Best Dive Watches of 2023

JUMP TO: LONGINES HYDROCONQUEST / ROLEX SUBMARINER / SEIKO SKX007K / TUDOR BLACK BAY FIFTY-EIGHT / CASIO G-SHOCK FROGMAN / OMEGA SEAMASTER DIVER 300M / DAVOSA TERNOS CERAMIC / CITIZEN ECO-DRIVE PROMASTER DIVER / BUYING ADVICE

Author: Rose Martin

The Short Version

The Long Version

Dive watches were an essential bit of gear back in the days when recreational diving was starting out. Just like ordinary watches, they display the time and often the date, but they also come with a range of features that make them well suited to diving.

These include luminous hands and markings that can be read in dark conditions (like when you’re diving through a wreck), bezels that can be used to monitor the elapsed dive time, and, of course, a serious waterproof rating.

Nowadays, dive watches have been largely usurped by tech-heavy dive computers that not only tell the time, but also record, monitor, and display details about almost every aspect of your dive.

Although dive computers are undeniably useful, they can be a little tricky to get to grips with. And even the best dive computer can fail unexpectedly halfway through a dive! Plus, they’re often large bulky things that you’d never wear on dry land.

On the other hand, dive watches are super easy to use, they’re often incredibly stylish, and they make a great back-up for ‘just in case’, so many people still like to take one with them on their underwater explorations.

Dive watches have been around for a while, so it’s no surprise that there’s a huge range of them on the market. And although they have some things in common, they do vary slightly in terms of their construction and features.

Plus… the differences in price can be astonishing!

In this article we’ve reviewed the best dive watches currently on the market, making sure we’ve included something for every kind of budget.

If you love reading this review of the best dive watches, then you'll likely love reading some of our other diving content:

Need To Know What To Look Out For?

Dive watches are often a big investment – so you’ll want to get it right. If you are unsure what to look for in a dive watch, be sure to check out our buying advice at the bottom of the article.

Best for Casual Wear: LONGINES HYDROCONQUEST

DIAMETER: 39 mm

MOVEMENT: Quartz L263

WATER RESISTANCE: 300 m

PRICE: $$$

PROS: Slim design, lightweight construction, great balance of quality and price, luminous hands, unidirectional bezel

CONS: Slightly expensive

The Longines Hydroconquest may seem like an ordinary watch at first glance... but it’s actually packed full of all the features we’d hope to see in a dive watch.

The rotating bezel lets you keep track of your time underwater, and it can only move in one direction, so no accidental knocks will reduce your dive time. Although the hands look like regular hands, the luminescent fill means that they can be seen in the dark – perfect for those cloudy dive days. The movement is renowned for its high quality and accuracy, and this watch will continue to operate even at depth thanks to the 300m water-resistance rating.

The watch face also features a date display, which can come in super handy when you’re logging your dives, yet the overall diameter has remained nice and small at just 39 mm. The small face, combined with a lightweight construction, makes for a refreshingly compact dive watch. What’s more, the tasteful face and elegant chain give this watch a very sophisticated appearance.

Although this watch isn’t the cheapest out there, we think the price tag is surprisingly low considering the high-quality craftsmanship behind it. Overall, if you’re after a watch that’s as well-suited to life on dry land as it is under water, then the Longines Hydroconquest could be the one for you.

Best for Vintage: ROLEX SUBMARINER

DIAMETER: 41 mm

MOVEMENT: Rolex Caliber 3230 (automatic)

WATER RESISTANCE: 300 m

PRICE: $$$$

PROS: Famous design that’s been improved over many years, reputable brand, 5-year warranty included

CONS: Super expensive

The godfather of all dive watches, the Rolex Submariner has been around since 1954 and has been slowly perfected over the years.

Featuring a diameter that’s on the smaller side of the spectrum and a stylish chained strap, the Rolex is smart enough for restaurants, the office, and day-to-day wear. The convenient date display is great for everyday use, and also for logging dives, and is super easy to read thanks to the cyclops magnifying lens.

With a water-resistance rating of 300m, this watch can handle deep dives, and you definitely won’t have to take it off when you’re doing the dishes either. The hands and hour markers are luminescent and set against a dark face, so you’ll be able to tell the time even when there’s very little light available.

