The best holiday watches

[oliverte]

I'm off on holiday tomorrow and I'm toying with what watch to take.

To me, a holiday watch needs to:
- be water resistant
- not be too attention grabbing
- be suitable for the frictional elements of sand and sea water
- not have a leather strap

In an ideal world, depending on your trip and destination, a holiday watch may need to:
- tell a second, maybe even third time zone
- offer an extendible bracelet

As I'm off tomorrow, I'm considering
1. Tornek Rayville TR660 on nato
2. Breathing Aerospace night mission on rubber

What are other peoples key attributes for a holiday watch, and go to pieces?



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[Sinnlover]

2nd time zone
Quick change home time
Good lume
Rubber strap or nato
Robust
Timing bezel is a nice to have
Non reflective coating / PVD
The seiko SUN023 is my go to holiday watch and will be the last watch I ever get rid of due to the memories.
It’s also a watch I wanted as soon as it was released so it satisfies the WIS in me.

[Beanie]

My holiday watch

Admittedly not the most hostile environment, but it does quite nicely on the beach/by the pool. GMT, Ti so light and comfy, micro adjust on the clasp (cocktail stick required which is OK as I'm in the bar a lot) plus 2 x 1/2 links, cheap enough that it's not the end of the world if I damage/lose it, and other than the bezel it's quite low profile (compared to a high end Swiss brand)
There are lots of similar from Quale, Glycine and others.

[OldHooky]

Something tough, in style as well as able to handle sand, water and heat and still look good a new.
Interesting but not shouty.
Affordable not luxury, which I know is subjective.
Good legibility for when squinting into the sun.
Drilled lugs
Lume

My contender is the Damasko DA38, which looks better on the wrist than my photos show




IMG_7388.jpg

[BCD]

My trusty Casio DW5600, doesn’t matter what happens to it as it’s literally bomb proof!

[julian2002]

This, because I loathe it and don’t care if I batter it.

[Qatar-wol]

My contender is the Damasko DA38, which looks better on the wrist than my photos show




IMG_7388.jpg

I would wear mine on a Nick Mankey strap and I think the whole combo was under 60g, and very slim.

I'm just going to throw this out there as an answer, as I do to most watch questions asked recently.

[pete-r]

If it were a driving holiday or a UK trip I'd wear whatever I fancied.

F91W if it's a rowdy city break.

[Neil.C]

I always wear my quartz Seamaster SMP. It has a separately moveable hour hand so easy to change time zones going out and coming home

Looks great, nice and water resistant and brilliant lume for use on a bedside table too.

BTW OP, like your Tornek.

[JeremyO]

I always wear my quartz Seamaster SMP. It has a separately moveable hour hand so easy to change time zones going out and coming home

Looks great, nice and water resistant and brilliant lume for use on a bedside table too.

BTW OP, like your Tornek.

Ditto although mine is the blue SMP 300. Lume not as good as this one but it’ll do for me

[Bonny Marco]

Mine is the Clemence Photic Diver, a microbrand. Good water resistance, bracelet has a divers extension which I use as a micro- adjust system, drilled lugs, spare rubber strap and strap tool. It's not a GMT, but at it's price point I think that's not unreasonable.

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[Routers]

I’ve now decided to take these two.

[Mr Tetley]

Recently bought a G-Shock GW5000-U which I’ll use for the beach days. In saying that, I’m still cautious about getting sunscreen on the rubber but I’m sure it’ll be just fine if I wash it afterwards

Also, I think the Baby Dreadnought could fit the bill nicely.

[wileeeeeey]

Usually always these two with a third depending where we’re going. Used to always bring a G-Shock for the beach but Garmin seems to do that job now.

[notnowkato]

Cheerful

[P9CLY]

One the thieves dont want.

[matt74]

This has been on holiday duty this week



Good size, white dial for the sunshine, not showy, second time zone (although my destination is in the same one!), WR, rubber strap with a clasp for zero faff and easy to clean.

[bwest76]

I mostly take my Seiko solar diver,its rugged, reliable, keeps good time and takes 20mm straps which I also like.

Sometimes I take my Smiths 29B as well,though I am far more careful with it.

