What defines the perfect summer watch? Is it a rugged case, casual style, a screw-down crown; or just how it wears on the wrist? In this latest edition of After Hours, Armand Johnston, Brian Govberg, and Mike Manjos explore the category of versatile summer watches, shining a light on individual tastes, quirks, and varying degrees of angst when it comes to diving into a body of water while wearing a watch. Where do you fall on this topic? Do you dive right in or take a moment to carefully protect your watch on dry land?

The conversation opens with the bronze IWC Aquatimer Chronograph Edition “Expedition Charles Darwin” in hand, followed by another bronze favorite from Panerai; the Submersible Bronzo PAM 968. Rolex watches are inherently versatile, and two pieces make their way into this episode: a white gold GMT-Master II with its rich blue dial, and a vintage GMT-Master in yellow gold with a brown dial and perfectly aged bezel.

Next up is F.P. Journe’s Octa Sport with a 44mm titanium case, yellow-clad dial, and phenomenal lightness on the wrist. Don’t be deceived by the case size – according to the guys, this one wears like a 41. Do you have any watches that wear bigger or smaller than their diameters dictate? Let us know!

The exploration of summer wristwear continues with a few of our favorites from Tudor, including the Pelagos with its fantastic blue dial, a LHD version, and of course, the Heritage Chrono, which Manjos loves to wear with the matching belt. And it wouldn’t be a conversation about summer watches without mentioning the Japanese Seasons Special Editions from Grand Seiko, specifically the RIKKA Early Summer edition with its richly textured green dial.