Practical and stylish in their own way – chunky and yet somehow sleek – dive (or diver) watches have been one of the leading styles in men’s watches for almost 70 years. However, first and foremost, dive watches are all about functionality – you wouldn’t want to pay often hefty price for the best dive watches unless you’re planning on using it deep underwater.
I have a policy that I try to follow wherever possible. Buy Once – Buy right.
It is no different when it comes to the gear I take with me on dives. In this article, we will take a look at 5 of the best dive watches on the market and what you need to look for before making a purchase.
Lets Review What A Computer Diver Watch Is
A computer watch is a crucial piece of equipment for scuba diving because it helps track and monitor important dive information such as depth, time, and nitrogen levels. This information is crucial for ensuring a safe and enjoyable dive. Some specific reasons why a good computer watch is needed for scuba diving are:
- Safety: A computer watch helps prevent decompression sickness by monitoring the amount of nitrogen absorbed in the body during a dive and calculating the amount of time required for a safe ascent.
- Planning: The dive computer watch helps plan and manage the dive, including calculating the remaining dive time based on the current depth and air supply.
- Record Keeping: A computer watch can store dive data for future reference and analysis, allowing the diver to keep track of their dive history.
- Convenience: A computer watch is a convenient and easy-to-use dive tool, eliminating the need for multiple devices or instruments to monitor dive information.
A good computer watch is an essential piece of equipment for scuba diving because it helps ensure dive safety, improves dive planning and management, and provides valuable dive information for future reference.
Maximum Dive Depth
Generally speaking, the more you pay for a dive watch, the deeper the max depth. That’s not to say you should go for a watch with a 2,000m rating just because it looks cool. What I advise is that you consider your own skills and experience and the depths you are likely to dive too.
If you regularly dive at say 200m then perhaps a watch that covers you to 300-500 meters would be fine. All that matters is that you get a device with sufficient coverage should you wish to go deeper. There is nothing worse than paying upwards of $500 for a dive watch, only to have it bust on you because you maxed out the depth capacity.
Material
There are two elements to look at when it comes to the watch material.
The Strap
This is persona preference, however, most of the best models, as you will see from the dive watch reviews below, are made with a silicone rubber. This is so that the strap doesn’t absorb water and it resistant to abrasion, which greatly increases the lifespan of the watch itself.
The Casing
This is important. I have no doubt that you will, many times, knock, graze and bang your watch. It’s a natural occurrence with diving, boats, water and heavy gear. So you need to ensure you choose a strong outer casing that will protect the inner workings from damage.
My personal preference is Titanium for a few reasons. Namely, it’s superior strength and resistance to scratching and also it is super lightweight. It’s used on many of the top rated dive watches and for good reason. It is the best watch housing material period.
Features
Another one that will depend on your personal usage and preference. Some like a watch to have all kind of features, buttons and added extras to help train and improve their diving. Whilst others simply want to know the time.
Whatever your preference, there are a few features that can greatly add to your scuba diving experience. Such as:
- A Unidirectional bezel
- Illuminating hands or backlight
- Day and Date
- Powered by sunlight
Of course, there are many, many more features you can get on a dive watch, especially the digital ones. The often come with a great deal of bells and whistles – in addition to a number of necessary standard features – it can be tricky to differentiate which watches are worth $200 and which watches are worth $2,000.
Nevertheless, no matter the caliber or quality of watch you’re looking for, there are a few standard features you should look for. Depending on what you value, each of these features could or could not be indispensable; however, you should generally be looking for watches that offer them.
Big Markers and Hands: Deep underwater, you probably won’t be able to see very well. You’ll need big hands that are easy to find.
Glow-in-the-Dark Watch Face: Similarly, it’s probably going to be very dark deep underwater, so some glow-in-the-dark material is pretty essential.
Rotating Bezel (preferably external): Arguably the most distinctive element of the best dive watches, the rotating bezel will tell you how much time has elapsed since you’ve been underwater. A typical scuba tank holds 30 to 50 minutes worth of oxygen.
Now that we’ve nailed down the basics, we’ll explore some of the best dive watches on the market today. Dive watches fluctuate wildly in price, so we’ve included some from each range, whether or not you’re looking to pay top dollar.
- 【Divers Watches for Men Women】- Scuba Diving & Swimming Accessories Computer Watch for Swimmers Divers Sailing Surf Hiking equipped with more Professional Multifunctions, such as Self-Contained...
- 【Scuba Diving Watch】- This is a powerful professional diving watch, Before scuba dive we need to set safety factor and oxygen content, calibrate compass. You could also wearing it for outdoor...
- 【10ATM Water Resistant】 The reliable sealing system of the digital watch offers effective protection against water, dust and external influences. With 10 ATM water resistant, the watch can be worn...
