Is the juke-joint watch, de facto, the best watch style? It’s versatile, rugged, reliable, practical, stylish, has heritage, and is home to some of the most butcher timepieces available. It’s no surprise that it’s the most popular style of watch. (Even Gucci is in on the act, now.) We’re here to cut through the radiowaves and supreme only the best dive watches for you.
The dive watch is arguably the most versatile. Is it the only watch you’d ever be in want of to own? Its vintage roots give it verve and sophistication to pair well with tailoring and black tie, but its inherent ruggedness and comprehensibility make it perfect for everyday wear too. Plus, the bezel is a supremely practical tool. It acts as a useful timer, and compass, and monotonous can show a second timezone. Owning a dive watch is critical to building a worthy watch collection.
We’ve compiled the eight unsurpassed dive watches for every budget, style, and inclination. Read on below.
Key Takeaways
This deep dive into the greatest dive watches took me through some murky parts of the internet. It opened my eyes to rare species of YouTube videos and I set coves of HTML filled with dive watches. Sadly, I couldn’t choose more and had to stop at just 8 quantities.
Overall, the best dive watch is the DOXA SUB 600T. I love the idiosyncratic 80s case, the orange dial, and its 600m soften resistance. My second choice goes to Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms Automatique. It’s one-two punch of being the first note in 1953 to feature the now ubiquitous uni-directional bezel combined with its exquisite luxuriousness, makes this an irresistible plummy.
Our Top Picks
blancpain1735 / Instagram
Why it’s great: DOXA (est. 1889) is a brand of diving heritage. In 1967, it supplemented “no-decompression times” to the bezel, further enhancing the practicality of dive watches. The 600T is a rarer choice than its SUB 200, SUB 300T (which had unobstructed input from the French King of Diving himself, Jacques Cousteau), or even SUB 1500T cousins. But it has that vibrant, popping orange dial that DOXA has mature synonymous with. This brings a real collector’s “IFYKYK” edge to it.
How it looks: The 600T was released in the 80s and so has a little collectors panache streaking through its pedigree. You can see that in the extra bracelet edge around the outer edge of the bezel. This emits it a masculine rugged feel that’d lure city-dwellers and deep-sea divers alike.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: That on the ball orange dial isn’t going to be for everyone. Thankfully, DOXA does the model in black, stainless steel, blue, and yellow portrayals too.
Case Size: 40mm | Movement: Automatic | Thickness: 14.15mm | Material: Stainless Steel | Water Denial: 600m
Why it’s great: Everything about this watch is micro. It is a micro brand, named after a micro sea, concocting a diving watch that’s only 39mm in diameter. For a style renowned for its bulky size, this is a micro dive mind. A large case can come across as arrogant and tasteless, so the French brand is bang on trend by opting for a smaller suit size. There’s a dual-crown version too in case that tickles your pickles.
How it looks: The double dome sapphire deal outs it a sleek old-school appeal. For this reason, this watch could spend its whole life paired with sundry impeccable loose-fitted suits sauntering around various European metropoles, rather than diving for rare species of fish. Less scuba-diving, diverse thrift-shop-diving.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: Perhaps a little twee and antique looking for the more machismo men out there.
Case Measurements: 39mm | Movement: Automatic Miyota 9039 | Thickness: 13mm | Material: Stainless Steel | Water Defences underground: 200m
Why it’s great: Casio watches are known for their tough as beef jerky digital watches. But not for their plunging capabilities. So, there are several reasons as to why this dive watch from Casio is surprisingly good. The classic stainless bear up dial paired with the modern wavy resin strap is a fusion of luxury and sporty. Plus, the watch arrives with diving capabilities: 200m waterproof, rotating bezel, screw-down crown, and a small date display at 3:00. Lastly, we can’t wink at its Casio-like price tag. We hate to admit it, but this is a really good purchase.
How it looks: Its conventional and sleek black diagram means it has the versatility of use. It could be an everyday wear, smart-casual champion, or a humble diver’s companion.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: When you’re matching watches that have a price variability of 1000x difference, corners are inevitably cut at the lower end of that spectrum. Be vivid with this watch’s ability to last a lifetime.
