Four High-End Watches Serious Collectors Are Snapping Up for Summer

Welcome to Watch Guy Watches, GQ’s monthly curation of high-end timepieces for the true watch nerds among us. This July, Richard Mille partners with an Italian bike company, Hublot brings on the sapphire vibes, and both Vacheron and IWC offer new, shrunken versions of their flagship luxury sports watches.Despite being up to our wrists in collaboration watches between Breitling and Aston Martin, Omega and Swatch, and a Hamilton made for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, the truly original still manage to burst through the clutter. Richard Mille’s new RM 64-01 Tourbillon Colnago clears this bar easily.This is not the type of watch I typically fawn over. Million-dollar “hyperwatches” are more interesting as abstract science experiments/art projects than as actual timekeepers. Colnago is an Italian bicycle manufacturer, and I don’t think I’ve ridden a bike in years. The watch’s appeal comes down to its sunny visuals: the blue-white colorway recalls a perfect day at sea with puffs of clouds in the distance.Of course, this being Richard Mille, the movement is radically reworked to be an essential part of the design. The RM 64-01’s engine looks like a racing bicycle frame, and its clever arrangement is visually arresting while making great use of negative space. This is a new trick even for the audacious Richard Mille, which typically fills every nook and cranny with some space-age design. While my interest in the brand is generally limited to respect for its micro-mechanical and materials expertise, this is a watch I think I’d actually wear. (Provided I had a spare CHF 800,000 kicking around to spend on one, that is.)Speaking of actual high-end watchmaking technology, this thing has it in spades: made of blue and white Quartz TPT with 5N red gold accents, its case is formed from a layered composite produced from thinly sliced silica sheets injected with resin. At 49.9 mm × 43.2 mm and 14.2mm thick, it’s certainly a large watch—but the lightness of the material diffuses much of this weight, while skeletonised grade 5 titanium baseplate and bridges further contribute to a comfortable wearing experience. The airy colorway, taken from a Colnago C68 frame, is beautiful and summery, and extends throughout the movement bridges, case, and rubber strap.Interestingly, the tourbillon fitted within the manually-wound movement really isn’t the main event. Rather, it’s the overall arrangement of the components into a bicycle-like gear train that impresses the wearer. Unusually pared-back for a Richard Mille, the RM 64-01 Tourbillon Colnago manages to capture the essence of both companies without hitting you over the head with logos or other obnoxious branding. It’s truly a thoughtful design, which is something that impresses at any price point.Vacheron Constantin Overseas Self-Winding 34.5mmIntroduced in 2023, Vacheron Constantin’s Overseas Self-Winding 34.5mm may have been originally angled more towards female consumers, but the size is increasingly become a favorite for men after excellently proportioned luxury sport watches. This month, two new references are joining the lineup: available in both stainless steel with a burgundy dial as well as 18K 5N rose gold with a champagne dial, it’s powered by the brand’s cal. 1088/1 automatic movement with 40 hours of power reserve and features 150m of water resistance, an integrated bracelet, and the Overseas collection’s signature Maltese Cross bezel. Expect to see it on red carpets everywhere.Hublot Big Bang Sapphire Blue SkyLike the RM above, Hublot is also locked and loaded with a summer-ready design this month: the Big Bang Sapphire Blue Sky. Hublot has played around with colored sapphires for years, pumping out showstopping watches in shades of neon green, yellow, and purple. However, the new Sapphire Blue Sky swerves in a different direction with a completely transparent case. The watch is constructed around a skeletonized dial—offering even more see-through-ness—with sky-blue accents.At 44mm, it’s a big boy—but fully polished sapphire crystal construction, H-shaped titanium screws, and a structured sky-blue rubber strap mean that you won’t be bogged down by the weight of time (At least not in a literal sense). This Hublot packs an impressive 10-day power reserve while giving the wearer a glimpse into its construction via a transparent dial and a sapphire caseback. Water-resistant to 50m, it’s an ideal beach companion if you can snag one of the 100 pieces produced for this very limited edition.IWC Ingenieur Automatic 35 Pool BlueSpeaking of the luxury sports watch craze, there are few watches we love more than the 35mm version of IWC’s Ingenieur Automatic. While a handful of cool colorways already exist, the new Pool Blue is particularly summery, with its sea-sky hue helped along by the dial’s signature “Grid” pattern. Based upon the Ingenieur SL designed by Gérald Genta—which, incidentally, debuted exactly 50 years ago—the 35mm version features the brand’s cal. 47110 automatic movement with a gold-plated oscillating mass, plus a handsome polished and satin-finished H-link bracelet. An ideal everyday watch, the Pool Blue version joins executions in dark blue, silver, black, and more.