Right about now all sensible people are gearing down, composing their vacation responders on their work email address and micro managing the last few details of  their summer vacation. This year, assuming the Olympics is your thing, you will need to gear the holiday around close proximity to a TV screen, preferably with a red button for multiple sports viewing throughout the day.

So while the kids are begging to build sandcastles on the beach, you’ll be glued to the men’s sculling repechage. But this does not alter the fact that at some point you will be dragged screaming from the lazy boy and the screen to indulge in some outdoor activities. And for those moments, the right watch is an essential accessory.

Luckily, all the thinking has been laid on. This is our official pick of what’s cool to be seen on and around the beaches anywhere from Cornwall to Cap Ferrat for summer 2012.

Technomarine Cruise Steel Camouflage

Eternally cool, the military look can hardly be called a trend, but this season it’s being buzzed about more than ever and TechnoMarine is on the frontlines with Cruise Steel Camouflage. The watch features a coloured camouflage design on the dial, matched by a coordinating colour strap contrasted with a bold Black PVD or Pink Gold PVD case. The camo design of the watch is interpreted in energetic colours such as ocean blue and royal purple, as well as traditional shades of army green and desert sand.

Suunto Ambit Silver GPS

The Ambit  has everything, and that includes the ability to measure split times for Usain Bolt in the 100 metres. In addition there’s altitude, location, speed, heart rate, weather conditions – it’s all at your fingertips. And with Suunto Ambit software you can upgrade through Movescount so you can get all the latest features and performance enhancements.

JeanRichard Diverscope

Truly the watch of the moment. French skipper Franck Cammas wore this great looking watch throughout the Volvo Ocean Race – which he and his crew won. In addition to its sporty, innovative design, the JeanRichard Diverscope has all the technical qualities necessary to withstand several months of extreme conditions across the world’s oceans, so this watch is totally over-engineered for a summer beach holiday. The Diverscope case is water resistant to 300 metres and is made from steel coated with extra-resistant rubber.

Sea God Porto Rotondo

A stunning new limited edition watch, there are just 499 pieces, so if you want a talking piece on the soft white sands of Nice, this is it. Sea God Porto Rotondo takes its name from a beautiful Italian resort. The watch is made from toughened 316L stainless steel with a DLC coating. The bezel is made from lightweight Titanium bezel grade 5.   It comes on a rubber strap with reinforced loops. Made for long term wear and comfort, this watch will attract heaps of attention once you’ve worked up a tan.

Oris Artelier Regulateur

This is an après beach watch, designed more for sophisticated evenings in discreet gourmet restaurants where you can impress anyone who will listen with your knowledge of regulator watches. The original regulators were large precision clocks with a pendulum, which controlled and regulated smaller watches. The earliest examples were developed as long ago as the 17th century for use by scientists and explorers. The typical appearance of a regulator has always been an expression of precision and legibility. The minute hand turns in the centre while the hour hand is displayed in a subsidiary dial. The watch runs on an Oris cal 74, based as you will know, on the Sellita SW 220.