Dive in For Understanding The 10 Best Dive Watches of All Time

Dive watches have been known to be the most popular subcategory of coated watches and have been around since the emergence of scuba diving and other such recreational underwater activities from the early 1950’s. A number of notable brands like Panerai, Omega and Blancpain, from that decade catered to creating durable versions of these watches, some of which are even available to purchase in the present day.

So, what exactly is a dive watch?

A dive watch is essentially a sturdy watch that is designed to be water resistant and withstand high pressure under water. With the advent of new techniques to make these watches look more attractive, one can now find them in numerous new designs and colours- making dive watches more profitable than ever.

Why do divers wear a dive watch?

The answer to this is subjective. Most divers wear a dive watch as part of an age old tradition for when dive computers had not been invented. Still, today we see a number of divers who choose to wear them as a preference. It acts as a back-up and features depth gauges allowing divers to do a complete ascend to the surface, including safety tips or deco along the way.

Are you an underwater enthusiast? Have you ever thought of taking up diving as a hobby? Or maybe you are simply a watch aficionado and love collecting different pieces. In either case, it is important to do some research know what you are getting in to. Making that purchase for your first dive watch can seem a bit challenging, considering the market today and the plethora of options it offers. To make your purchase journey a tad bit easier and well-informed, we have compiled a list of the best dive watches of all time based on features and price point:

To begin with, let’s have a look at the Best luxury dive watches in the market today:

1. Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sea Dweller

One of the earliest dive watch to be introduced in the market was the invention of the Rolex Submariner back in 1953. Since its advent, the watch has been improved and remodelled multiple times. The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sea Dweller is often known as the ‘50^th anniversary’ sea dweller, being the 50^th remodelled version of the original.  The case is called Oystersteel and is extremely resilient even under harsh conditions. It is known to be one of the most expensive and best-selling luxury dive watches in the market today.

Features:

• Unidirectional and rotatable Cerachrom Bezel
• 43mm diameter with a Helium Escape Valve on the left
• It has an Oysterlock deployment buckle with Rolex glidelock extension system.
• Triple Lock water-proofing system

2. Omega Seamaster Diver 300M

The Omega Seamaster was first designed in 1993 and received huge appreciation for its top-class features and design. Known for its luxurious appeal, this piece was hugely transformed in terms of its structure in 2018 but still continues to remain a diver favourite. This watch is highly recommended for divers looking to dive above 300m.

Features:

• It has a helium escape valve to ensure it is protected from helium damage.
• The dial and bezel are corrosion resistant.
• Co-axial 8800 movements by Omega
• Sea Horse logo at the back of the case
• Push button closure

3. TUDOR Pelagos

The TUDOR Pelagos is a high-end dive watch with a matte blue colour case and an attractive dial that is known to be inspired by the Tudor Submariner 7021 design from the early 1960’s. The biggest change to have been brought to this version is most notably the amount of text on the dial. It features a number of high-end and next generational functions. All the three hands in the watch are shaped differently, in order to make it easier to read under water.

Features:

• Titanium and ceramic Bezel
• 42mm case made of three different materials from top to bottom namely- ceramic, titanium and stainless steel.
• Free sprung High end Swiss movement
• 70 hour power reserve function

4. Breitling Aeromarine Superocean Heritage 42

Breitling luxury heritage watches date back to the early 1950’s- the culture by which most of their collection of watches is inspired. All their pieces have a vintage timeless aesthetic with slightly conservative designing. It is characterized by its unidirectional bezel rotator, a date window and three hand markers. The Aeromarine Superocean is truly the perfect fit for any occasion, underwater or not.

Features:

• Based on the inspiration of rich history from the 1950’s
• The case and strap are made of polished stainless steel
• Luminescent markers and hands
• A sapphire crystal dial that is completely free of glare.

5. Officine Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950

This dive watch brings together the perfect combination of sturdy design and a performance driven gadget. It has got a clear readability under low light and a water resistance of up to 300m- which makes it perfect for amateur as well as experienced divers who are well versed with underwater and deep water diving. It has a 42mm stainless steel case with a black dial and rubber straps. It comes with a customised unidirectional rotating bezel with a thickness of 14.3mm.

Features:

• Black Rubber strap with a stainless steel case
• 3 Day Power Reserve
• Protective crown and automatic movement
• Rapid reset mechanism for date display screen

Now, let’s have a look at the best affordable dive watches for beginners:

1. Tissot Seastar 1000 Powermatic

One of the most beautiful looking budget dive watch, the Tissot seastar has amazing features and efficient functionality. It has a date window and three sub-dials on the top screen. Because of its unidirectional ceramic bezel, the watch is considerably light and weighs under 180g, which is perfect for underwater and scuba diving. It has a stainless steel casing with 43mm wide steel straps to go with it.

Features:

• Made of 316L Stainless steel
• Water resistance is up to 300m
• Swiss automatic movement and stylish design
• Comes in a variety of colours

2. Oris Aquis Date Relief

An automatic calibre based digital dive watch, Oris teamed up with expedition swimmer Ernst Bromeis in order to raise awareness regarding the importance of water. The Oris Aquis Date Relief is a special edition watch that was launched with an inspiration of representing stormy waters through a watch design. It has a grey dial and the seconds hand is red, signifying the urgency of water conservation. It has a multi stainless steel case with sapphire crystals on either sides.

Features:

• 43.5mm Steel case
• Choice of steel, leather or rubber strap that comes in red or grey
• 300m Water resistance
• Stainless steel bezel with a 38 hour Power reserve

3. Seiko Men’s SSC021 Solar Diver Chronograph

This version of Seiko dive watches was released in 2011 and still continues to be one of the most sturdy and affordable dive watch in the market today. It is considered to be the best daily wear sports watch too, considering Seiko’s strong craftsmanship and easy to use features. With a solar charge option, the watch does not require frequent battery changes either and is environment friendly. It has a clear and polished dial with an automatic bezel in its anti-glare outer case. The marking are highly legible which makes it extremely accurate to use underwater.

Features:

• 200 bar underwater pressure
• 14mm case thickness and 44m stainless steel case
• A Black nylon Band
• Rotating Bezel with yellow accents
• Manganese titanium-lithium batteries

4. Davosa Ternos

A revolutionary budget option for a dive watch, the Davosa Ternos is known for its luxurious appeal, without breaking your bank. It is the perfect investment for a diving newbie. With its medium sized 42mm display dial and stainless steel case and strap, this watch is efficient in every sense. It has a ceramic bezel with non-reflective sapphire crystal display, which gives it an extremely luxurious look.

Features:

• Automatic Swiss movement
• Water resistance up to 500m
• Helium Escape value
• Two-tone ceramic bezel

5. Victorinox Swiss Army Men’s INOX Pro Diver

The Vicotrinox Swiss Army Pro Diver is truly a timeless classic. It makes for the perfect heavy duty dive watch that can easily double up as a daily wear watch. It is the largest in size compared to any other watch manufactures by INOX. This allows for it to give accurate readings that are easily legible even under extreme low light conditions. It comes in three sizes and has a Swiss Army’s rubber watch band that makes it very comfortable to wear eve over a wetsuit. It comes in a variety of different dial and band colours, which makes it an attractive dive watchn option.

Features:

• 45mm, 43mm and 37mm diameter
• Water resistance up to 200m
• Long extension bracelet
• 316L Stainless steel case
• Hexagonal Dive Bezel
• Coloured dial and straps (Yellow, Red, Blue and Black)