5 Sports Watches You Can Still Wear with a Suit
In an ideal world, our wardrobes would be chock full of watches for every occasion: an evening watch to pair with your tuxedo; a no-frills watch with a leather strap for the office; and a stainless steel watch for running errands on the weekend. However, most of us need a watch that can do double-duty and can easily be dressed up or down.
Here we round up our favorite diving and sporty watches that look just as sharp with a t-shirt and jeans as they do with a finely tailored suit.
Rolex Submariner
The Rolex Submariner is the brainchild of René-Paul Jeanneret, a former Rolex board member and diving enthusiast who, in the 1950s, pitched the idea of a diving watch that was elegant enough to wear every day. Although it took some convincing—and the helpful intervention of Jeanneret’s friend Jacques Cousteau—Rolex ultimately designed the Submariner.
The Submariner’s overall design hasn’t changed much over the last few decades, making it one of the more decidedly “sporty” watches (aesthetically speaking) on this list. However, because the Submariner is so iconic and it was originally intended to be a dressier diving watch, it kind of gets a pass and looks as sharp with a tux as it does with a scuba suit.
Omega Seamaster Aquaterra
The Omega Seamaster is unmistakably a diving watch. The Seamaster exudes a prototypical sporty flair, primarily thanks to its distinct hour markers and wide rotating bezel, specially designed for easier underwater legibility.
However, its sister model, the Seamaster Aquaterra, puts a luxurious spin on the original Seamaster. While you’ll still get that quintessential Seamaster look-and-feel thanks to its triangle-shaped hour-markers, the Aquaterra’s dial features a unique teak motif which was inspired by vintage Italian wooden yachts. The Aquaterra elevates the formal appeal of the Seamaster, making it a handsome but not stuffy watch option.
Patek Philippe Nautilus
Until the 1970s, watches were pretty cleanly split between sports watches and luxury watches; there was little cross-pollination between these two fundamental watch categories. However, Patek Philippe wanted to be the first to bridge that gap and challenge the wildly popular Audemars Piguet Royal Oak with an even more refined sports watch that would appeal to luxury watch connoisseurs. In turn, they commissioned famed watchmaker Gerald Genta to develop this newfangled watch category.
And Genta introduced his signature design, the Patek Philippe Nautilus. The Nautilus draws its sports watch flourishes from its porthole-inspired octagonal watch case shape and brushed stainless steel finish. But it still exudes that classic luxury watch persona thanks to its horizontally embossed dial and stark hour markers.
Breitling Heritage Collection
Breitling is best known for its hefty watch cases which make them a cool statement piece but also makes them a little tricky to wear with a suit as your sleeve catches on the watch case, creating a very unattractive and rumpled sleeve situation.
However, Breitling’s Heritage Collection harkens back to the brand’s foundational models that feature a slimmer watch case profile. Select a model with a metal or mesh metal bracelet to give the watch more board room appeal.
Panerai Radiomir
You wouldn’t know by looking at it but the Panerai Radiomir was a cutting-edge diving watch in 1936 that offered unparalleled luminosity (ideal for underwater reading) and was specially-commissioned by the Royal Italian Navy.
The Panerai Radiomir looks the least like a traditional diving watch which makes it easy to transition into more formal settings. We picked the Radiomir over the (somewhat similar-looking) Luminor for formal-wear because the Radiomir’s crown doesn’t have the crown-protecting bridge. While this unique crown distinguishes the Luminor and makes it even more water resistant, it can be a little cumbersome under a fitted suit or button up sleeve. To make the Radiomir look even more sleek and polished, skip the rubber watch strap in favor of one in leather.
