A good dive watch isn’t merely a waterproof model — it should have a durable case, at least 100m of water resistance, a unidirectional bezel, and the face should be legible and luminous underwater. Additionally, the face should use markings rather than numbers to avoid confusion underwater. If a watch claiming to be a dive watch lacks any of these traits, it’s not a proper dive watch.
From Citizen to Garmin to Omega, here are the best dive watches for every budget.
The best dive watches
Editor’s choice: Redwood Tactical V2 Diver’s Watch
- Automatic movement (solar-powered is available)
- Choice of strap material
- Water resistant to 200m
- Scratch-resistant flat sapphire crystal
With a design inspired by French combat divers, the Redwood Tactical V2 Diver’s watch is an elegant classic that performs brilliantly. The clean lines and minimalist look is what drew me to this watch. The visibility underwater is exceptional, although some may prefer a subdial for the date. This watch certainly comes with a bit of heft to it, the weight may sit a bit better on larger wrists.
It features multiple strap options and a stainless steel case construction with a brushed finish with a flat sapphire crystal. There’s also a uni-directional bezel, a must on all professional divers watches.
See Redwood Tactical V2 Diver’s Watch on Redwood
Best analog watch: Citizen Men’s Promaster Diver Analog Watch
- Citizen Eco-Drive is powered by light
- Anti-reflective mineral crystal dial window
- Japanese-quartz movement
- Water resistant to 200m
The Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive Dive Watch is an excellent dive watch at an intermediate price point. You’re not in the sapphire crystal league with this, but with the mineral crystal, it is still durable. You can submerge up to 200m, so it’s suitable for a variety of marine activities including swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving.
Citizen’s Eco-Drive battery option means you won’t have to switch out watch batteries. Pay close attention to the manual for further information regarding charge times and extended use. It’s one user manual that you’ll want to keep handy.
See Citizen Men’s Promaster Diver Analog Watch on Amazon
See Citizen Men’s Promaster Diver Analog Watch on Citizen
See Citizen Men’s Promaster Diver Analog Watch on Walmart
Best cheap dive watch: Casio MRW200 Dive Watch
- Imported
- 100m water resistance
- 12/24-hour timekeeping
- Case/bezel material: Resin
This attractive, minimalist design complements any style and works down to 100m. Japanese quartz allows for a great spin of the unidirectional bezel. You get a date display feature and a mineral crystal case for damage protection. The low price is impressive for such a high-quality watch.
Casio’s most inexpensive dive watch comes with features that rival watches three times the cost. Not only is this one of the best dive watches in this price range, the MRW200 is simply a fantastic dive watch.
See Casio MRW200 Dive Watch on Amazon
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Best digital dive watch: Garmin Descent Mk1 Dive Watch
- Surface GPS
- Three-axis compass, gyroscope, and barometric altimeter
- Elevate wrist heart rate tech and other fitness features
- Selectable tone and vibration alerts
- Dive log for up to 200 dives
This digital diving watch comes with GPS and features different operational modes you can activate depending on your location and preference.
In “watch mode”, the watch will remain on for up to 19 days. The smartwatch mode keeps the watch working for ten days, while the GPS mode works for 20 hours, depending on your settings. This dive watch is elegant and robust. If you want the benefits of a smartwatch wrapped up in your dive watch, or you’d like to track your dives, then this is the best underwater watch.
See Garmin Descent Mk1 Dive Watch on Amazon
Fan favorite: Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster Quartz Dive Watch
- Diver’s watch with easy-to-read dial
- Eco-Drive technology
- Rubber band with buckle closure
- Water resistant to 300m
This Promaster watch uses the Japanese quartz movement, a steel case, an analog display, and a mineral dial window which work together to make it a competent dive watch. Its rotating bezel and the large, luminous markers make it simple and easy to tell the time and date.
It uses Eco-Drive technology instead of relying on a battery. The high water resistance means you can use this watch while swimming, diving, and snorkeling.
The watch comes with a blue polyurethane strap and is made with robust stainless steel, giving it a classic look. It also features an anti-reflective crystal, a one-way rotating elapsed-time bezel, a screw-back case, and a screw-down crown.
See Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster Quartz Dive Watch on Amazon
The classic: Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Dive Watch
- Water resistant to 600m
- Unidirectional rotating black ceramic bezel insert
- Stainless steel metal bracelet and case
- 60-hour power reserve
- Automatic movement
- A classic, bestselling, and beloved dive watch
You can’t go wrong with a silver-and-black watch. The Omega Seamaster Diver does it justice with this classic timepiece. This is a bestselling and beloved model that features self-winding automatic movement and a black dial watch. With a sapphire crystal watch face, you won’t have to worry about scratches.
Waterproof to an incredible 600m, this is perfect for scuba divers. With a steel case and bracelet, luminescent hands and markers, and a helium escape valve, you’re getting a plethora of features here for the money.
See Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Dive Watch on Amazon
Luxury pick: Breitling Superocean Heritage II
- Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal
- 200m of water resistance
- Screw in crown
- Automatic movement
Breitling’s Superocean Heritage model features a unidirectional bezel rotation and sapphire crystal with anti-scratch stopping power.
This is a heavier watch that you’re going to feel on your wrist. Nearly all of the weight is focused on the watch face itself. The rubber wristband is extremely lightweight and airy.
See Breitling Superocean Heritage II on Amazon
For the all-black-everything person: Luminox Evo Navy Seal Blackout Watch
- 200m water resistance
- Swiss quartz movement
- Matte black finish
- Black rubber bracelet
Luminox Evo Navy Seal Blackout packs some serious power. With an all-rubber band and an all-black face, your watch will complement your dive gear. It features Swiss quartz movement and water resistance to 200m.
This is the perfect watch for the beginner or intermediate diver who isn’t looking to commit to higher-grade models right off the bat.
With a carbon-reinforced case, it is solid and durable. An interesting design choice is the numeral hour markers in Arabic.
See Luminox Evo Navy Seal Blackout Watch on Amazon
See Luminox Evo Navy Seal Blackout Watch on Newegg
Space age style: Citizen Eco-Drive Men’s Aqualand
- Japanese quartz movement
- Water-resistant to 200m
- Highly visible face
- Citizen iconic dive watch style
You’ll feel like you are starring in a sci-fi movie with Citizen’s take on the dive watch. It features an all-rubber band, synonymous with dive watch functionality, and a brilliant watch face display. Crafted out of corrosion-resistant stainless steel and sporting a unidirectional bezel, this beautiful timepiece is good down to 200m.
You don’t have to worry about a portable power bank. This system runs fully on light and doesn’t require a battery. Equipped with Japanese quartz movement, luminous indices, and a built-in depth meter analog display, this is a fantastic choice at a reasonable price.
See Citizen Eco-Drive Men’s Aqualand on Amazon
Budget buy: Casio Men’s Black Analog Watch
- Screw down crown
- Durable, comfortable band
- 200m water resistance
- Stainless steel watch case and unidirectional bezel
Casio generally produces inexpensive watches for the everyman, but this is a stunning, minimalist-designed dive watch with impressive capabilities. You get over 200m of water resistance and mineral glass, which similarly protects against scratches and scrapes to sapphire crystal.
There’s a unidirectional rotating bezel, black rubber band wrist strap, and date display. Casio has made an excellent watch for a very low price, without skimping on quality. You get a full stainless steel body, with Japanese quartz for the movement piece.
See Casio Men’s Black Analog Watch on Amazon
See Casio Men’s Black Analog Watch on Casio
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Most bang for your buck: Invicta Men’s Pro Diver Collection
- Dive depth of 100m
- Polyurethane and stainless steel band
- Several subdials
- Stainless steel case
- Push/pull crown
While your dive depth is the shortest on our list at just over 100m, the design, intricate face, and features make this a solid choice.
The case is made of stainless steel, with stainless steel links woven through the black polyurethane band. Invicta went with a few inexpensive components on this watch, but you still get a great deal of protection against scratches. With a Swiss chronograph subdial, you can measure increments of time near the two, six, and ten o’clock mark with ease. The buckle clasp on the strap is also very comfortable.
