Best dive watch: Elevate your everyday style with our pick of the finest daily divers
Looking for one timepiece to do it all? Then a classic dive watch should be at the top of your shopping list
The best dive watches are designed to keep on ticking even under pressure, whether that’s due to the sheer weight of the water when descending to great depths or just the demands of life on a busy person’s wrist. Dive watches are, in a word, robust.
While these tough-as-nails timepieces are built for action, they’re surprisingly sartorially versatile, too – arm yourself with both a smart bracelet and a practical NATO strap, and you’ve got a watch that can handle everything from attending formal events to navigating the oceans. You’ll be able to wear your watch in water without worrying about damage to the intricate internal mechanism and, with regular services, it could last you a lifetime, and possibly beyond.
To be considered a dive watch, a timepiece must be water-resistant to a depth of at least 100 metres, though some dive watches can go much deeper than this. Dive watches almost always feature a unidirectional rotating bezel, which is a feature that allows divers to track their time spent underwater. Below you’ll find our guide to buying the best dive watch, before our mini reviews of a few of our favourites.
Best dive watches: At a glance
- Best overall dive watch: Seiko Prospex “King Samurai” | £560
- Best solar dive watch: Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive | £212
- Best dive watch under £1,000: Certina DS PH200M | £680
How to choose the best dive watch for you
Should I buy a quartz dive watch or an automatic dive watch?
You’ll see the words “quartz” and “automatic” thrown around a lot while shopping for watches. They relate to the system that keeps the watch ticking. A quartz watch is powered by a battery, whereas an automatic watch is powered by kinetic energy that’s generated by the movement of the wearer’s wrist. Both are reliable and each has its own pros and cons.
Quartz watches will keep the time whether they’re being worn or not. This means you won’t need to wind them up and adjust the time between wears. It does, however, mean there’s a battery to replace. On the plus side, a quartz “movement” (the mechanism that makes the hands move) takes up less space than an automatic movement, which means that quartz watches can be much slimmer and lower profile.
Automatic watches don’t need a battery to run. Motion powers these watches so, if they’re not moving, they’ll eventually stop ticking, especially if they’re not being worn daily. Automatic watches generally command much higher prices because of the intricate mechanisms they use to run, and the fact that they can keep working indefinitely. There’s a reason the priciest timepieces tend to be automatics.
Quartz watches are often considered to be more accurate than automatic; however, the differences are so slight that you’re unlikely to notice.
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How much water resistance do I need?
To be considered a dive watch, a watch needs to be water-resistant to a depth of 100 metres. The ISO (International Organization for Standardization) has a number of tests a dive watch must pass to be certified, and these mostly concern the depth rating.
Some watches are rated up to 1,500m, which means they’ve been successfully tested to that depth without letting moisture in or succumbing to the pressure. Most dive watches are rated for 100-200 metres, which is more than enough for the average person who might wear their watch while they swim or shower.
How big should a dive watch be?
There’s no getting around it, dive watches aren’t the most discreet timepieces. They need to be pretty sturdy to stand up to the pressure, so the materials used are often quite thick. This means that if you have small wrists, a dive watch may not be your best option.
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The best dive watches you can buy in 2023
1. Seiko Prospex “King Samurai”: Best overall dive watch
Price: £560 | Check price at Seiko Boutique
Japanese brand Seiko is that rarest of beasts: a watchmaker that sells genuinely affordable timepieces, but is also highly regarded by notoriously snobby watch enthusiasts. Its now sadly discontinued SKX007 was widely regarded as the best entry-level dive watch on the market, but there are other options now that production has ceased.
Prospex (a portmanteau of “professional” and “specifications”), is Seiko’s product line with a reputation for producing some of the best tool watches a reasonable amount of money can buy. They’re still not cheap, but they’re far more accessible than the likes of Rolex, Omega, Breitling or even Tissot.
The Samurai was given its nickname by Seiko fans for its angular lines that look as if they could have been cut by a samurai’s sword. The watch is rated for 200m water resistance and features a black ceramic bezel and a criss-cross patterned dial. It’s a subtle and understated option that will go with anything from tailoring to weekend wear.
