Firstly, I’m not a diver, professionally and metaphorically speaking. Secondly, my water adventures never go beyond beach snorkel or just take a nice swim at a local water park with my kids, but for some reason I’m attracted to dive watch and I own one of these so called “dive watch” either analog or digital. One of the best reasons for having divers watches, is that they happen to be among the toughest, robust watches.
As far as I know, there is quite strict standard that a diver watch must be qualify to be a certified diving watch. For example, all genuine and authentic diver watches must comply with ISO 6425 testing procedure such as Condensation test, Deep test, Thermal Shock Testing, etc, meaning that the watch will hold up under harsh underwater condition . It’s much the same with standard tough watches for military.
How much is enough to afford the best dive watches?’
As you can see, there are tons of models of dive watch to choose from, from cheap to mid-range to over the top expensive ones. Correct me if I’m wrong, but some people use the cheapest watches you can get as long as they are rated for the depth they are diving.
Personally, I cannot afford a watch in the price ranges that most of the divers watches usually offers (sometimes cost you thousands of dollars). But for me, I guess I could spend a dive watch about $400 USD to $500 USD – it’s decent price for a good nice looking dive watch.
With so many watches claiming to be ‘diver’ watches, the choices can be overwhelming. We all have our personal preferences on the best dive watch. But if you were really into the scuba diving you would want one of the best diving watches possible. For your reference, here’s I gather five of the best tough diving watches you can look for.
Here we go…
Casio G-Shock GF-1000 FROGMAN
Starting off our list is G-SHOCK GF-1000 FROGMAN. As you can see in my previous post, Casio G-Shock Frogman GWF-1000 also my number one choice if I had $500 to spend on a watch. Introduced on September 2009 in Japan, GWF-1000 represents the fifth generation of the Frogman series and become one of the best G-Shock models for diver.
As far as I know, generally G-Shock’s are not advertised as a dive watches, because they are not all ISO rated. The Frogman are the only G-Shock ISO 6425 certified for scuba diving with a 200 m divers rating, so it’s actually considered to be an ideal watch for divers and seemingly specifically designed for them. See here for complete reviews for G-Shock Frogman.
Although, I basically agree that G-Shock Frogman, while really cool watch, but honestly the GWF-1000 doesn’t have any real advantages over any other G-Shock series. It doesn’t have a depth meter so it’s a dive watch just in name i guess. Take a look a new generation of G-Shock Frogman GWF-D1000 series with a dept meter feature.
Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster Aqualand – ref. BJ2128-05E
Citizen is a brand that is known not only for providing quality wristwatches; it is a name that defines men’s sophistication and luxurious appeal. While Citizen has made a mark with their dress watches, they also stand out in other more functional and innovative watches, such as dive watches. Hence, Citizen offers one of its most prized dive watches.
Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster Aqualand ref. BJ2128-05E is one of the Eco-Drive Promaster collection’s most useful watches, including (among other features) a chronograph and depth meter into a dive watch.
Eco-drive technology allows this watch/ depth meter to get its power from any light source either natural or artificial for better readability, and the orange red coloring on the dial and bezel it makes for a particularly modern and tough piece.
Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster also ISO compliant watch, display measures up to 50 meters and features a maximum depth memory, plus screw-back case and screw down crown. With water resistant up to 200 meters and it comes with a black polyurethane strap.
If there’s one aspect most users complain about Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster , it would be its extra large design (case diameter 48mm) , this is a relatively a BIG watch. Almost all reviewers commented on the size. But hey – I’m not a big guy, but if you compared Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster with G-Shock GWF-1000 which has a bigger diameter (58.30 mm) – it’s fit perfectly in my wrist. But you might want to try it on in a local store before purchasing.
Here’s a awesome video reviews of the Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster courtesy of ABlogToWatch.com. It gives a good view of the watch from all angles. See here to see the reviews..
So if you want to get a big man, tough guy watch, this may be the one for you, it will be with you for a really long time and well worth the money spent. I highly recommend this dive watch.
back to menu ↑Victorinox Swiss Army Dive Master 500
Do you want to feel like James Bond? Where you not only have luxury but you have the quality and the manliness to match? This would be the perfect watch for you. In terms of luxury, the Victorinox Swiss Army Dive Master 500 Automatic Watch represents just that. Swiss army, is normally known for its flawless knives but the quality you find in those pocket knives are easily found in this watch as well.
Since it was launched, the Victorinox Dive Master 500 has got quietly become a favorite of dive watch lovers and one of the best dive watch around. With Ø43 mm diameter sandblasted titanium case and the face of the watch is black-on-black (depend on the models) which blends in incredibly well with the gunmetal color of the watch itself.
