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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Record Keeping: A computer watch can store dive data for future reference and analysis, allowing the diver to keep track of their dive history.
4. 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.