The ceramic bezel is highly resistant to wear and tear, so you’ll be able to keep track of your elapsed dive times for years to come. Plus, it comes with 60-minute graduations for accurate readings. It’s also unidirectional, so you don’t have to worry about accidental slips mid-dive, and the serrated edge makes it easy to operate even when wearing gloves.

Although the classic ostersteel models have proved highly popular over the years, there are plenty of jazzy alternatives available – including various white and yellow gold options. As you’d expect from a Rolex watch, these watches are made to a seriously high standard, and the movement is automatic so you can forget about daily winding.

Of course, the Submariner doesn’t come cheap – in fact, it’s the most expensive watch on our list – but the included 5-year warranty and excellent craftsmanship mean that your investment really should last you a lifetime.

Best for Simplicity: SEIKO SKX007K

DIAMETER: 42 mm

MOVEMENT: Seiko 7S26 Automatic

WATER RESISTANCE: 200 m

PRICE: $$

PROS: Easy to read, comfortable, great value for money

CONS: Rubber strap might not be to everyone’s taste, price has risen

The Seiko SKX007K is a simple yet highly effective dive watch that’s a cut above other watches in its price range.

The 42mm display is easy to read, even when the visibility is bad, and you can say goodbye to daily winding thanks to the super reliable automatic movement. The markers on the face are nice and large, and they’re filled with luminescence (just like the hands) so they’ll glow for hours after just 10 minutes exposure to sunlight.

The grooved bezel is easy to operate (even when your hands are cold or you’re wearing gloves). Plus, it only moves in one direction and clicks reassuringly into place when you set it. The date display tells you the day as well as the date, and the Hardlex crystal used for the covering is highly scratch-resistant. And with a 200m water-resistance, this watch can operate fully even at depth.

The rubber strap is incredibly comfortable, but it does give this watch a ‘sporty’ appearance that might not go down so well at the office – but it can be swapped out for stainless steel straps if you’d prefer.

Although the price of the Seiko SKX007K has risen since it first hit the market, it remains very reasonably priced for an easy-to-use and highly dependable dive watch.

Best for Versatility: TUDOR BLACK BAY FIFTY-EIGHT

DIAMETER: 39 mm

MOVEMENT: Tudor MT5402 Automatic

WATER RESISTANCE: 200 m

PRICE: $$$

PROS: Sleek case, lots of variations available when it comes to design and materials, large power reserve 

CONS: Pretty expensive, small face might not suit larger wrists

The Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight is as much a piece of art as it a watch. The black face features pink gold-printed details which, combined with the pale luminescence, gives this watch an almost steampunk style.

The unidirectional bezel is constructed from aluminum with a matte finish, and there’s a small red triangle to indicate the 0/60 mark. The automatic movement was created for this watch specifically and is chronometer certified and highly accurate. What’s more, it features an awesome 70-hour power reserve, so you can count on this watch even if you lose track of things for a day or two. The sapphire crystal covering is extremely robust, and this watch comes with a waterproof rating of 200m.

The small diameter of just 39 mm makes for a very sleek watch, and it will look right at home no matter whether you’re in a business meeting or at the bottom of the ocean – although it might not be the best for people with larger wrists. Although the classic model features a silver-tone stainless steel case and strap, there are plenty of other varieties to choose from. Plus, with a selection of bronze, gold, and silver cases, as well as steel, soft-touch, and leather straps, to pick from, you can be sure to find the watch that’s right for you.

As you might expect, this watch comes with a fairly hefty price tag, but if you’re after a watch you can keep on your wrist at every occasion, then you won’t be disappointed by the Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight.

Best for Digital: CASIO G-SHOCK FROGMAN

DIAMETER: 45 mm

MOVEMENT: Japanese Quartz

WATER RESISTANCE: 200 m

PRICE: $$

PROS: Solar rechargeable battery, tide and moon data, long battery life

CONS: Bulky, might not suit everyone’s day-to-day style

Introducing the only digital watch on our list, the Casio G-Shock Frogman.

