5 colourful watches you can get away with whatever the occasion

The default mens' wardrobe still leans heavily on shades of black and blue. But more brightly coloured watches offer a form of self-expression that can add some character to an otherwise unassuming outfit – something increasingly welcome amid the bevy of orders to return to the office full-time. Clock-watching can be fun, you know.

Whether it’s a warm gold peeking out from under a blazer or a pop of primary colour, there are ways of making a look more interesting without being too outlandish.

While some sporty watches can be dressed up, many others can’t. Likewise, some dress watches are too formal to be paired with a t-shirt.

But there are some colourful watches that can blur the line between formal and casual settings, that’ll look at home on a wrist grasping a pint or pointing to slides on a Powerpoint presentation. Here are five bright and bold designs that are still somehow also demure...

Citizen Tsuyosa: £200-300

• Case diameter: 37-40mm | Lug to lug distance: 40-44.5m | Movement: Automatic | Accuracy: -20/+40 seconds per day | Water resistance: 50m
• Buy from Amazon

The Citizen Tsuyosa range offers a variety of striking sunburst dials including orange, yellow, pink, purple and red. There’s also a gold-tone version with a green dial.

Tsuyosa watches feature a polish-brushed integrated bracelet, sapphire crystal and cyclops date display, wearing with a refined flair reminiscent of the Rolex Oyster Perpetual.

While the Tsuyosa range does include black and blue-dial variants as well, the brightly coloured options are all still office-appropriate.

Tissot PRX: £300-800

• Case diameter: 35-40mm | Lug to lug distance: 39-45mm | Movement: Quartz/Automatic | Accuracy: -/+15 seconds per day for Quartz; -/+15 accuracy seconds per day for Automatic | Water resistance: 100m
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The Tissot PRX range, in general, is great. But the highlights are its yellow gold and rose gold variants.

These watches, available in both quartz and automatic iterations, and two different sizes to suit a wide variety of wrists, are bold but don’t feel like bling.

Packing an 80-hour power reserve (for the automatic version) and real-life accuracy far greater than what’s quoted in the manual, these timepieces are both sporty and elegant.

Seiko Presage Classic ‘Araigaki’: £600-900

• Case diameter: 40mm | Lug to lug distance: 46mm | Movement: Automatic | Accuracy: -15/+25 seconds per day | Water resistance: 100m
• Buy from Mappin and Webb

The Seiko Presage Classic series is as close to Grand Seiko as you can get for under £1,000.

The warm, earthy and textured orange dial of the ‘Aragaki’ model is mesmerising. The 40mm case and 13mm thickness offer a comfortable, balanced fit, while the gently curved lugs, beads-of-rice bracelet and polished surfaces make it dazzle in almost any light.

It’s a dress watch that somehow has the wrist presence of a diver. It would look great emerging from underneath a cuff, or as a statement piece next to a plain white t-shirt.

Christopher Ward The Twelve: £1000-£1,50

• Case diameter: 36-40mm | Lug to lug distance: 40-45mm | Movement: Automatic | Accuracy: -/+20 seconds per day | Water resistance: 100m
• Buy from Christopher Ward

Christopher Ward’s The Twelve range caters for a variety of wrist sizes with 36, 38, 40 and 41mm case sizes. It also comprises some playful hues, including a glacier blue and frosted lichen.

The integrated bracelet and sleek, angular case evokes both luxury and adventure. The Twelve watches go with a suit and tie and, on a bright rubber strap, can also be paired with swimming trunks.

TAG Heuer Carrera Date: £2,000-£3,000

• Case diameter: 36mm | Lug to lug distance: 42mm | Movement: Automatic | Accuracy: -/+5 seconds per day | Water resistance: 50m
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The smaller options in Tag Heuer’s Carrera family come in some eye-catching colours, including a bubble-gum pink and pastel green.

The racing-inspired minute markers are a nod to the brand’s heritage. The smaller models come with a movement upgrade on the 39mm and 41mm versions (which come in more muted colourways), with the Calibre 7 offering a 56-hour power reserve, rather than 38.

While these watches might not quite cover you for funerals, they should do the job in most other settings. They’re highly legible, extremely lightweight and comfortable, and with a date window at six o’clock should appease anyone hung up on symmetry.

• 5 watches perfect for summer, no matter your budget — from £100 to £3000+