The markers are fairly large as well so it makes it a bit easier to read. But, one of the greatest features of this watch is most definitely the illumination (a.k.a. the glow). So, it is very easy to read in the darkness whether you are on a night dive or you are in a night mission.
The Victorinox Dive Master 500 is available with either a self-winding, high grade mechanical movement or a precise quartz ticker (both Swiss, naturally) and a variety of dial and strap colors to match with your uniform, summer wardrobe, neoprene or otherwise. The other features including :
- Waterproof 500 meters (50 ATM, 1’650 ft)
- Fitted with a protective device screw-down crown and buttons.
- Unidirectional rotating bezel with 20 minutes instructions.
Oversized hands and hour markers diving very easy identification - Helium valve
- Sandblasted titanium bracelet
- Chronograph function : Small seconds, 30 minutes and 12-hour timer
Luminox ANU Chronograph 4240 Series Dive Watch
If it’s good enough for the Navy SEALS, it’s good enough for fellow divers. This Luminox 4240 series new chrono is unique in that it is part of the ANU (Authorized for Navy Use) “sea” line and features secure screw-down pushers and a solid rubber bracelet.
Founded and designed to become a dependable for night time missions, this watch is actually sturdy and it is lighted with no external source of light and features a big date – two large numerals that display the date instead of a single date window. The entire watch is Swiss made which we can take to mean that the movement, case, and bracelet are assembled in Switzerland.
Individually tested to 660 feet, this rugged timepiece is made of PVD-plated stainless. it’s built with a bezel lock system that doubles as a crown protector, an automatic helium release and a crown protection lever. The extra-thick 45mm sapphire crystal features a double-sided anti-reflective coating.
This particular Luminox ANU definitely is water resistant up to 200 meters, and with a choice of black Polyurethane or black NOTO straps with safety guarantees it won’t get lost at sea.
Seiko Prospex Kinetic GMT SUN023 Dive Watch
Seiko is one of the most trusted brands when it comes to dive watches, they knew what they were doing with that watch back then but can the said be same for the Seiko Prospex Kinetik SUN023?.
The Seiko Prospex Kinetic GMT SUN023 seems special made for the traveling diver. Its combination of dive watch traits and a true GMT made it an excellent companion.
This dive watch is rugged and good looking, it is water resistant up to 200 meters and uses a quartz movement with a rechargeable battery that is charged by the motion of your wrist which, when full, will offer six months of power reserve.
The band is made of soft silicone rubber and wears comfortably around your wrist. At 48 x 16mm, this watch is sturdy but it is not so big because the bezel is just 42mm across, it doesn’t seem a full 6 mm wider. The markers on the bezel are also pretty large which makes it easy to read especially if you are underwater. The other features including :
- GMT Diver
- Powered by movement
- Power reserve indicator function
- GMT Indicator, Date calendar
- One way rotating elapsed timing bezel
- 6-month power reserve
- LumiBrite hands and markers
- Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
- Screwdown crown, pusher, and caseback
The Seiko Prospex Kinetik SUN023 Dive Watch is the one of the most popular dive watch. If you look at customer reviews on Amazon, the percentage of five star reviews is higher and currently holds a five-star rating and all of the reviewers are very happy with it. – including one where the reviewer said that this watch is a perfect watch and prefers the Seiko Prospex Kinetik SUN023 over the other dive watches in his diving arsenal – also says quite a bit. (Click here to read all of the reviews.)
But just looking at the meticulous attention to detail in the pictures is the icing on the cake. There’s a video reviews displaying it on an actual wrist, too. Gotta look good, right?
All in all, this Seiko Prospex Kinetik SUN023 dive watch is one great value for the price. Yes, if you are looking for something attention grabbing and classy, this watch may not be for you. But, if you want a a simple, sporty and tough looks watch that you know will be by you while you dive, you can count on this one.
Overall
Again, we all have our personal preferences on what makes a good tough dive watch , new diver watch are being created all the time by new and old manufacturers. For that reason, the watch for diver mentioned above will be updated as new diving watches are need to be added to the list. Or if you feel like I missed a watch that needs to be included on the list, let me know in the comments below!
Hi There,
Yeah, it’s a funny thing but it doesn’t matter whether you’re buying top end or entry level, the rules are the same. You need a dive watch rated to the depth you are working, and the look and feels has to suit your taste and you can afford it.
You list here is perfectly good, but my personal choice would alway be for the Seiko Kinetic. It’s a fantastic brand as are ll the Japanese brands, and it will never let you down. The best value you can hope to find.
Cheers
Carl