In the thrilling world of sailing, precision, reliability, and ruggedness are not just desired – they are paramount. A high-quality sailing watch can be a sailor’s best friend, serving as an invaluable tool that provides essential weather data, navigational aid, and, of course, accurate timekeeping. Here, we explore the best sailing watches of 2023, providing insights into their unique features and the benefits they offer.
Top 10 Sailing Watches of 2023
Table of Contents
Rolex Yacht-Master II
The Rolex Yacht-Master 44mm watch features a combination of Oystersteel and Everose gold in its 44mm case. The bidirectional Rolex Ring Command bezel with a blue Cerachrom insert adds functionality and elegance. The watch is waterproof up to 100 meters and houses the precise self-winding 4161 calibre movement with a 72-hour power reserve. It also boasts a regatta chronograph with a programmable countdown and stop-seconds for precise time setting. The timepiece is certified as a Superlative Chronometer by both COSC and Rolex after casing, ensuring exceptional accuracy.
Pros: The Rolex Yacht-Master II is a luxury timepiece that boasts a programmable countdown feature with mechanical memory, ensuring impeccable synchronization with race starting times.
Cons: This watch’s high-end branding comes with a substantial price tag, making it less accessible for many sailing enthusiasts.
Garmin Quatix 7X Solar Edition
The Garmin quatix® 7X – Solar Edition is a cutting-edge multisport GPS smartwatch designed to elevate your boating and outdoor experiences. With solar charging technology, it boasts up to 37 days of battery life in smartwatch mode, ensuring you stay powered up for extended adventures.
The watch offers both traditional button controls and a responsive touchscreen interface, providing quick access to a variety of features and functions. Stay connected on and off the grid with smart notifications and text messages.
Navigate confidently with coastal charts and inland maps, and control key MFD features of compatible Garmin chartplotters remotely. With autopilot control, you can even manage your boat’s direction from your wrist.
Enjoy entertainment on the water with the Fusion-Link™ audio system, and access essential data such as water depth and engine RPM directly on your watch when connected to compatible devices.
For sailors, the quatix® 7X offers Garmin SailAssist™ feature capabilities, allowing you to visualize your start and use tack assist for better performance. Additionally, the watch supports BlueChart® G3 charts, multi-continent TopoActive maps, and golf course maps.
The watch features multi-GNSS support, multi-band frequency support, and ABC sensors (altimeter, barometer, and 3-axis electronic compass) for accurate navigation in challenging environments.
It comes with built-in sports apps for various activities and surf-ready features, including compatibility with Surfline Sessions™ for recording surfing sessions in front of a Surfline® camera.
Monitor your training metrics, heart rate, sleep, and recovery with advanced tracking features. Stay informed with smart notifications, utilize Garmin Pay™ for contactless payments, and enjoy music apps like Spotify, Deezer, or Amazon Music.
Ensure safety with tracking features and built-in Incident Detection to send your live location to contacts in case of emergency.
Customize your watch with the Connect IQ™ Store, where you can download custom watch faces, data fields, apps, and widgets.
The Garmin quatix® 7X – Solar Edition is the ultimate outdoor companion, providing you with the performance and features you need on your boat and beyond
Pros: Known for its remarkable solar charging capabilities, the Garmin Quatix 7X offers a range of marine-specific features, such as autopilot control and tide data, along with smartwatch capabilities like heart-rate monitoring.
Cons: The numerous functionalities might be overwhelming for users seeking a more simplistic watch.
Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M
The OMEGA Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M Master Chronometer is a stylish dive watch that pays homage to OMEGA’s maritime legacy. It features a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, a polished black ceramic dial with Arabic numerals and a date window, and a black ceramic bezel with orange rubber crafted with Liquidmetal™.
The watch is water-resistant to 600 meters and has a helium-escape valve. It is powered by the OMEGA Master Chronometer calibre 8900, which has passed rigorous tests to achieve Master Chronometer status by METAS.
Pros: The Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean offers superior water-resistance up to 600 meters and a stylish, durable design.
Cons: Although it features a unidirectional rotating bezel and helium escape valve, it lacks the advanced marine-specific features of some competitors.