Overall, the Samurai represents excellent value, offering a high-quality automatic movement, a screw-down crown, a unidirectional rotating bezel and timeless good looks for well under £600.
Key specs – Case diameter: 43.8mm; Case material: Stainless steel; Movement type: Automatic with manual winding
2. Certina DS PH200M: Best dive watch under £1,000
Price: £680 | Check price at Goldsmiths
Taking its design cues from the dive watches of the 1960s, this chunky, NATO-strapped timepiece from Certina is perfect for everyday duties. If you’re not familiar with the brand, don’t let that dissuade you. In fact, Certina watches have been used by the US Navy, NASA and the Royal Australian Navy. Suffice to say, they’re built to take a battering in the ocean and beyond.
The DS PH200M is one of the few modern dive watches on the market to feature an acrylic crystal, and its water resistance is rated up to 200m. It’s actually a reissue of a Certina watch from 1967, but it’s surprisingly versatile, despite its retro looks – a quick swap of straps completely alters the aesthetic, taking this from a rugged everyday workhorse to something elegant enough to team with a tailored jacket.
Key specs – Case diameter: 43mm; Case material: Stainless steel; Movement type: Automatic
3. Doxa Sub 200 Professional: Best statement dive watch
Price: £990 | Check price at Doxa
The Swiss brand Doxa has been around since the 1800s, but rose to fame in the 1960s when it introduced the colourful Sub 300 and Sub 300T diving watches – the latter of which was created with direct input from none other than Jaques Cousteau. This classic watch became famous for its vibrant orange dial – something that’s been carried over into this recently released stripped-back version.
The Sub 200 is a minimalist dive watch, with an uncluttered dial and a thin bezel, that can easily be dressed up or down. This version comes with a shiny rice-grain bracelet, but it can also be purchased with a rubber strap for full dive functionality. We love the simple yet eye-catching looks, which can really make an outfit pop.
This watch is excellent for anyone looking to venture into the world of luxury dive watches without paying into the thousands. It’s an entry-level option from a brand that usually sells in the £2,000-£4,000 price range, and it has the history, heritage and reputation to back it up.
Key specs – Case diameter: 42mm; Case material: Stainless steel; Movement: Automatic
4. Tag Heuer Formula 1 Quartz: Best quartz dive watch
Price: £1,450 | Check price at Goldsmiths
Automatic watches are great, but they’re not without their faults. For one, they’re big and bulky – with so much going on inside, there’s no way to make them particularly sleek or streamlined. If you’re a fan of thinner watches then a dive watch such as this Tag Heuer, which is rated up to 200m and uses a quartz movement, might be a better option.
With a reliable battery-powered movement and classic looks, the Formula 1 is often referred to as a good “grab-and-go” watch. There’s no messing around with winding or resetting the time or date – just throw it on and head out. The oversized numbers on the dial give it a distinctly masculine feel, and contrast well with the relatively dainty 41mm case. We also love the bold black screw-in crown and the classic bracelet strap that goes with anything and everything.
Key specs – Case diameter: 41mm; Case material: Stainless steel; Movement: Quartz
5. Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive: Best solar dive watch
Price: £212 | Check price at Amazon
Automatic and quartz movements are the most popular options for powering watches, but they aren’t the only ways to do it. This watch from Citizen has a rechargeable power cell that takes its energy from natural and artificial light sources – so long as you don’t live in a cave, your watch will keep on ticking without the need for batteries.
Another great thing about this watch is the price. Relative to the vast majority of dive watches, this one is quite a bargain – affordable, but not at the expense of its looks. With its 42mm case and tasteful black dial, we think the Promaster could easily go toe to toe with watches twice or thrice the price in terms of pure aesthetics, making it an excellent option for style-conscious shoppers on a tight budget.
Key specs – Case diameter: 42mm; Case material: Stainless steel; Movement: Solar