Though the Seiko isn't expensive I wouldnt want to lose it as its become a bit of companion/charm on many road trips.

[Eddiex]

I mostly take my Seiko solar diver,its rugged, reliable, keeps good time and takes 20mm straps which I also like.

Though the Seiko isn't expensive I wouldnt want to lose it as its become a bit of companion/charm on many road trips.

I rather like that - especially with the black date wheel. What is the model number please?
Thanks

[helidoc]

For beach and pool duties, it’s a yellow G Shock CasioOak. For my 2 weeks in Toronto and Chicago this week, I think I’m taking the 16610 and the Dornbluth 99.1M. There is a wedding, and I need to posh up a bit. I’m tempted to take the 16570, but hacking the Sub isn’t a disaster, and my brain can do the maths for a 5h time difference. The Aerospace I used to have was a very good travel watch. Highly tempted by an SBGN003, but I don’t need one.

D

Taking





Was good




Want



Dave


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[Eddiex]

On my last two long trips away - motorhoming (in which I definitely don’t have to ‘dress for dinner’!) across France and Spain - I’ve found this CWC GS to be perfect for my use. Grab n go quartz, light and slim on the wrist, reasonable lume and 200m water resistant.




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[Idontgram]

It’s funny how many people want a GMT on holiday. The last thing I want to know, when I’m away, is the time back home!

[earlofsodbury]

This, because it's half the price of a Damasko (which is half the price of a Sinn), yet just as scratch-resistant, smallish, slimish, super-comfy, and a nice bright cheerful colour -



And it can be yours for peanuts - 'cos I've spent too much on watches to be able to actually afford a sodding holiday...

[MartynJC (UK)]

I’d probably wear this, unknown in the wild, dual time in case I want to call them back home, and exquisite finish. I’d need to get a good rubber strap to go with the 60m wrt.

[Billyloves2boogie]

I’d probably wear this, unknown in the wild, dual time in case I want to call them back home, and exquisite finish. I’d need to get a good rubber strap to go with the 60m wrt.

Very brave, not sure I’d be taking mine to the beach or pool with confidence.


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[Caruso]

[zen123]

I’d probably wear this, unknown in the wild, dual time in case I want to call them back home, and exquisite finish. I’d need to get a good rubber strap to go with the 60m wrt.

Here's mine. I wore it last month while in HK and took it with me to Thailand last week. I swapped the strap over to a bkue sailcloth from Amazon.com

I also took wore the Tudor Pelagos 39 on its rubber strap for the when doing beach and water activities.

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[magirus]

It’s funny how many people want a GMT on holiday. The last thing I want to know, when I’m away, is the time back home!

Indeed, it takes seconds to set a watch to local time anyway. Even if you need to think of the time back home it's a nanosecond mental calculation. I take my CWC with 3 nylon Natos, one on, one drying after being washed, one ready to go on.

[Planet Ocean]

Indeed, it takes seconds to set a watch to local time anyway. Even if you need to think of the time back home it's a nanosecond mental calculation. I take my CWC with 3 nylon Natos, one on, one drying after being washed, one ready to go on.

What a great colour combo for the RN diver, never really looked at this shade of strap for mine....guessing it's classed as Coyote, could I ask where you got it from as I'm thinking I might pick one up now after seeing your photo.

[catch21]

I did Canada earlier in the year with my 5-digit polar explorer and Garmin Fenix, (no pics but we all know what they look like), and I’m seeing a similar theme repeated a number of times in this great thread.

I wonder if the Garmin had come first whether I would ever have wandered down this particular rabbit hole of pleasure.

[gunner]

I wonder if the Garmin had come first whether I would ever have wandered down this particular rabbit hole of pleasure.

Certainly limiting my interest in G-shocks...

[magirus]

What a great colour combo for the RN diver, never really looked at this shade of strap for mine....guessing it's classed as Coyote, could I ask where you got it from as I'm thinking I might pick one up now after seeing your photo.

It's from our host from Timefactors, as you say it's Coyote Brown.

[gunner]

Titanium Oceanus ticked all the boxes last year.



The Seamaster 120 multifunction would too (both have bracelets, second time zones etc.).