As well as displaying the time, this watch also provides tidal information for thousands of sites around the world, which can come in super handy if your dive sites are tide-dependent. In fact, it’s a useful feature for plenty of other watersports too, so in addition to scuba divers this watch is popular among surfers, anglers, and freedivers.

The shock-resistant construction and carbon-fiber resin reinforcement have made this one of the sturdiest watches around – so you don’t have to be too precious about it. And it comes with a waterproof rating of 200 m. All that reinforcement does, however, mean that this watch is pretty bulky – the diameter is a whopping 45mm and it definitely has a ‘sporty’ look.

While it might not be the best watch for formal occasions, this watch has heaps of advantages over the analogue watches we’ve looked at, including several alarms, a timer, and even a surface interval measurement function to make your dive planning that bit easier. The baseline battery life is about 10 months from a full charge, but you can easily extend this thanks to the solar rechargeable battery.

Although we prefer the digital version, this watch is also available in an analogue model if you want to keep things old-school.

Overall, if you’re after a rugged dive watch that can handle some wear and tear, and will come in useful for almost every kind of watersport, then the Casio G-Shock Frogman could be the one for you.

Best for Deep Diving: OMEGA SEAMASTER DIVER 300M

DIAMETER: 41 mm (others available)

MOVEMENT: Omega 880 automatic

WATER RESISTANCE: 300 m

PRICE: $$$$

PROS: Lightweight ceramic bezel and dial, helium escape valve, great water resistance, looks like an everyday watch

CONS: Expensive, crystal coating not as scratch-resistant as sapphire

The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M comes with a waterproof rating of 300 meters, as the name suggests. But that’s not the only reason why it’s so great for deep diving.

It also comes with a helium escape valve, which allows helium that may have entered the watch at depth to leave without causing any damage during the decompression process. This makes the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M an awesome option not only for recreational divers but for commercial divers too.

The dial and bezel insert are both constructed from lightweight, corrosion-resistant ceramic, and the watch is covered with a premium anti-reflective crystal coating. You can select either a blue or black dial, and there’s a small date display too. The hands and hour markers light up in the dark, casting a light over the bright white markings on the bezel.

Despite its durable construction, this watch has remained surprisingly slim, and it’s definitely suitable for formal evening wear as well as for underwater explorations.

Rugged, stylish, and featuring a high-quality automatic movement to boot, there really isn’t much we don’t like about this watch… except for the price tag.

Best for Value: DAVOSA TERNOS CERAMIC

DIAMETER: 40 mm

MOVEMENT: DAV 3021 (automatic)

WATER RESISTANCE: 200 m

PRICE: $$$

PROS: 2-year warranty, luminous hands and magnified date display, stylish design, great value for money

CONS: Small face might not suit everyone, not within everyone’s budget

If you’re after a watch with high-end features, yet only have a modest budget, we recommend the Davos Ternos Ceramic.

The unidirectional bezel is constructed from lightweight corrosion-resistant ceramic, and the face is covered with an anti-reflective sapphire coating, making this an incredibly scratch-resistant watch. The hands and indices are luminous, so you’ll have no trouble using this watch in the dark, and the water-resistance of 200 meters is plenty for recreational diving.

The stainless streel chain band is durable yet stylish, and it comes with a safety buckle to make sure it doesn’t slide off. The diameter is just 40mm, but you’ll still be able to read the date thanks to the magnified display. The stylish design and compact dimensions mean that this watch can be worn for every occasion, and the movement is self-winding for your convenience. One thing to bear in mind, though, is that the small face might not be the best option if you have particularly large wrists (a slightly larger model might suit you better).

Although the Davos Ternos Ceramic is by no means cheap, it comes with high-quality construction and extra features that are usually reserved for luxury watches. So we think it offers fantastic value for money overall – and it comes with a 2-year warranty too.

DIAMETER: 43 mm

MOVEMENT: Citizen 3-hand E168 

WATER RESISTANCE: 200 m

PRICE: $

PROS: Light-powered, awesome power reserve, 5-year warranty, great value for money

CONS: Slightly bulky, date can be hard to read, coating could be better

If you’re on the hunt for a dive watch, but don’t have much cash to splash, then we definitely recommend the Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster Diver.

