Six Of The Best Polar White Watches To Battle The Winter Cold

With temperatures dropping well below zero, and our small country of the Netherlands struggling with a thick layer of snow this past week, you can always rely on us to bring the heat. And it’s not only in our petite habitat that snow, ice and cold weather have an impact on daily life, but in plenty of other parts of the world as well. In watchmaking, the beauty of winter can often be a source of inspiration too, with plenty of brands embracing the chilly season to bring us captivating watches. So with that in mind, here are six of the best ‘Polar’ watches to battle the cold!

Rolex Explorer II  226570

First up, an all-time classic: The Rolex Explorer II ‘Polar’ Ref. 226570. With a history dating back to the 1950s, it’s the ultimate adventure watch by Rolex. Its fixed bezel can be considered iconic, especially with its deep black infilled numerals. For contrast, the hour markers and hands have a black outline, and the GMT hand stands out thanks to its bright orange finish. Inside the 42mm case, the Calibre 3285 uses some of the latest generation of Rolex innovations (minus the Dynapulse Escapement) and delivers a healthy 70 hours of power. Fitted to an Oyster bracelet, the Explorer II 226570 retails for EUR 10,300.

For more information, please visit Rolex.com.

Quick Facts – 42mm diameter – Oystersteel case, brushed – fixed bezel with 24-hour scale – sapphire crystal with cyclops – solid caseback – screw-down crown – 100m water-resistant – white lacquered dial – applied indices with black outline – HMS hands with black outline – orange GMT hand – Chromalight luminous inserts – Calibre 3285, in-house automatic – 28,800vph – 70h power reserve – superlative chronometer – Oyster bracelet with folding clasp – EUR 10,300

Tudor Black Bay Pro Polar

In line with the style of the Rolex Explorer II, Tudor has a fitting and less pricey alternative with its Black Bay Pro Polar. It’s again a true GMT with a fixed 24-hour bezel and an Opaline white dial, so the resemblance is more than obvious. But we’re not complaining one bit, as the Black Bay Pro is a very capable watch. The case is 39mm wide, it has a domed sapphire crystal, indices and hands with a black outline, a yellow GMT hand and a date. The Calibre MT5652 automatic, made with Kenissi, packs up to 70 hours of running time. Worn on a fabric strap or stainless steel bracelet, Tudor’s Black Bay Pro Polar retails between EUR 4,080 and EUR 4,410.

For more information, please visit TudorWatch.com.

Quick Facts – 39mm x 14.6mm – stainless steel, brushed – fixed 24-hour bezel – domed sapphire crystal – solid caseback – screw-down crown – 200m water-resistant – Opaline white dial – applied indices & hands with SLN – bevelled date window – MT5652 automatic, in-house with Kenissi – 28,800vph – 70h power reserve – silicon hairspring – stainless steel three-link bracelet with T-Fit folding clasp, or fabric strap – EUR 4,050 – EUR 4,410

IWC Pilot’s Chronograph TOP GUN Lake Tahoe

IWC Schaffhausen has long had success with its TOP GUN series of pilots’ watches, using scratch-proof ceramic to enhance the tool-like properties of the collection even further. It’s also a way to play with colour, as demonstrated by the icy-white TOP GUN Lake Tahoe edition of the Pilots’ Chronograph. With a white ceramic case of 41mm in diameter and a deep black dial with white markings and hands, it’s an ultra-legible chronograph. Power comes from the brand’s Calibre 69380, which runs at a rate of 28,800vph and can store up to 46 hours of power. It comes on a white rubber strap with a textile insert, and costs EUR 12,900.

For more information, please visit IWC.com.

Quick Facts – 44.5mm x 15.7mm – white ceramic case – stainless steel back, crown and pushers – sapphire crystal – soft-iron inner cage – screw-in crown – 60m water-resistant – black dial, black luminous hands – recessed subdials – day/date window – calibre 69380 manufacture, column-wheel automatic – 46h power reserve, 4Hz frequency, day-date function – white rubber strap with steel folding clasp – limited annual production of 1,000 pieces – EUR 12,900

Longines Legend Diver 39mm White

Despite the fact that I wouldn’t go diving in the ocean at the moment (it’s well below 0° where I live at the moment), the Longines Legend Diver 39mm White looks perfectly in tune with the winter cold. The iconic compressor-style dive watch dropped down from 42mm to 39mm back in 2023, with a black dial, and now sees a range of colours, including this ‘Polar’ one. The design is very familiar, thanks to the dual crown set-up, the inner rotating bezel and the signature shaped hands. The Calibre L888.6 delivers a power reserve of 72 hours, and it comes on a stainless steel Beads-of-Rice bracelet with a folding clasp. The price is EUR 3,800.

For more information, please visit Longines.com.

Quick Facts – 39mm x 12.7mm – stainless steel case, brushed & polished – compressor-style construction – dual crowns – sapphire crystal – solid caseback – 300m water-resistance – white dial with black markers, numerals and hands with SLN – crown-operated inner rotating bezel – calibre L888.6, automatic – 25,200vph – 72h power reserve – 7-row BoR bracelet with folding clasp – EUR 3,750

Earthen Co. Summit

On the far more affordable side of the spectrum, we selected the Earthen Co. Summit, which comes in at a very reasonable USD 899. And that’s for a full ceramic watch, mind you! We’ve opted for the ‘Whiteout’ model, with a white ceramic case and a black dial to give somewhat of an alternative to the IWC, but there are two other options available as well. The size is pleasantly modest, at 38mm in diameter and 10mm in height, and inside ticks a Miyota 9039 automatic. It comes with two interchangeable rubber sailcloth straps and is initially available in a run of 100 pieces per colour, with restocks to follow.

For more information, please visit Earthen-Co.com.

Quick Facts – 38mm x 10mm – white ceramic case – oversized crown with coloured ring – sapphire crystal – solid caseback – 100m water-resistant – black dial with white numerals & markings – sword-shaped hands with white SLN inserts – Miyota 9039, automatic – 28,800vph – 42h power reserve – two interchangeable rubber sailcloth straps – stainless steel pin buckle – limited to 100 pieces per colour in the first batch, restocks will follow – USD 899

Urwerk UR-230 Polaris

If you want to go all-out in your Polar watch experience, the fittingly named Urwerk UR-230 Polaris is the perfect watch for you. It packs all things Urwerk, and then some, with an exclusive type of white ceramic specifically developed for the brand. The shape is just so special, and looks great in this all-white design. Of course, the sub-zero cool UR-230 Polaris comes with the signature satellite wandering hours and retrograde minutes display, flanked by a double power reserve indicator and a winding status indication. To fit with the theme, it’s worn on a white rubber strap with velcro closing. Only 35 will be made, and it comes in at a hefty CHF 150,000, before taxes.

For more information, please visit Urwerk.com.

Quick Facts – 44.81mm x 53.55mm x 18.38mm – exclusive white ceramic for Urwerk – black DLC caseback and crown – sapphire crystal front & back – 30m water-resistant – wandering hours satellite display with retrograde minutes hand – double power reserve indicator – winding status (on/off) indicator – Calibre UR-7.30, in-house automatic – 28,800vph – 48h power reserve – integrated white rubber strap with velcro closing – limited to 35 pieces – CHF 150,000 (excl. VAT)