But I've now come to terms with the fact that I want more than one watch with me - so it will almost certainly be the Garmin solar (on Nick Mankey strap) for during the day and something else for the evenings.

[sweets]

I am quite surprised that not many people take chronographs.
With the kids we were always timing things over a holiday - who can swim there and back quickest over the week, "How long is this queue?" sweepstakes, can you just STFU for 15 minutes? etc etc.
I almost always take this as one of mine, or my Tutima Commando. The Bremont dresses up a little better though if we go out for dinner

[Halitosis]

I bought this to be a holiday watch but wear it most days regardless. Damasko diver proving indestructible, on a rubber Hersch strap - both with a splash of sunshine yellow.

[Filterlab]

Zelos Abyss...

Rock hard
Awesome lume
Water resistant enough to visit the Titanic
Rock hard
Legible
Nice but not flashy
Rock hard

[gerrudd]

I wore my CWC 83 reissue on holidays last year. Dressed it down on a Nato and dressed it up on a leather single pass. Now why did I sell it?

[size11s]

This for me, 656 200m wr, tough as old flip flops, simple, reliable and straightforward as corn flakes...

[MFB Scotland]

This will be my summer 23 main holiday watch

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[gladders]

I just picked up the very same from WoS Brent Cross. I'm off to Paris tomorrow and didn't fancy sporting an AP ROO Diver while wearing short sleeves.

Very impressed - I love an integrated strap and I love on-the-fly micro-adjustment even more. Quirky case shape and quirky dial design. Ticks all my boxes.

I preferred the 300, but WoS only had that on bracelet without the micro-adjustment. I can see me adding the "Tiffany Blue" Doxa 300 or 300T in the near future. A fabulous and relatively inexpensive masterpiece.

I just wish they'd been more imaginative with the date typeface - if they'd used the same font as the bezel, it would be perfect!

simon

This will be my summer 23 main holiday watch

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[aamaci]

Mine, on its holidays:



It helps that the bracelet has a couple of ingenious expanding links which allow the bracelet to expand as your wrist swells in the heat. Works a treat.

A

[bwest76]

This would make an excellent holiday watch.



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[Robsmck]

This would make an excellent holiday watch.



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The FXD would get my vote, unless I need to know the date. I'm hoping to do some travelling in SE Asia next Jan/Feb, the 243 will be my choice for that.
I totally don't want to know the time back home when I am on holiday.

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[davidj54]

Guess it depends on the type of holiday, we’re in the US this summer, I’ll be using this which is my only watch currently; 36mm, versatile, understated but I think the white dial adds a touch of summer, quick release rubber strap & steel bracelet so I can switch between the two depending on what I’m doing ie and water stuff or dinner out, and 150m WR.






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[JohnB4]

Guess it depends on the type of holiday, we’re in the US this summer, I’ll be using this which is my only watch currently; 36mm, versatile, understated but I think the white dial adds a touch of summer, quick release rubber strap & steel bracelet so I can switch between the two depending on what I’m doing ie and water stuff or dinner out, and 150m WR.






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Couldn't agree more, just add a Barton Elite white silicone strap and even more summer holiday!
Cheers, John B4
can't do pics :-(

[gaurav_tzuk]

Really depends where

[Ascalon]

I like to keep it simple, robust and low risk.

Sub homage from a brand with a bit of heritage.

[gladders]

How about the 1968 Diver’s Modern Re-interpretation GMT? GMT, 200m water resistant, "under the radar"...

https://www.seikowatches.com/us-en/p...1968_gmt/index



simon

[sweets]

How about the 1968 Diver’s Modern Re-interpretation GMT? GMT, 200m water resistant, "under the radar"...

https://www.seikowatches.com/us-en/p...1968_gmt/index



simon

For me this is the ultimate demonstration of Seiko's ability to snatch a failure from the jaws of victory.
This is their first use of an office GMT function.
Huh?
Seiko is renowned for being the only manufacturer other than Rolex to have always used the traveller GMT setting method, which is to their credit.
So I found it especially sad that they abandoned it for this, their near perfect travel watch.

[Toddy]

This for the evenings:


This for through the day at pool/beach etc: