The 10 best sailing watches on the market

As a sailor, you know that precision is vital when you’re out on the water. There’s a lot to consider, from countdown timers to battery life. 

That’s why choosing a sailing watch is an important decision.

We’re here to help you make that decision through our 10 best sailing watches. We’ve included a variety of brands and types to suit different budgets, so there’s bound to be something in here that you’ll love.

 

1. Ronstan Clear Start Sailing Watch (£95.50) 

Reliable and practical—what you want backing you in a race.

The Ronstan Clear Start Sailing Watch is known among sailors to be trusty and functional. It was created with sailing in mind, evident in its simple and practical design.

This watch is great for competitive sailing—it couldn’t be easier to use while sailing. The textured buttons on the 44mm and 50mm sizes are easy to locate, and the numbers are big enough to see without taking your eye off the water. 

The multi-line display lets you see the time and timer together and has an electroluminescence backlight option, making the display easy to read in bad lighting.

You know how difficult it is to start your watch bang on time at the start of a race—and so do Ronstan. You can:

• choose a Start Sequence option such as Match Racing
• synchronise your watch to the exact race time with the SYNC function
• use race sound signals

Plus, you’ll be grateful it’s both shock and water-resistant to 50m if it’s a rough day at sea. This makes it one of the best budget sailing watches in the UK. 

 

2. Garmin Quatix 6 (£629.99)

Everything you need on the water—and it doesn’t stop there.

This is a sailing watch for every sport and for those who love adventure. It means business. 

Garmin has taken every smartwatch feature they can think of and packed it together to create the Garmin Quatix 6, a watch that can do everything.

It ticks all the boxes when it comes to sailing. The Garmin SailAssist feature enables you to generate a virtual starting line. This means your timing’s spot on, and you can tell whether you’re headed or lifted. 

Using its comprehensive connectivity, you can also view wind and water depth data straight from your wrist and connect this watch with other devices.

It also boasts other excellent marine features. You can control the onboard entertainment system with a Fusion-Link audio app and control the boat away from the wheel with autopilot control. Plus, it’s water resistant to 100 metres, which is essential for sailors.

It’s one of the best sailing watches for all sports. It has the same functionality as Garmin’s Fenix 6, which includes preloaded sports apps to track sports such as golf, running, hiking and yoga. It also includes a wrist-based heart rate monitor (which works underwater), topographical maps and ski runs, and GPS navigation.

Furthermore, it has smart features you’ll use every day. Connect to your phone to read emails and texts from your wrist, pay from your watch using contactless payments and sync your music from Spotify and Apple Music. 

This modern watch has a long battery life and lasts 14 days in smartwatch mode. But if you plan on enjoying more time on the water, you might want the Quantix 6 Solar. It uses solar energy to extend the battery life, but it’s more expensive at £999.99. 

 

3. Gill Regatta Master Watch (£79.95)

A simple but cool watch packed full of features.

The latest Gill Regatta Master Watch had a makeover, giving you more bang for your buck.

It’s incredibly practical and one of the best sailing watches, thanks to its host of amazing features. 

These include:

• a countdown timer
• stopwatch
• dual-time function
• alert sounds
• audible alarm
• key-lock function

The large display, prominent stainless-steel buttons and luminescent backlight make it easy to use on the water. It has a long-lasting battery, but if you wear it all the time (because it looks so good), you can put it in battery-saving mode.

It’s robust. Unlike many watches in this price range, this watch is reliable. It’s made from stainless steel reinforced ABS plastic, so it’s shock and impact resistant. It’s also water resistant to 50 metres.

Lastly, it looks the part. There’s something chic about a simple and understated design, isn’t there? The all-black version of this watch is our favourite.

Related: A lowdown on different types of sailing dinghy

 

4. Optimum Time Series 3 Sailing Watch (£59.95)

A straightforward and essential timer for any sailor

The Optimum Time Series 3 is one of the cheapest sailing watches on our list but undoubtedly one of the most popular.

It’s easy to use—that’s arguably its biggest advantage. Its 38mm x 20mm single-row display will give you what you need without bombarding you with unwanted information. 

The watch has various programmes, including a 5, 4, 1, 0 sequence and the option to count down. It even has a ‘sync button’, which allows immediate synchronisation. The convenient USB charging port is a bonus.

It’s shock resistant and water resistant to 40m with Hydrolock and dual seal technology. This also means you can attach it to the boom or mast (thanks to its elasticated strap) with peace of mind.

While it isn’t the most stylish watch on the market, you can customise the colour around the display screen to give it an individual touch. The design is pretty minimalistic overall. 

As far as budgets go, the Optimum Time S3 is a great option.

 

5. Omega Speedmaster X-33 Regatta (£5,000)

Distinctive and precise—and made for regatta racing.

There’s no doubt that this watch guarantees style and substance. An Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ) limited edition (limited to 2,017 pieces) watch comes with many extra functions, precision and longevity.

It’s a great right-hand man on race day, thanks to the Professional Regatta Function. Pressing the Race button at 10 o’clock switches the watch to countdown mode, in which a countdown measure of up to one hour will track the start of the race. 

Once the race has started, it’ll automatically switch to race mode. That’s what you call a great sailing watch. 