Tag Heuer Aquaracer
The Tag Heuer Aquaracer series has been revamped with robust materials and enhanced features for modern divers. The Aquaracer 300M, water-resistant up to 300 meters, features a case with six studs for easy handling and an oversized screw-in crown with double safety gaskets. The unique 12-sided bezel ensures accurate time tracking. The 43mm case is available in stainless steel and lightweight titanium. The dials come in high-contrast colors and bright variants, with luminous hands and markers for easy reading in low-light conditions.
The collection offers two bracelet choices and features TAG Heuer’s ergonomic fine adjustment mechanism. The time-and-date watches run on the in-house automatic Caliber 5, while the GMT model relies on the Caliber 7. The Aquaracer 300 embodies TAG Heuer’s adventurous spirit.
Pros: With a water-resistance of 300 meters and luminescent hands and markers, the Tag Heuer Aquaracer offers excellent visibility and durability.
Cons: While it excels in underwater readability, it doesn’t offer many sailing-specific functionalities.
Suunto Traverse Alpha
The Suunto Traverse Alpha is a rugged outdoor watch that offers a comprehensive set of features. Whether you’re in the wild or on an adventure, this watch will keep you on track with its GPS/GLONASS navigation. It’s specifically designed for fishing, hunting, and hiking activities, providing useful tools like a moon phase calendar, shot detection, sunrise alert, weather trend, and red backlight for nighttime use.
Product Highlights:
- Stay on course with GPS/GLONASS navigation.
- Tailored functions for fishing, hunting, and hiking activities.
- Built in Finland and tested to military standards, ensuring durability and reliability.
Pros: The Suunto Traverse Alpha features GPS/GLONASS navigation, barometric trend predictions, and a moon phase calendar, making it a versatile tool for sailors.
Cons: The watch has a steep learning curve due to its comprehensive feature set.
Casio G-Shock Gulfmaster
The CASIO G-SHOCK GWN-1000B-1BJF is a men’s watch with a robust design, powered by Japanese solar quartz movement and 5371 calibre. It features a round polymer and stainless steel case with a diameter of 55.8 mm and a thickness of 16.2 mm. The black dial displays both analog and digital information, protected by mineral glass. The watch comes with a black polymer band and has a water resistance of 200 meters. Part of the G-Shock collection, it offers a wide range of features, including radio control, compass, barometer, altimeter, thermometer, world time, moon phase, tide graph, chronograph, countdown timer, alarm, power reserve indicator, perpetual calendar, backlight, date, day, month, glowing hands, and glowing markers.
Key Features:
- Alarm for setting reminders at specific times.
- Altimeter for measuring altitude during outdoor activities.
- Backlight for easy visibility in the dark.
- Barometer for forecasting weather changes.
- Chronograph for measuring time intervals.
- Compass for accurate direction finding.
- Countdown Timer for precise timing of events.
- Glowing Hands and Markers for enhanced visibility at night.
- Moon Phase indicator showing current lunar phases.
- Perpetual Calendar displaying day, date, and month until the year 2100.
- Power Reserve Indicator to monitor watch energy levels.
- Radio Controlled for precise timekeeping via calibration signals.
- Solar Powered for extended battery life, rechargeable from any light source.
- Thermometer for monitoring current temperature.
- Tide Graph for tracking low and high tide phases for specific locations and dates.
Pros: Known for its toughness, the Casio G-Shock Gulfmaster includes a digital compass, thermometer, moon data, and tide graph.
Cons: Its bulky design may not appeal to sailors seeking a more streamlined watch.
Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronometer
Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronometer Manufacture Watches – a perfect blend of elegance and performance.
With a 45mm stainless steel and 18K rose gold case, this timepiece exudes sophistication. The silver dial showcases Roman numerals, adding a classic touch to its design. The watch is powered by a self-winding UN-118 movement, providing precise timekeeping and featuring a convenient 60-hour power reserve indicator, oversized small seconds register, and a date display at 6 o’clock.
Rest assured, this watch will accompany you through your adventures, as it boasts a water resistance of 200 meters. The brown alligator strap complements the overall style, ensuring both comfort and luxury.
