You can’t always rely on the Great British summer — but you can rely on its watches

We used to joke about the British ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ summer, but these days it’s less damp squib and more of violent oscillation between heatwaves and flash flooding — for which, I think, we can thank the inexorable onset of climate change. Although its conditions may have changed, the Great British summertime remains unpredictable. Thankfully, in an equally unexpected turn of events, the nation’s watchmakers have taken it upon themselves to provide a reliable source of radiant cheer.

Leading the charge is Bamford Watch Department, which has already produced one of the cult hits of 2025 — the Deep Diver, a collaboration with storied Swiss manufacturer Girard-Perregaux. A 350-piece limited edition revival of a 1969 design, the Deep Diver’s bold combination of blocky, geometric fonts and liferaft orange, navy and white colour scheme is tricky not to like. Retro, without ever feeling dated. It’s pool-safe and comes in a presentation box shaped like a little swimming pool. Adorable.

The Deep Diver requires deep pockets (it’s £12,900), but Bamford wasn’t content with just causing a splash at the serious end of the pool — see another new collection under its Bamford London diffusion line.

The candy-coloured Bamford GMT range is best described as the horological equivalent of a tiki bar. We’re talking bezels that fade from pink to orange, like grenadine in pineapple juice, and vibrant Smartie shades of blue and green. The five-piece, textile strap range is deliberately simple and holiday-ready — and priced at £1,450.

Sticking with our foodie analogies, we move to Studio Underd0g and their recently released ‘Av0cado’ and ‘Guacam0le’ models (their words, not ours). The pairing was inspired by cheap, Chinese-made knock-off designs which, once nearly identical to Underd0g’s own designs, started to appear in colourways that had never existed under the brand beforehand. Rather than suing the imitators, Underd0g founder, Richard Bence, decided to turn their work into legitimate designs. As is usually the case with this young brand’s zeitgeisty work, ‘Avocado’ and ‘Guacamole’ sold out almost immediately.

Don’t worry if you didn’t bag one in time — perhaps Farer’s Lissom is the answer? It’s a dress watch with a difference — the difference being that it comes in a deep and rich raspberry pink (both the textured dial and suede strap). The Swiss hand-wound movement and detailed thoughtful design comes in at £1,150. And there are alternative, less full-on colourways — none of them plain though, in any way.

Another contender for Summer 2025’s poolside crown comes courtesy of Christopher Ward, whose Trident Reef collection comprises four, startlingly bright dive watches (and one sensible black one) with contrasting dials and straps. There’s something a little bit 2000s Ralph Lauren about it all — in a good way of course. The collection is available in 41mm or 44mm case sizes and they’re water-resistant to 200m. What-is-more, 2% of all sales go to coral reef conservation.

Last, but not least, comes Bremont, whose contribution is its Henley Royal Regatta limited-edition Supermarine. All they’ve done is change the textured black dial for a flat white one, but it’s made a world of difference — as has dropping the case diameter from 43mm to 40mm. The 50-piece limited edition result is more restrained than others, but no less seasonally appropriate.