An imaginary journey with my summer watches
LOFTThe first rays of summer sunshine are beginning to make themselves felt. The strangest winter of our lives is fading away, and little by little we're peeking outside again.
The 24/7 pajama season is over, and more than ever I'm grateful for the blessed existence of my modest, but much-spoiled, watch collection. In the saddest and most tedious moments of confinement, it always served as a little escape, filled with fantasies and memories of the adventures hidden in every scratch and dent on my precious time companions. The mere act of changing a strap, cleaning a glass, or simply playing with a rotating bezel seems to have a narcotic and hypnotizing effect on my consciousness, and in minutes I can go from the anguish of my tiny home office desk straight to the beaches of Saint Tropez , the nights of Monte Carlo , or the adventures of the great Jacques Yves Cousteau . That is precisely the power of the mechanical watch, the allure of a completely redundant, imperfect, and fragile object, existing only to bring us the joy that a smartwatch can never deliver. The mere fact that your wristwatch has been obsolete for more than 20 years, yet is more relevant than ever, is what transforms it into an everlasting object, capable of entering your heart like no other.
Leaving aside the small tribute, the invitation is to travel, imaginatively of course, through the best summer adventures and find the perfect wrist companion for each one. On this journey, there are no pandemic restrictions, no closed restaurants, no annoying masks... just one destination, one watch, and one great adventure. The only criterion for this selection was to choose pieces that were released in 2020 and are available to buy today (no annoying waitlists). Since summer is a state of mind more than a season, we don't set limits on price, water resistance, or style. We did try to choose something for all budgets, because while the adventures and destinations are imaginary, the credit card bill is very real. This is where the journey begins!
Summer Safari in the Serengeti
We set off on our summer adventures with the sun blazing across the plains of Tanzania. With these temperatures, a very robust watch with a rubber strap is essential, capable of withstanding a few knocks during trips in battered Land Rovers.
There’s no better companion than the new Seiko SNJ029 “Safarnie” (each new model is given a unique nickname by fans of the brand. In this case, it refers to the fact that this watch is the “Safari” version of a watch immortalized by Arnold Schwarzenegger in most of his action movies from the 80s and 90s), with its beige color scheme and darkened steel case, perfect for camouflaging yourself among the creatures of the jungle.
Its modest price of USD 550 makes it particularly practical for strolling through the city's bars at night, where its utilitarian look doesn't draw undue attention that could land the wearer in trouble. Its 200-meter water resistance and digital chronograph and GMT functions provide additional functionality, ideal for all-terrain globetrotters. You can find it on Amazon, with direct shipping to Chile.
Diving with whale sharks in the Maldives
If there's one thing that keeps us coming back and reliving Jacques Cousteau's adventures on his Calypso , it's the immense variety of outlandish diving watches that the crew wore on every mission, during the golden age of the diving watch, when it was truly an indispensable piece in any diver's tool kit.
And if there's one of these watches that stands out as Jacques' favorite, it's undoubtedly the Doxa Sub 300 , which is experiencing a renaissance this year, full of ocean-inspired colors, with a remake that's truly faithful to the 1967 original. For this adventure in the Maldives, we'd choose the "Aquamarine" version, which, like all of them, offers 300 meters of water resistance and the option of a classic "rice grain" bracelet or an excellent rubber strap, the color of the dial, with a practical micro-adjustment system for use over a wetsuit. The unique shape of the case and the touch of color are sure to catch the attention not only of sharks, but also of fans of the vintage style offered by the brand, today more alive than ever with this successful collection.
Its price is USD 2,490 , which represents an incredible style/price ratio, and can be ordered directly from the brand's website » doxawatches.com/products/aquamarie?variant=32937802924141
A Week of Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll in Las Vegas
Everyone deserves at least a week of pure decadence and excess in their life. A penthouse suite at the Bellagio, a team of friends with little to lose, and millions won at the blackjack tables. The only thing missing from the film is a watch fit to reflect this state of mind, a watch capable of showing the world who's boss, yet also worthy of the endless nights spent dancing on the table and jumping from the 10th floor straight into the pool after a wild night.
Luckily, this year Rolex launched the perfect model for this imaginary situation. This year, we have a new Submariner , the quintessential summer watch. But which one do we choose? We need gold—lots of gold—water and shock resistance, and a very obvious visual reminder that the bill is not an issue. This leaves us with one wonderful option: the new Submariner 126618 , 250 grams of solid gold and a dubious reputation.
Its $40,000 price tag might seem steep, but we don't know of a material object in the world that can convey a message about its owner better than this monster. Its elegance is dubious, but its technical capabilities and quality are legendary. Its resale value is so solid, it could even prove to be a good investment. That is, if it survives the night beforehand. You can find it in authorized Rolex boutiques.
Traveling to the Moon with Elon Musk
After 50 years, the space race is back! It's no longer governments fighting for astronomical supremacy, but now, very much in line with the times we live in, the fight is between corporations. And the one leading the way today is SpaceX , owned by the genius Elon Musk , who managed to launch a joint mission with NASA in the middle of the year that acted as a space "taxi" to transport astronauts to the space station.
The next step is to put civilians on the moon, and for that, the watch we’d like to wear would be the Casio G-Shock DW5600 NASA Limited Edition , a commemorative edition celebrating the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong ’s moon landing. The classic G-Shock case is dressed in lunar white and proudly displays the NASA “worm” logo, in a look that reminds us of Kubrick’s classic “2001: A Space Odyssey” .
We have no doubt we're looking at a future classic, a must-have for any G-Shock fanatic. As a true summer watch, it's water-resistant to 200 meters, and its radiant white color matches any tan, even a moon tan. A special detail that blew our minds was the presence of a globe that lights up red when you press the backlight button. Without a doubt, this is the watch that will give you the most smiles per dollar this summer. Available at select retailers for $130 .
Series marathon at home
If you've been staying home this summer, don't despair. We've never had so much TV to delight in or so many delicious home-delivered treats at our fingertips. A lazy summer can also be fun, and there's no better proof of that than the MAT Watches Egg Master Watch , a rare find worthy of a spot on your wrist this summer.
Launched in collaboration with the Association de Sauvegarde de l'Oeuf Mayonnaise (ASOM) , a bit like the Egg Mayonnaise Conservation Association, this watch features a special display to time the 8 minutes and 40 seconds it takes to make the perfect hard-boiled egg (according to the association). That's right, by setting the function with the multifunction crown, the countdown lets you know when it's time to remove your egg from the water and return to your couch for some more Netflix.
The watch face features the association's logo (which obviously includes a plate of eggs) and the following quote: "Time flies, but eggs are forever." If all this sounds too surreal to believe, we invite you to visit MAT's website and hurry up and order one of the 99 pieces of this unforgettable watch. Its price is 1,199 pounds .
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