Our Most Worn Watches of Summer 2019

I don’t know about you, but come summer time, I find myself sticking to a handful of watches. My dressier pieces on leather sit in the watchbox collecting dust, and out come the sportier watches with upped water resistance that look especially good on a mil-strap or bracelet. Now that we’re in the tail end of the dog days of summer, I thought it’d be fun to check in with some of the Worn & Wound crew about what watches saw the most sunlight these past few months. Let us know what watch you wore the most by dropping a comment below. – Ilya Ryvin, Managing Editor

Ilya Ryvin
Mk II Gen. 3 Paradive

I’ll kick things off with the MK II Paradive. It’s been something of a no-brainer for me this summer, and while I’ve definitely strapped on other watches, the Paradive has been my go-to watch in the evenings and on weekends. It has a super clean aesthetic (it is an homage to a legendary military watch, after all), it’s basically indestructible, and it’s a tool watch that looks great on a mil-strap, which is what I’ve paired with it all summer long (one of our ADPT straps, to be more specific). My Grand Seiko is a very close second, though that one’s stayed on its bracelet.

Ed Jelley
Tudor Black Bay 36 blue dial

More often than not, I found myself reaching for my trusty Tudor Black Bay 36 in blue. The comfortable bracelet, smaller case size, and fun blue dial made it a no-brainer to throw on my wrist for the summer months. When it’s disgustingly hot and humid, I prefer a bracelet. The slim, tapered example on the Black Bay 36 is comfortable, even when the weather is not. I also appreciate the 150m of water resistance that’s come in handy on a few weekend trips where I’ve found myself in the pool. Even though my new Seiko SRP775 has been getting some wrist time as the newcomer to my collection, the Tudor Black Bay 36 still holds the top spot as my go-to summer watch.

Zach Kazan
Rolex Sea Dweller Ref. 16600

Summer is dive watch season, and this year, more than any other watch, I’ve reached for my Rolex Sea Dweller. Now, I’m not a saturation diver, so the helium release valve is nothing more than a conversation starter, but I love the rugged appeal of this reference, the 16600, from the days before the supercase. It’s incredibly casual, totally indestructible, and flies way under the radar. While it’s more than robust enough to stand up to your craziest summer adventure, it works just as well on the patio of your neighborhood bar, while drinking cold beers with good friends (per my own field testing). The Sea Dweller also fits surprisingly well on the wrist — it‘s the same 40mm in diameter as a Sub from the same period, and just a bit thicker. It will slide under a cuff (tightly), but I’d argue if that’s your main concern once we’ve reached the dog days, you might be doing summer wrong.

Brad Homes
Sinn 809

Following a trip back to Frankfurt over the winter months, my Sinn 809 returned to my collection at the start of summer and it’s been my most worn watch since then. Although the 809 isn’t strictly a summer beater, it is a great all-rounder so there aren’t many occasions, activities, or dress-codes that rule it out. After a fairly lengthy absence I’ve been experiencing a second honeymoon with the watch this summer and appreciating all those little things (like the indices printed on the crystal!) that helped me fall in love with it in the first place .

Christoph McNeill
Tudor Black Bay Blue (with the ETA caliber)

My most worn watch of 2019 is hands-down my Tudor Black Bay blue dial with the ETA 2824 movement. When this watch was first announced I immediately fell in love, and when I finally procured one it did not disappoint. Everything about it is top shelf — design, build, comfort (especially on the OEM bracelet), and it’s a beauty, too. I’d say I wear this watch 80% of the time; it’s become the grab-and-go piece in my collection. Now, if we’re talking old watches, the most worn watch is the vintage counterpart to the Black Bay — my 1979 Tudor Submariner blue snowflake Ref. 94110. I guess I’m a sucker for those snowflake hands!

Mark McArthur-Christie
Seiko Ref. SDGA001

This summer (not that we have summer in the UK, just warmer rain), the go-to has been my old SDGA001. It’s taken everything in its stride; the travelling (all the timezones you need and some that are just scary) and Miata-maintenance abuse (new struts and rotors — jeez). It’s solar powered (so the little bit of sun has been handy) and water-resistant to 100m. The ideal British summer watch. In fact, as a utility watch, the only thing I can fault is the Henry Ford-style lack of strap choices. You can have any strap you like as long as it’s the steel bracelet it came on. It’d be great to have the option of a mil-strap here.

Zach Weiss
Farer Lander Chronograph

This was definitely the summer of the Farer Lander Chronograph for me. I picked it up at the end of May under the guise of a 35th birthday present for myself, and it has rarely left my wrist since. The balance of a very wearable 39mm wide and 12.5mm tall case, with the signature Sunray teal of the dial made it pretty ideal for the hotter weather. It took well to nylon straps, my material of choice for sweaty NYC days, and added just enough color to my outfits to make me feel, well, summery