellow. At this price, yes you can.
Price & Specs
40mm stainless steel case
Automatic movement
$335.95 (approx. £270), available at Wages Watches.
Nullarbor Terrain
Australia has some of the most spectacular landscapes in the world, from immaculate coastlines to rugged bush – and any watch hoping to tackle it needs to be a seriously rugged piece of kit. Enter the Nullarbor Terrain. The Australian-designed timepiece is part 1960s diver, part explorer, combining an everyday 100m water resistance and sandwich dial with a compass bezel.
It might be built to survive, but the Terrain is still easy on the wrist with a 40mm stainless steel case and the Miyota movement is the ultimate workhorse. Best of all – if you’re quick – you can still get it for an early bird discount over on Kickstarter for just under £350.
Price & Specs
40mm stainless steel case with 100m water resistance
Miyota 9039 automatic movement with 42-hour power reserve
€AU$1,000 (approx. £510), available at Nullarbor.
Rosenbusch Quest
The hype around integrated bracelets may be dying back a little – thank god for that, it was getting a bit much – but that doesn’t mean a new version here or there isn’t welcome. That’s doubly true if it’s a genuinely affordable, aesthetically striking take on the formula like the Rosenbusch Quest.
Like a greatest hits of sports luxe – part Ingenieur, part Nautilus, part PRX – it has all the Genta-adjacent touches associated with the genre. However, the Quest is also available in a quartet of dials, including a striking blue version and a very handsome blue. Best of all, it’s genuinely affordable – especially if you grab one on Kickstarter for a serious early bird discount.
Price & Specs
42mm stainless steel case with 100m water resistance
• Sellita SW200-1 Élaboré automatic movement with 41-hour power reserve
• €669 (approx. £575), available at Rosenbusch.
Oracle Time