Versace Medusa Pop

The Medusa Pop is a typical Versace creation, so it is not for the shy and introverted. This is also the fun part of a watch like this, which stands out by the bold Versace letters and Medusa head on the silicon strap that also covers the case. This means that the wearing comfort is outstanding, in which also the diameter of 38mm plays its part. The dial is what gives this Versace an extra dose of character as the gold-tone hands turn behind a three-dimensional Medusa. The head is actually placed on a flat crystal which is in turn protected by a domed sapphire crystal. A quartz Ronda movement ensures accurate timekeeping, so you won’t miss happy hour. You can match the Medusa Pop watch to your swimming attire, as it is available in black, white, blue, purple, and even red. Price: $495.

For more info, visit Versace, here

Swatch Neon Wave

In case you haven’t noticed yet, neon colors are back in fashion. The hues that decorated the 80s and 90s made a strong comeback, perhaps because we were missing them. Swatch took inspiration and launched an entire collection in bright neon colors, or perhaps I should say relaunch as these colors were one of the cornerstones of the success the brand enjoyed back in those days. With the Neon Wave, you get a bold combination of colors, but you stay still in control thanks to the chronograph and date function. Its matte yellow case is attached to a structured silicon strap that is very comfortable. With its diameter of 42mm, it is a statement, but when you are worried that it won’t match your outfit, don’t, as it is not supposed to. Price: $130.

For more info, visit Swatch, here

Maurice Lacroix Aikon #Tide Camo

The Aikon #Tide Camo is a watch that either perfectly blends in, or stands out like crazy. With its case, bezel, and dial in green hues combined with a camo-colored strap, this is not a watch that you need to lay somewhere when camping in the woods because the chances are that you will never find it again. Anywhere else the watch will make quite a statement, which might also be what you are looking for. The 40mm large case is made from upcycled plastic that is retrieved from the oceans, a material that is also used to craft the buckle. As a result the Aikon #Tide Camo is pleasantly light to wear, while its quartz movement makes sure that you don’t miss a beat during vacation. Price: $825.

For more info, visit Maurice Lacroix, here

G-Shock G-LIDE

To some, nothing says vacation like a G-Shock, as these resilient watches are known to withstand a beating and look good doing so. When you are going to the beach, and even more so when you enjoy watersports there, the G-LIDE also offers a wide variety of useful functions, the main being a tide indicator. The display of the G-Shock is very well organized as we are used from the brand, making it easy to take all the information in. The strap and part of the case are made form biobased resin, with the rest being stainless steel. The G-Lide is water resistant up to 20 ATM/200 meters, and the Bluetooth function not only makes setting it a breeze but also gives you an excuse to be on your phone during vacation. Price: $160.

For more info, visit G-Shock, here

The color theme of the Bioceramic MoonSwatch Mission to the Super Blue Moonphase is based on various shades of blue. It starts with the 42mm case made of Swatch’s patented Bioceramic and extends to the Velcro strap with contrasting stitching and the bezel with pulsometer scale. The latter is a first for the collection, which normally features a tachymeter scale on the bezel, borrowed from the legendary Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch, as is the overall design of the watch.

Naturally, the luminescent dial also features blue markers, hands and sub dials. The signature chronograph function is complemented by a very cool multi-shaded blued double-moon-phase display in UV ink. Positioned at the 2 o’clock sub dial, it is set against a dark celestial background and emits a blue glow at night.

Like its predecessors, the new watch bears the mission statement on the back of the case and the Omega X Swatch logos on the dial and crown. The battery cover features a moon in a range of shades of blue.

The Bioceramic MoonSwatch Mission to the Super Blue Moonphase will be available from August 1 to August 19 from 5 pm onward and at selected Swatch boutiques and pop-up stores. As with the entire Bioceramic MoonSwatch collection, only one watch can be purchased per person, per day and per selected retail outlet. Pricing is marked at $310.

To learn more, visit Swatch, here.

They are water-resistant to 30 meters and equipped with color-coordinated velcro straps. The luminescent dials with the famous two dots at 12 differ slightly from one another and pay tribute to historic Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatches through subtle details. Introducing a new design for the sub dials with more numerals, they are protected by a box-shaped crystal, made of bio-sourced material and treated with an anti-scratch coating. There is also a tachymeter scale aboard.

