Six of the Best Designer Sports Watches by Charlotte Adams

When participating in sports activities it is not ideal to wear a delicate wrist watch that can break from a sudden impact, that can be damaged by water when swimming or diving or one that can detach itself from your wrist and fall onto the ground when running. Many men take their watches off in fear of it breaking which is understandable if the watch is a Rolex or an Audemars Piguet. For these reasons, watch brands now offer a large selection of sports watches that are primarily focused on being durable, comfortable and highly resistant to water and shock impact.

TAG Heuer ‘Formula 1’ Chronograph

The ‘Formula 1’ collection by TAG Heuer has been engineered with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and tested on the road by British Formula One driver Jenson Button. Like the majority of TAG Heuer’s sports watches, it is resistant to extreme U.V. rays and temperatures and is vibration resistant so it can be worn during any form of sports, especially outside sports. It also comes with water resistance of 200 metres, scratch resistant sapphire crystal and a double security folding clasp for excellent durability. There is also a tachymeter scale on the bezel that indicates the average speed of a car so this is an ideal watch to have if you’re into driving and racing awesome sports cars.

Hublot ‘King Power’ Usain Bolt Limited Edition

Limited to only 250 pieces, this special Usain Bolt edition is one of the highest forms of sports watches currently available which is to be expected considering they have based it on the 2012 Olympic winner himself.  The watch makes many references to the medal winner; most famously the material the strap is made of is the same gold-coloured synthetic leather as Bolt’s running shoes that he won in which is stitched onto black rubber for comfort, flexibility and strength. It will, however, have your bank account shivering.

Alpina ‘Adventure’ Avalanche Extreme

The ‘Adventure’ collection from Alpina is aimed at the more adventurous and extreme types, those who hike, climb and ski from the highest mountains. It claims on their website that hey are “extremely robust sports watches that perform to the highest degrees of precision and reliability in the most demanding situations.” The watch includes a rubber strap that ensures durability and comfort and the face is easy to read, even in the harshest of environments. It is also water resistant up to 200 metres, just in case the adventurer encounters being trapped under snow or happens to fall into water (I assume that’s the reason…)

IWC ‘Aquatimer’ Chronograph

Yet another collection of watches made for diving and water sports and with a similar name to TAG Heuer’s ‘Aquaracer’ collection, this watch has all the functions needed in a sports watch and is also suitable for everyday wear. The underside of the watch is coated in Super-LumiNova® which means the time can be read even in poor and dark conditions. It also has a large rotating bezel that can even be turned when wearing large gloves and it features a ‘quick-change system’ that means the strap can be changed within seconds to a rubber or a hook-and-loop strap. The hook-and-loop strap also allows the watch to be worn over a diving suit. Other incredible functions for divers include a mechanical depth gauge which indicates dive depth- current and maximum. It is the perfect partner to have when alone in the depths of the ocean.

Bremont ‘U-2’

Designed and tested by the elite U-2 Spy Plane Squadron based at Beale, CA in the US, this watch is ideal for those who like to soar in the skies and be seriously badass. It has been tested at 100,000 feet and -40 degrees C both in a laboratory and on missions and successfully sustained all tests. It is also, like the IWC ‘Aquatimer’, coated in Super-LumiNova® so it can be read in all light conditions. The stainless steel case is also hardened to reduce breakage and increase toughness and it has an anti-shock rubberised movement mount.  Due to its intense testing and durability, there is no doubt that this watch is useful for any type of sport imaginable, even water sports as it is water resistant to 100 metres.

TAG Heuer ‘Aquaracer’ Countdown Chronograph

The ‘Aquaracer’ collection by TAG Heuer was made with water-lovers in mind, especially divers. It is water resistant up to 500 metres and it is also resistant to extreme U.V. rays and temperatures, so it can be worn outside or in the sea without worry. It is also resistant to chlorine and sea salt, making it even more durable when used for water sports and features luminescent hands that can be seen in the dark and underwater. Even though the sole purpose of this watch is to be used when in water, it is also durable in other sports as it is vibration-resistant and therefore can also be used when in a car, on a motorbike or on a mountain bike.  The bezel can also be used to time which is practical when keeping track of race times or personal times without carrying around a stopwatch.