JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser.

Dive Watches

Created for diving professionals, dive watches boast high water resistance, highly legible dials and help tell divers how long they’ve been submerged for via a rotational bezel. They’re loved for their distinctive and robust design, making them one of the most popular watch genres around.

Read more

Rolex Air-King 116900 422808

Rolex

Air-King

116900

Rolex Oyster Perpetual 124200 380981

Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex

Oyster Perpetual

124200

Rolex Datejust 16200 419305

Rolex

Datejust

16200

Tudor Black Bay M7941A1A0NU-0003 418963

Manufacturer's Warranty

Tudor

Black Bay

M7941A1A0NU-0003

Breitling SuperOcean Chrono C13341 415311

Breitling

SuperOcean Chrono

C13341

Tudor Black Bay 58 M79030N-0001 404400

Tudor

Black Bay 58

M79030N-0001

Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 134300 410132

Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex

Oyster Perpetual 41

134300

Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 134300 405824

Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex

Oyster Perpetual 41

134300

Rolex Milgauss 116400 GV 405693

Rolex

Milgauss

116400 GV

Rolex Datejust 126234 413347

Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex

Datejust

126234

IWC Pilot's Mark XX IW328204 402204

IWC

Pilot's Mark XX

IW328204

Omega Speedmaster Racing 326.30.40.50.03.001 414895

Manufacturer's Warranty

Omega

Speedmaster Racing

326.30.40.50.03.001

Rolex Daytona 16520 413326

Rolex

Daytona

16520

Rolex GMT Master II 16710 401918

Rolex

GMT Master II

16710

Rolex Sky-Dweller 326934 416085

Rolex

Sky-Dweller

326934

Breitling Premier A37340 414937

Breitling

Premier

A37340

Cartier Must 21 W10125U2 412535

Cartier

Must 21

W10125U2

Cartier Santos De Cartier W2SA0016 411999

Manufacturer's Warranty

Cartier

Santos De Cartier

W2SA0016

Panerai Luminor Marina PAM00392 416736

Panerai

Luminor Marina

PAM00392

Rolex Datejust Lady 31 178274 415653

Rolex

Datejust Lady 31

178274

Tag Heuer Monaco CAW218C.FC6548 415303

Manufacturer's Warranty

Tag Heuer

Monaco

CAW218C.FC6548

Zenith Defy 03.9300.3620/79.I001 417158

Zenith

Defy

03.9300.3620/79.I001

Panerai Luminor Power Reserve PAM00423 424096

Panerai

Luminor Power Reserve

PAM00423

Panerai Luminor Submersible PAM00389 424088

Panerai

Luminor Submersible

PAM00389

Panerai Luminor Submersible PAM00194 424095

Panerai

Luminor Submersible

PAM00194

Bell and Ross BR03-92 BR0392-PAF7-CE/SCA 424108

Bell and Ross

BR03-92

BR0392-PAF7-CE/SCA

Tudor Submariner 75090 424091

Tudor

Submariner

75090

IWC Big Pilot's IW329304 424089

IWC

Big Pilot's

IW329304

Omega Seamaster 300m Mid-Size 2551.80.00 424084

Omega

Seamaster 300m Mid-Size

2551.80.00

Cartier Pasha W31037H3 387382

Cartier

Pasha

W31037H3

CHF 3’285 CHF 3’445

Rolex Daytona 116509 424094

Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex

Daytona

116509

Rolex Deepsea 126660 424098

Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex

Deepsea

126660

Zenith Pilot 03.4000.3620/21.I001 424110

Zenith

Pilot

03.4000.3620/21.I001

Tag Heuer Monaco CBL2183.FT6236 424107

Manufacturer's Warranty

Tag Heuer

Monaco

CBL2183.FT6236

Tudor Ranger M79950-0002 424109

Manufacturer's Warranty

Tudor

Ranger

M79950-0002

Cartier Roadster W62025V3 424093

Cartier

Roadster

W62025V3

Tudor Black Bay 58 M79018V-0001 424116

Manufacturer's Warranty

Tudor

Black Bay 58

M79018V-0001

Tudor Submariner 79090 424087

Tudor

Submariner

79090

Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Collection SLGC001 424086

Manufacturer's Warranty

Grand Seiko

Evolution 9 Collection

SLGC001

Cartier Pasha WGPA0007 424113

Manufacturer's Warranty

Cartier

Pasha

WGPA0007

Omega Planet Ocean 215.30.44.21.01.001 413474

Manufacturer's Warranty

Omega

Planet Ocean

215.30.44.21.01.001

Rolex Submariner 126613 LB 415257

Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex

Submariner

126613 LB

Dive Watches

History

The dive watch, a symbol of adventure and resilience, has a rich and exciting history that stretches back to 1927 when Rolex launched its Oyster model. This innovative watch, with its screw-down case and crown, is considered the first fully water-resistant wristwatch.