Bioceramic MoonSwatch Mission on Earth – Lava

As its name suggests, the Bioceramic MoonSwatch Mission on Earth – Lava is inspired by erupting volcanoes, capturing the intense reds and oranges of its dial and case. With its orange chronograph hands, it also pays homage to the historic 1968 Speedmaster Moonwatch “Ultraman”.

Bioceramic MoonSwatch Mission on Earth – Polar Lights

This model pays tribute to the gorgeous Aurora Borealis. Visible from space, and breathtakingly beautiful, these brilliant atmospheric phenomena are characterized by extremely colorful “curtains” in the night sky, green and blue being the most common.

The blue dial itself is studded with little “stars” of tiny silver-colored flakes, inspired by aventurine glass dials. This is another nod to certain Omega watches. The layout of the “stars” is different on every model, making the dial of each watch unique. The numerals and indexes on the three sub dials have a radial groove, just like the Speedmaster in Omega’s Alaska II and III projects.

Bioceramic MoonSwatch Mission on Earth – Desert

Both the case and hands of the Bioceramic MoonSwatch Mission on Earth – Desert come in a sand color, and the dial and strap come in greige (taupe), bringing to mind the vast expanses of sand that cover over a fifth of the Earth’s landmass and can be found on every continent.

The sub-dials are also executed in a radial format, as a nod to the Speedmaster Alaska II and III projects. As the other dials in the collection, they carry the Omega X Swatch branding, as well as the Speedmaster and MoonSwatch logos. 

The availability is scheduled for June 15, 2024, with price tags of $270 each.

To learn more, visit Swatch, here.

One of the things that I enjoy so much about WatchTime, and why it was a very easy question for me when I was asked to join them, is that they cover the entire spectrum of watchmaking. While the most expensive and rarest watches often dominate the headlines, only a fraction of us can afford those. In my opinion, that’s okay, as we all need a dream watch, something to aspire to, but it is also okay because there are so many fantastic watches in between, at nearly any price point and with interesting stories to tell about them.

As a watch journalist, I have to admit that I am terribly spoiled. I have the privilege of being up close and personal with some of the most amazing watches ever made, and that even on a daily basis. I think that it is first and foremost the obligation of any watch journalist to remain as objective as possible, and therefor judge each watch on its own merits. Again, as Editor-at-Large, I have a privilege in this as well, as my position allows me to write only about those watches that I feel passionate about. This is also the keyword for the second (or shared first) most important thing a watch journalist needs to maintain, and that’s his or her passion. When these two elements are combined, you get in my opinion the right articles. They also open the door to the realisation that more expensive and better are terms that can go together but most certainly don’t have to.

Better is in the watchworld a dubious term to begin with, because what makes a watch better? Does it have to be more accurate? Does it have to have multiple complications? Does it need to be “manufacture”? I can just as easily make an argument for these points as against them. Also, “better” doesn’t automatically mean that it provides a more satisfactory experience. A while ago McLaren was kind enough to lend me a 720S, and boy, did I have fun in that car! But I also had a blast when a friend let me drive his Mazda MX5 (also known as Miata in different parts of the world).

While on opposite sides of the automotive spectrum, when you boil it down, McLaren and Mazda shared quite a few of the same goals. In the watch industry things are quite similar, meaning that we need, and fortunately have, cool Swatches and Seiko 5’s, but also Patek’s and Richard Mille’s and a whole world in between. Each of them has their own place and role in the market, something for which we need to respect and applaud them, for you in collecting and for us at WatchTime, in writing.

What is your most expensive and least expensive dream watch? Share it with us in the comments below.

With the exception of the chronograph seconds hand, the subdials and the tachymeter bezel, which are white, the entire model is black, including the Velcro strap. Snoopy, NASA’s safety ambassador since the 1960s, is depicted lying on a crescent moon amid stars on the moon-phase disk that rotates in the sub dial at 2 o’clock. Under UV light, a hidden quote from a Snoopy comic strip comes to life: “I can’t sleep without a night light!”

As with the white execution, all of the signature features of the original Speedmaster Moonwatch, the first watch to go to the moon in 1969, can be found on this timepiece: the asymmetrical case, the tachymeter-scaled bezel with the dot over the 90 and the typically recessed sub dials for the chronograph counters and subsidiary seconds.

Pricing of the Omega X Swatch Mission to the Moonphase – New Moon is marked at $310.

To learn more, visit Swatch, here.