See Invicta Men’s Pro Diver Collection on Amazon
Great first dive watch: Victorinox Swiss Army Men’s I.N.O.X. Pro Diver Watch
- Water resistant to 200m
- Swiss-quartz movement
- Count-up scale in addition to the rotating diver’s bezel
- ISO 6425 certified and wetsuit compatible
The Victorinox Swiss Army Men’s I.N.O.X. Pro Diver Watch measures 43mm and is crafted for professional marine activities, built to resist immersion to about 200m. The case is stainless steel, ISO 6425 certified, and wetsuit compatible. It is comfortable and you can choose a line-engraved rubber strap or a silver stainless steel bracelet. There’s also a translucent detachable protection bumper that gives the watch an edge over other dive watches.
Remarkably, this is the only Swiss watch to pass 130 stiff endurance tests – earning the watch its INOX specification. The watch incorporates a count-up scale that helps to track diving, as well as a unidirectional rotating bezel. This watch is heavy but not heavy enough to be a burden. However, for those who love to dive light, it might not be ideal. It is also expensive.
See Victorinox Swiss Army Men’s I.N.O.X. Pro Diver Watch on Amazon
Great for casual wear: Tissot Seastar 1000 Chronograph Watch
- Water resistant to 300m
- Stainless steel case and bezel
- Rubber strap
- Black ceramic ring
Every detail of this watch is beautifully crafted. The unidirectional rotating stainless steel bezel has a black ceramic ring attached to it. Its case is made from stainless steel and the straps are plain black rubber. The outer rim is shows minute markers.
The Tissot watch is built with scratch-resistant sapphire crystals. The piece has a modern and elegant look.
See Tissot Seastar 1000 Chronograph Watch on Amazon
Why trust us
We love gear and we love diving. We’ve rounded up our favorites and researched top-selling models to bring you this curated list.
Who this is for
This guide is for anyone looking for a great diving watch. Whether that’s an affordable dive watch or a luxury model, we have featured a watch to suit a variety of tastes and budgets.
How we picked
We considered a variety of styles, budgets, top watch brands, popular dive watches, and an array of features.
How we tested
We tested dive watches by wearing them nearly daily for over a month, both in and out of the water. While I’m not a professional diver, our tested models spent a good amount of time in the water.
Features to look for in dive watches
When you’re considering the optimal dive watch for your needs, stop and ask yourself one question first: are you an enthusiast, or a hardcore diver? If you’re going in for the long haul, you may be paying a higher price point, but your dive watch will last you a lifetime if you maintain it properly.
ISO 6425 standard
In short, this is what’s going to protect your dive watch components under water pressure. Any good dive watch will be great for at least 100m. The waterproof rating is the most important aspect of your dive watch.
Accuracy
The whole point of a dive watch is to tell you how long you’ve been underwater, so you can time your oxygen usage. It’s a crucial part of any diving expedition.
Style
While a good dive watch is more than just style, it’s still an important factor. Depending on what watch you’re going to go with, and what price range, you should expect to be able to wear it both to dive and in town.
Dive watch FAQ
Q: What is a dive watch?
There are a few features that separate a modern dive watch from modern sports watches. The most distinctive is the bezel, which we explain in detail below. Additionally, because these watches are used while diving, they must have at least 100m of water resistance. Lastly, the face on a proper diving watch must have some amount of luminosity to be visible while diving. Generally, you won’t see numbers on a dive watch, this improves legibility.
Q: How do you use a dive watch?
Below we cover how to use the bezel on a dive watch, which helps divers time how long they’ve been underwater. Otherwise, you can use most dive watches to tell the time normally.
Q: How do you use the dive watch bezel?
To use the bezel on a dive watch, align the zero marker with the minute hand. As time goes by, the minute hand will move while the bezel remains in place. The minute hand will point to spots on the bezel, letting you know how long you’ve been diving, or engaged in any other activity.
Sources:
- Diving Watch – Wikipedia