Famously, it was worn that year by a young swimmer called Mercedes Gleitz who was the first woman to swim the English Channel. To advertise the feat—and the capabilities of its latest watch—Rolex bought the front page of the most widely read British newspaper of the time, the Daily Mail.

Rolex went on to supply movements to Panerai, who developed the dive watch further with the specialist timepieces they made for the frogmen of the Italian navy in the late 1930s. These early dive watches had a water resistance of 30 metres—unimpressive by today’s standards which requires a dive watch to have a minimum water resistance of 100 metres.

By the mid-1950s, scuba-diving was a popular worldwide pastime due to the invention of the aqualung a decade earlier. This led to a spate of similar-looking dive watches like Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms, which featured the first rotating bezel—enabling divers to accurately measure immersion time—and the Rolex Submariner. Both these watches were water-resistant to 100 metres, while the Zodiac Sea Wolf, released shortly afterwards, doubled this to 200 metres.

In the decades since, dive watches have become more and more capable of withstanding extreme water pressure. In 2012, Rolex launched its Deepsea Challenge model which boasted an incredible 12,000 metres water resistance. In the same year it was attached to a submersible that Hollywood director James Cameron piloted to the deepest part of the world’s oceans—the Marianas Trench—to a depth of 10,898 metres, surviving the ordeal unscathed.

Key features

Today, dive watches continue to push boundaries, incorporating advanced technologies and materials such as helium escape valves, luminescent dials, and enhanced water resistance.

What sets dive watches apart from other timepieces? Let's look at what makes a dive watch unique, designed specifically for the rigours of underwater exploration.

Firstly, their exceptional water resistance is critical. Unlike standard watches, dive watches can withstand the extreme conditions of deep-sea diving, with a water resistance rating of at least 100 metres and many capable of depths up to 300 metres or much more.

Additional features of a dive watch include a unidirectional rotating bezel for tracking immersion time, bold luminous markers and hands for good visibility in murky conditions, and a helium escape valve to prevent damage during decompression. Most dive watches don’t have the latter as they are only of use in saturation diving when a diver spends time in a decompression chamber.

Some diving watches even incorporate helium-filled cases and built-in depth gauges, allowing divers to monitor their current depth without the need for additional equipment. These features make dive watches a useful tool for underwater exploration, although in an age of wearable dive computers they are more often now used as a back-up option.

One thing every mechanical dive watch must have is a constantly running seconds hand, or some kind of display indicating the watch is running that can be viewed in total darkness.

The science of water Resistance in dive watches

Water resistance is a vital feature of a dive watch. Special seals and gaskets prevent water infiltration, while robust materials like stainless steel or titanium ensure durability and resistance to corrosion. Rigorous testing verifies a dive watch's ability to withstand different pressures and temperatures, simulating the conditions encountered underwater.

Water resistance is measured in metres or bar units, indicating the depth to which the watch can be submerged safely. It's worth noting that factors such as water temperature and movement can affect a diving watch's performance underwater.

Popular dive watch models

The Rolex Submariner is a classic choice, renowned for its robustness and precision, and capable of withstanding depths of up to 300 metres. It was famously worn by James Bond until the 1990s when he swapped one dive watch for another: the equally iconic Omega Seamaster.

Other enduring models that are as timeless as they are stylish include the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, Breitling Superocean, Panerai Luminor and IWC Aquatimer. Fellow Swiss brands Tudor and TAG Heuer offer more affordable choices like the Black Bay and Aquaracer, respectively.

At Watchfinder, we offer a vast selection of pre-owned luxury dive watches from all of the aforementioned brands, from Rolex to IWC, catering to every budget and taste. Explore our collection and discover the exceptional craftsmanship and performance of these remarkable watches.

Read more