With a water-resistance rating of 200 meters, a unidirectional rotating bezel, and luminous hands and hour markers, this watch is fully equipped with all the features you need for diving.

Our favorite thing about this watch, though, is the light powered eco-drive that constantly turns any kind of light into energy that’s either stored or used. This energy can keep the watch running forever, so you won’t have to waste any time faffing around with battery changes ever again, which is a huge win.

With a 43 mm diameter, this watch is bulkier than others we’ve looked at, but this does mean that it’s super easy to read. It comes with a rubber strap too, which won’t be to everyone’s taste, yet despite this, it’s retained a surprisingly suave look overall.

The mineral crystal coating isn’t quite as resistant to scratches as the coatings used for higher-end watches, but it still does a decent job – and we like that it’s anti-reflective too.

There’s also a handy date display on the face – a feature that’s often lacking from budget dive watches – although it is a tad hard to read. The movement is also highly accurate and we love that it can run for up to 6 months off a single charge.

Overall, if you’re after a watch that’s as good for the environment as it is for your wallet, then the Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster Diver should be high on your list.

BUYING ADVICE FOR DIVE WATCHES

So, there you have it, the best dive watches around. As we’ve seen, there’s quite a range when it comes to style, extra features, and price. But what should you really be keeping an eye on when you’re shopping around? Here are some things to think about.

Construction

SIZE: Dive watches come in a range of sizes. Faces with larger diameters can be easier to read, and there’s more space for extra touches like date displays and additional dials. On the flipside, larger faces add to the overall bulk and weight of the watch, which can put some people off wearing them for day-to-day activities, and it can ramp up the cost too because of the extra materials.

Ultimately, which size you like will come down to personal preference. But it’s a good idea to try out a few different sized watches before you order anything online, so you don’t end up with a horrible surprise.

MATERIALS: As they’re designed for use in salt water, dive watches must be constructed from anti-corrosive materials. Stainless steel is the most common materials used for the cases thanks to its excellent corrosion resistance, but gold is also used for some of the more luxurious watches, and ceramic is often used for the bezel because it’s tough and light.

Dive watches should also be strong enough to handle those inevitable bumps and scrapes that occur when you’re lugging your scuba gear around, so they feature thick crystals to protect them. Sapphire is the most scratch-resistant, but it’s also pretty expensive, and the more economical watches tend to use mineral or Hardlex crystals instead.

STRAP: Dive watch straps are typically constructed from stainless steel (to match the case) or some kind of rubber (especially the ‘sporty’ watches). You find leather and fabric straps out there too, but these generally aren’t considered as robust.

Many watches have straps you can swap too, so you could always wear your watch with a leather strap for day-to-day use then swap it out for a rubber strap for your diving holidays.

Display

ANALOGUE VS DIGITAL: In 1926, Rolex introduced the world’s first water-resistant watch – the ‘Oyster’. A few years later, Omega released the Omega Marine, the world’s first diving watch.

These analog watches inspired dive watches for years to come, and it wasn’t until 1972 that the digital watch was created. By the 1980s, dive computers were already beginning to take off, so there wasn’t much time for digital diving watches to thrive. This means that the vast majority of dive watches are analog and, inspired by those early creations, tend to be sleek and elegant.

Despite this, some digital watch manufacturers, like Casio, have branched out into the realm of waterproof watches suitable for diving, so there are a few digital dive watches on the market. They tend to be bulky and made of rubber, and embrace the typical sporty look rather than try to compete with the classics when it comes to old-school charm.

Both types of watch function perfectly well underwater, so the choice will ultimately come down to personal preference.

DEALING WITH DARKNESS: if you’re diving at depth on a cloudy day, things can get pretty dark. Plus, cave and wreck dives are often carried out in complete darkness. So, a dive watch needs to be readable even in the pitch black. Analog watches handle this by adding a luminous fill to the hands and minute markers, while digital watches use backlights instead.

SUBDIALS: Dive watches tend to have fewer subdials than regular watches, as they’re so small they’re difficult to read underwater, especially if the light is limited. Despite this, there are some dive watches on the market with subdials that provide additional functions, like tracking elapsed time or displaying a different time zone.