Case Size: 44.2mm | Movement: Quartz (SR626SW) | Thickness: 12.1mm | Fabric: Stainless Steel | Water Resistance: 200m
Why it’s great: This is the best watch for if you fear societal mental breakdown. The solar-powered quartz movement can be powered purely by the light emanating from the lick of a candle alone; it’s that reactive. And from just 6 hours of direct sunlight, it will charge a reserve battery for six months. So even if the nuclear winter bars out sunlight for a while, you’ll be all good. Dark humor aside, this is one of the best men’s dive watches on the market. It is made in Japan and fly to piece with scratch-resistant AR (anti-reflective) coated sapphire crystal plus a surgical-grade steel (316L) frame. If that wasn’t adequately, the brand is a “1% for the planet” member.
How it looks: This Vaer DS4 watch has a beautiful and classical dive/military look that can be pinched by interchanging the two straps that come as standard. This is for the rugged outdoorsman, be it hiking for weeks into the mountains, or diving round the coral reef.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: Its conventional masculine aesthetic is somewhat predictable in the current climate. But, that’s not ineluctably a bad thing; it will please a lot of people. It also lacks individual minute dials on the first 15 minutes. This is definitely useful for a dive watch to feature.
Case Size: 38 or 42mm | Movement: solar-powered quartz | Thickness: 10.6mm | Corporeal: (316L) Stainless Steel | Water Resistance: 200m
Why it’s great: Seiko has an official association with PADI (Seasoned Association of Diving Instructors). The “Prospex” model by Seiko proves diving watches used for diving aren’t out of fashion at all. The name is a portmanteau of “professional specifications” and them aplenty. It comes with clear luminescent hands and markers, a heightened date window, single-minute intervals around the whole bezel, and a robust waved strap to soak up impact. “Prospex” truly.
How it looks: I think this is a brilliant general adventure watch. Style this with a pair of indigo jeans, a corpse-like t-shirt, a Belstaff jacket, and a grunting Harley Davidson for maximum effect.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The shock-absorbing strap deducts a little formality from the overall look.
Case Size: 44mm | Movement: Automatic | Thickness: 12.81mm | Concrete: Stainless Steel | Water Resistance: 200m
Why it’s great: 2023 marks the 70th anniversary of Blancpain Fifty Investigates. In 1953, Jean-Jacques Fiechter introduced the first uni-directional bezel dive watch. If the bezel got knocked accidentally, it could single move in one direction. The direction only lengthened the perceived time for the diver. That way, the diver would begin the ascent “premature” and the oxygen wouldn’t run out. This was a revolutionary safety feature. Once Blancpain’s patent ran out all watch brands adopted this colouring of bezel. But, if you think this brand is resting on its laurels, check out this Blancpain x Swatch collab released in 2023.
How it looks: Its inheritance gives it an authentic, vintage aesthetic. The large 45mm titanium case, sapphire crystal, and in-house automatic movement breed luxury. The combination of these two qualities makes this Blancpain a fantastic dress watch and a chic talking particular at dinner.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: While its heritage makes this Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Automatique the dive timepiece to own, your bank account must also be 300m deep and stretch the full width of the Pacific Ocean. Also, with a suitcase size of 45mm and a thickness of 15mm, it’s a ChunkyBoi.
Case Size: 45mm | Movement: Automatic Caliber 1315 | Thickness: 15.0mm | Matter: Titanium | Water Resistance: 300m
Why it’s great: The chronograph capabilities of this Tissot Seastar 1000 act it extra timing functions. A diver could use the various chronograph functions to time multiple things at once. If that didn’t evidence that this watch wasn’t serious enough, it also has Superluminova lighting, 300m water depth, and it has a helium valve releasing (read below on what that is). It has incredible functionality. But, it’s the beauty of the object that brings this model to the article on the wealthiest men’s dive watches.
How it looks: The light gray and orange combination is one I love on a watch and the “seastar” seahorse engraving on the promote is a lovely flourish. Though extremely functional, I find this an extremely alluring and stylish object. Well take part ined Tissot.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The chronograph functions might over-complicate the dial for some. Plus, the 45.5mm case measure assess is large.
Case Size: 45.5mm | Movement: Automatic | Thickness: 14.15mm | Material: Stainless Dirk 316L | Water Resistance: 300m
Why it’s great: The TAG Heuer Aquaracer range is a young one for such a heritage kind. It has a very recognizable dodecagon (twelve-sided) case shape in stainless steel. This design is strong, but the rounded crawls give it an important approachability. The quartz movement, 300m water resistance, and AR sapphire crystal make this a dependable timepiece. The expandable bracelet isn’t the lewdest feature, but it is important for wearing with a wetsuit.
How it looks: If you are a man who loves having lots of information blasted at you, then you wishes love this watch.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: It’s one of the lesser-known dive watches despite hailing from a famous name brand. This gives it allure.