Experience the art of horology with the Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronometer Manufacture Watches – a masterpiece that marries timeless aesthetics with exceptional performance.
Pro: This luxury watch offers superior craftsmanship, a power reserve indicator, and a self-winding automatic movement.
Cons: The Marine Chronometer is a premium watch with a high price tag.
Raymarine Wireless Micro Compass
The T060 Wireless Micro Compass is the ultimate racing tool, providing a significant advantage on the water. It boasts waterproof and lightweight construction, ensuring reliability and precision in any racing conditions. The tactical scale offers clear and stable figures for both port and starboard tacks, simplifying your decision-making process during tacking maneuvers. With consistent readings for each tack, you can sail confidently without the need to remember numbers.
Key Features:
- Powered for life with Raymarine’s innovative solar system, ensuring continuous performance.
- The portable design is complemented by ruggedness, thanks to the snap-in cradle.
- No adjustments required for southern hemisphere effects, making it universally applicable.
- Unique tactical mode simplifies wind shift reading and minimizes button usage.
- Twin displays provide excellent readability, even when hiking on the boat.
- The easy-to-use countdown timer features a resynchronization function for precision timing.
- Waterproof and submersible up to 10 meters, guaranteeing durability in harsh marine environments.
- Low battery indicator keeps you informed of the power status.
- Automatic power-down feature activates after 7 minutes of no motion, conserving energy when not in use.
Pros: As a digital tactical compass rather than a traditional watch, the Raymarine Wireless Micro Compass provides clear, stable wind direction and heading data.
Cons: It lacks the versatility and style of a conventional wristwatch.
Citizen Promaster Navihawk
Experience unparalleled accuracy with Atomic Timekeeping Technology, synchronized to the Atomic Time Clock, ensuring precise timekeeping. The watch offers time adjustment in 43 world cities, making it ideal for global travelers. It features a 1/100 second chronograph, capable of measuring up to 24 hours, along with a perpetual calendar, dual time (second time zone), 2 alarms, and a 99-minute countdown timer. The digital backlight display and Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) display further enhance usability. The power reserve indicator ensures you never run out of charge.
Crafted with black stainless steel and an anti-reflective mineral crystal, these timepieces are built to withstand the elements. With a water resistance of 200 meters and a 5-year limited warranty, you can rely on their durability and performance.
Explore the world with confidence and style with the Promaster timepieces – the ultimate companions for your high-flying adventures.
Pros: The Citizen Promaster Navihawk offers 40 time zones, a 1/100-second chronograph, and a power reserve indicator.
Cons: It requires light exposure for charging, which could be inconvenient in certain sailing conditions.
Tissot Sailing-Touch
A sophisticated timepiece designed for sailing enthusiasts. Crafted from stainless steel, this watch boasts a techymeter bezel and a striking blue dial with luminous hands, offering a perfect blend of style and functionality. With its perpetual calendar and chronograph features, you can keep track of time effortlessly.
The watch comes in a 45mm stainless steel case, ensuring durability and reliability. The antireflective sapphire dial window guarantees clear visibility at all times. Powered by Swiss quartz movement with an analog-digital display, the Tissot Sailing-Touch provides accurate timekeeping and precision.
Comfort is a priority with its rubber band and fold-over clasp featuring a safety closure, ensuring a secure fit on your wrist. With water resistance up to 100 meters (330 feet), you can confidently wear this watch during various water activities without worries.
Discover the perfect companion for your sailing adventures with the Tissot Sailing-Touch Watch, combining performance and elegance in one exceptional timepiece.
Pros: The Tissot Sailing-Touch includes a regatta countdown timer, compass, and meteorological trend indicators, all of which can be accessed via its touchscreen interface.
Cons: The watch’s battery life can be relatively short if multiple features are frequently used.
Conclusion
When choosing the best sailing watch for you, consider your specific needs, budget, and the features most beneficial to your sailing adventures. Whether you’re racing around the buoys or cruising the Caribbean, the perfect sailing watch is out there for you. Here’s to smooth sailing and clear skies ahead!