- 【Survival Hiking Reloj Deportivo】- Compass Digital Sports Watch , accurately pinpoint direction to safely find your way through wilderness and in whiteout conditions；Altimeter , kown the...
- 【Good Materials】- The watchcase is made by 316L stainless steel which is corrosion resistant ,Shockproof and durable, Tough,scratch-resistant glass with high light transmission
- Rugged, watch-style dive computer with a sapphire lens, silicone bands and an easy-to-read monochrome display
- Battery life: up to 25 hours in dive mode, 21 days in smartwatch mode and 26 hours in GPS mode
- GPS/GLONASS/Galileo support allows divers to mark surface entry and exit points so you can see exactly where you started and ended the dive
- Track your activities with over 30 built in sports apps, advanced training features such as V02 Max so you can see how your body is adapting to training
- 24/7 wrist-based HR, Pulse Ox, Body Battery energy monitoring, sleep score and more give you insights into your health and wellness telling you when to slow down and take breaks (this device is...
- ⌚Diving computer watches: spin button dive computer makes it effortless to set air, nitrox, and gauge modes. ideal for beginners in scuba diving. it is easy to use and easy to read all the...
- ⌚Sports watch: fashion design and rich functions suitable for men and women, nitrox, compass, altimeter, barometer, thermometer, stopwatch count down, alarm, backlight, 12/24h, Pedometer, calorie...
- ⌚Diving mode: 2 diving modes, free diving, and scuba diving, scuba dive50m /164ft, with NDL(No decompression limit) time reminder, diving depth, water temperature, diving speed
- ⌚High-quality watch: the watchcase is made of 316l stainless steel which is corrosion-resistant, shockproof, durable, rugged, and scratch-resistant glass with high light transmission, it provides 12...
- ⌚Gift watch: is a perfect gift for any gift-giving occasion, valentine's day, anniversary, business, birthday, thanksgiving day, father's day Christmas, etc, Thanks to the casual and stylish design...
- Swiss Automatic Movement for relentlessly smooth accuracy
- Exhibition caseback showcases the Depthmaster Heritages pristine inner workings
- Dive ready 120 click unidirectional bezel
- Screw down crown for an air tight seal and straight up style on display
- Finished with an adjustable stainless steel bracelet that can stand up to anything thrown your way
- Stainless Steel case with Black Resin Band
- Black Dial with date window at 3 O'clock
- Luminous markers and hour hands; sweep second hand
- Anti-reverse bezel
- Water-resistant to 200 M (660 feet)
- Stainless steel case 40mm diameter x 14.1mm thick; Exhibition case back; Black dial; Luminous hands.Band Length: 205mm
- NH35A Japanese Automatic movement, 24 jewel; Assembled in Malaysia; Watch weight 155 grams
- Includes gift box, instructions and 3 year limited manufacturer warranty; Invicta Customer Service can be reached at 1-800-327-7682 for questions (re: Additional links, band replacement, band...
- Stainless steel case 40mm diameter x 12.5mm thick; Blue dial; Magnified date window; Luminous hands and hour markers
- Japanese quartz movement, PC32 Caliber; Assembled in Japan; SR626SW battery included; Watch weight: 140 grams
- Stainless steel band, 180mm L x 20mm W; Band is adjustable by adding/removing links; Fold over safety clasp
- Flame Fusion crystal; Push/pull crown; Uni-directional stainless steel bezel with blue top bezel ring; 200 meter water resistant: Suitable for professional marine activity and surface water sports....
- Citizen Men's Eco-Dive Promaster Dive, Silver-Tone Stainless Steel Bracelet Watch, Green Dial, 3 Hand, Date (Model: BN0199-53X)
- 3 Hand, Date
- Silver-Tone Stainless Steel
- Mineral Crystal
- 200M Water Resistant and 5 Year Limited Warranty
- Material: 316L stainless steel bracelet and case, synthetic sapphire crystal, ceramic bezel
- Movement: NH35A automatic movement,24 jewels, 41 hours of energy storage
- Good for diving: Diver 200 M,unidirectional rotating bezel, folding buckle with safety, screw-in crown
- Backlight: Super bright C3 Swiss Luminous, blue luminescent hour markers, excellent night brightness
- Waterproof: Water resistance up to 20 ATM / 200 meters / 656 feet
- Stainless steel case 43mm diameter x 12mm thick; Black dial; Luminous hands and hour markers
- Japanese quartz movement, PC32 Caliber; Assembled in Japan; SR626SW battery included; Watch weight: 170 grams
- Stainless steel band, 185mm L x 22mm W; Band is adjustable by adding/removing links; Fold over safety clasp
- Flame Fusion crystal; Screw down crown; Uni-directional stainless steel bezel with black top bezel ring; 100 meter water resistant: Suitable for recreational surfing, swimming, snorkeling, sailing and...