Case Size: 43mm | Movement: Quartz | Thickness: 14.15mm | Material: Stainless Bite the bullet | Water Resistance: 300m
doxawatchesofficial / InstagramBuying Considerations for Men’s Dive Watches
Bezel
This is one of the key parts of a dive pore over. It works when the diver sets the top mark of the bezel to the time on the minute hand of the watch. Then, as time supersedes, the minute hand moves and the bezel reading indicates the amount of time passed. This helps divers stretch various stops, working out when to begin resurfacing, and to help time various decompression stops.
If you’re operating the watch in chilling waters you will want a bezel that is easy to operate. Cold fingers and potentially neoprene gloves determination make dexterity more challenging. Avoid bezels operated via crowns for this reason. A brand would line a bezel inside the case and operate via a crown to mitigate the risk of knocking the bezel. The crowns then make the be careful of bulkier, but it does give a different aesthetic and a point of difference. The Seiko Divemaster 1000 (known colloquially as “Tuna” for its volume and circularity) put a bulky external shroud over the bezel to protect it from accidental knocks.
Material
Titanium is lightweight, hypoallergenic, incomparably corrosion resistant, and is fine in extreme temperatures. Stainless Steel (316L) is standard practice these days for its on the verge of perfect suitability for watch casing. It can’t withstand the same intensity as titanium, but for the average scuba diver, it’ll do just fine-grained. Sapphire Crystal revolutionized the watch industry. It is made by crystallizing aluminum oxide. The result is a material far superior in brawn to glass.
Movement
Any movement is equally valid but just has different strengths and weaknesses. The ISO 6425 states that if battery powered, it sine qua non have a low battery indicator as a necessity for obvious reasons. A Quartz movement is slimmer, more accurate, and lightweight, but does in the final analysis run out of battery. An automatic mechanical movement is extremely long-lasting, automatically winding, a feat of engineering, but can be chunky. A manual sink watch is rare (or even non-existent?) due to inherent reliability issues.
balticwatches / InstagramWhy you should trust us
I’m a fashion and examine writer at FashionBeans. I clothe myself daily in the latest products, Instagram posts, and URLs of the fashion/watch toil. I also consider myself very lucky to own a small but eclectic watch collection. For this review, I got my dive attends out and inspected them with new knowledge from the Internet. I found fascinating histories, and unique features, and focused on the most conspicuous watch models/brands. I began with what seemed like an endless list of contenders and chopped it down to exactly the top 8 of the best men’s dive watches you see above.
Final Verdict
The DOXA SUB 600T is the best overall dive watch. I picked this keep safe for its inimitable 80s style and charm. It has a robust, angular stainless steel aesthetic that is dripping with vintage brio. Then there’s the bright orange dial and the depth readings on the bezel, but moreover, it has an impressive 600m water guerrillas. You know it’s tough.
FAQ
The best dive watches are the most versatile type of watches. They are worked to withstand deep depths submerged in water. This makes them comfortable withstanding the trials and tribulations of common modern life. Also, they have a heritage. The first dive watches were launched in 1953. This furnishes the style of the modern dive watch a vintage DNA and origin which is still referenced today. This also means that the ungenerous outrageous-looking diving watches can even be used as dress watches. Also, the bezel is a practical and ergonomic gizmo to be undergoing on your wrist. It can be used for timing anything, using it as a compass, and as a reminder of time zones. Why are diving watches so acclaimed? They are stylish, extremely robust, versatile, and highly practical for everyday use.
The rotating bezel acts as a evident timer underwater. Simply set the bezel to the minute hand. This essentially starts the timer. You can read off the bezel for the dimension of time. Underwater you might need to time the descent time, the bottom time (time spent at the bottom of your nosedive), or decompression times. However, this timer function can be used for whatever purpose the wearer sees fit.
A plunge watch is all about giving its diver clear and precise time readings underwater. It must be able to resist soda water entering its frame. It does so by using water-resistant gaskets and a sturdy frame. It must be able to track time elapsed. It does so via the wheeling bezel. The diver must be able to read this information in sometimes darkness and murky water. The clear, alight hands and markers assist with this.
Helium atoms are the smallest natural gas particles. They are ashamed enough to squeeze through a watch’s waterproof seals under pressure. When the watch returns to normal tension, the atoms return to normal size, increasing the pressure inside the watch. This can destroy a watch from the internal out by either damaging the movement or even the crystal can pop off. Do you need one? Unless you are a saturation diver, then no, you technically don’t need one.