You can store up to two races with 10 buoys recordings in the logbook. This ensures that, even when the race is over, the memory of your big wins will live on! 

There are various digital functions, including:

• regatta timing 
• date display
• two alarms
• a perpetual calendar
• can display three different time zones

However, the watch is only water resistant up to 30m, which is often considered the minimum depth for a sailing watch.

Despite its thickness, it has a nice feel thanks to its lightweight titanium case and coated nylon strap, providing maximum comfort. And it has a 24-month battery life, so you won’t need to charge often!

 

6. Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master II (£15,750)

Luxurious and unique.

If you can afford to spend £14,950 on a sailing watch, you need to buy this Rolex. This regatta watch is luxury at its finest. After all, it’s designed to .

It’s a watch for life. The Yacht-Master II is created from Oystersteel, extremely resistant superalloys developed by Rolex. This makes it unrivalled when it comes to durability (which is a relief given the price tag). It’s also water resistant to 100m and scratch-resistant, while its battery lasts for around 72 hours.

It has the look of a classic Rolex. It’s a very different aesthetic from what you’d expect from a sailing watch.

It’s been tailored specifically to yachtmen’s needs, with the necessary features for a Regatta race. Renowned for being ‘the only chronograph in the world with a mechanical memory’, the Yacht-Master II has a bezel that functions as a programmable countdown. Impressive. 

 

7. Tissot Sailing-Touch Watch (£803.19) 

Smart, durable and reliable.

Simply start sailing, and the watch takes care of the rest. The Tissot Sailing-Touch is one of the best sailing watches on the market thanks to its impressive range of features, including:

• regatta timing 
• luminous hands and hour markers
• backlight
• perpetual calendar 
• tide indicator
• compass
• can display two different time zones 

It’s also water resistant to 200m. Given the price, this is what you want.

If that’s not enough to convince you, it looks great. It has a hybrid layout with analogue watch markers and a digital touch-screen display reminiscent of a boat radar system. 

It has a sleek yet fun design, and the colours complement each other perfectly. It’s crafted from scratch-resistant, anti-reflective tactile sapphire crystal, so it will retain its appearance much longer than a cheaper alternative. 

Related: Top tips for single-handed sailing

 

8. Casio SGW-100-1V (£53.26)

An affordable watch which provides the essential sailing features you need.

This digital sports watch provides all the fundamentals. Whether you want a thermometer, digital compass, temperature sensor or world time function, it has a bit of everything. 

You can see the time while the watch displays other functionalities, such as the countdown timer. Other features include a stopwatch and an automatic LED illuminator so you can see the watch’s face.

It has a stainless-steel case, comes with a rubber strap and buckle, and it’s water resistant to 200 metres, making it incredibly durable. But if something goes wrong, at least you know it only costs just shy of £54.

It does the job. Even though it doesn’t look like a watch you’d want to show off when you’re away from the water, coming in at under £54, it’s great value for money.

 

9. Timex Intelligent Quartz Yacht Racer Watch (£132.99)

The perfect combination of style and utility.

It boasts a yacht racer mode which provides everything you need, such as three different countdown timers (one, three and five minutes) and an alarm signalling the last five seconds of the regatta timer. 

This mode also has a ‘perfect date’ feature, which lets you see the current date by pressing the crown. And it’s water-resistant to 100 metres.

It’s got a sporty feel, which many water sport enthusiasts want. It comes in a popular yellow and black style (our favourite), but it’s probably not something you’d wear in the office or at meetings. 

Different colours (blue and red) are used on the watch face, making the extra hand for the timer, chronograph, and dials stand out. This leads us to our next point…

It’s super easy to use once you know how. It’s a big chunky watch, but this makes accessing all the buttons straightforward and the display easy to read. 

At first, it can be tricky to use, thanks to the buttons having various sequences to serve multiple functions. But once you get the hang of it, your life will be much easier.

 

10. Tag Heuer Aquaracer 300M Chronograph (£2,850)

A stunning timepiece that can take a beating.

This esteemed Swiss brand has created a watch that attracts adventurers and professionals. 

The Aquaracer line has many different variations, though all have a similar style, reliable water resistance and Swiss-made exact movement. It’s truly one of the best sailing watches available in the UK. 

This watch has all the functions required to satisfy a boat owner. The standard functions (date, seconds dials, counters for split seconds, minutes, and hours) work well without unnecessary bells and whistles. 

It’s a well-manufactured timepiece. It’s chunky and deep, but you can choose from a few different case sizes. Because it’s a dive watch, it’s water resistant up to 300m and scratch resistant, so it’s unlikely to let you down in a crisis.

It’s one of the most stylish sailing watches on the market. It’ll look great on your wrist whether you’re in the board room or sailing in the sun. And it comes in different dial colours.

 

Sailing boat insurance from Ripe Boats

Whichever sailing watch takes your fancy, it will be your pride and joy, along with your boat. That’s why you may want to protect them with the right cover. 

At Ripe, we arrange specialist sailing boat insurance to protect your sailing boat against theft, accidental damage, malicious damage and salvage charges. Get a quote and create your own policy in just a few minutes.

You can protect your watch through specialist watch insurance too. This includes worldwide cover 24/7 against loss, theft and accidental damage.