DATE DISPLAY: Many dive watches feature a date display in either the 3 or 6 o’clock positions. Some will show just the date, while others will include the day too. And some watches place a magnifier over the window so it can be read more easily.

Although a date display isn’t an essential feature when it comes to diving, many dive watches are designed to be worn for regular activities too, and a date display is a useful feature for watches designed to be worn on land as well as in the water.

Movement

The movement is the powerhouse of any watch, and they’re typically manual, automatic, or quartz.

MANUAL: Manual movements are entirely mechanical and require extremely careful craftsmanship, which is why they’re often the movement of choice for highly esteemed watchmakers. The energy from a wound spring is used to power the watch, and some require daily winding while others can operate for several days (depending on how big the power reserve is).

AUTOMATIC: Automatic movements are similar to manual ones when it comes to craftsmanship, but the spring is powered by wrist movement. This avoids the need for manual winding, unless you haven’t worn your watch for a while.

QAURTZ: Quartz movements use battery power to keep track of time, and they’re known for being the most accurate type of movement. Battery life varies, but they typically last anywhere from 10 to 24 months before they need changing. Nowadays, there are solar quartz watches on the market that can be recharged with sunlight, so the battery may never (or rarely) need replacing.

Other features

ROTATING BEZELS: When you’re on a dive, you want to be able to sit back and relax and not have to remember lots of pesky details, like what time you got in the water.

But it’s super important you know how long you’ve been diving… so, what’s the solution?

A rotating bezel of course!

Just before you descend, you rotate the bezel marker so it’s aligned with the minute hand. The hand will then move as the dive progresses, but the marker will stay put. This means you can tot up how many minutes have passed by counting the minutes between the bezel marker and the minute hand (most dive watches have 5-minute markings along the bezel to help with this).

The bezel 0-marker (and sometimes the other markers) will be luminous, just like the hand, so you can keep track of your dive time even in the dark. As a safety precaution, dive watch bezels only rotate in one direction (clockwise), this means that you can’t accidentally knock the bezel marker forwards during the dive, which would indicate that you’ve sent less time underwater than you really have.

HELIUM RELEASE/ESCAPE VALVE: This is a spring-loaded valve that can open manually or automatically, and allows helium to safely escape from the watch on ascent.

Watches with this feature are catered to saturation divers, who breathe in air mixtures containing a high concentration of helium at significant depths. Although dive watches keep out large molecules, like water, they’re unable to keep out helium because of its tiny molecular size, so it eventually makes its way inside the watch.

During ascent, decreases in atmospheric pressure cause gas that’s absorbed into the body tissues (and into the back of the watch) to diffuse back into the environment. Divers make decompression stops to allow gas to safely leave their body, and the helium escape valve does the same thing for the watch – it provides a passageway for helium to leave the watch without causing damage.

WATER RESISTANCE: Of course, all good dive watches need to be waterproof, and you’ll see that they all come with waterproof ratings – but what do they actually mean?

Well, the main thing to know is that a waterproof rating of, say, 30 meters, doesn’t mean that a watch can handle being submerged at that depth for extended periods of time.

Water-resistance ratings actually refer to how well a watch can stand up under pressure, and this changes with depth. So, if you’ll be diving at around 30 meters, don’t be fooled into thinking you’re okay with a watch with a 30 m waterproof rating.

Although you might get away with using a 100 meter-rated watch for diving, generally, the minimum rating you want is 200 meters, and most of the high-end dive watches offer a water-resistance rating of 300 meters.

ISO certification

One final thing you might come across when you’re shopping around for a new dive watch is the phrase ‘ISO-certified’ – so what’s this all about?

Basically, the International Organization for Standardization (hence ISO) outlined a series of standards that watches must meet in order to be technically deemed a dive watch. These standards include things like a waterproof rating of at least 100m, a unidirectional bezel, readability in the dark, and corrosion-, magnetic-, and shock-resistance.

It’s important to note that although the certification can indicate a high-quality dive watch, there are plenty of awesome dive watches out there that aren’t ISO-certified (like the Rolex dive watches). So, while it can be a useful indicator, don’t get too hung up on whether or not a watch is ISO-certified.

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