What Is a Dive Watch?

Pretty simply, a dive watch is a watch that is constructed to withstand the great pressure involved with descending deep underwater. But not every "waterproof" watch is a true dive watch.

When a watch is labeled "water-resistant," it's typically designed to hold up in humid environments or come in contact with splashes of water. Watches labeled "waterproof" are rated to certain depths, but typically are not able to withstand the pressures involved in diving.

A dive watch is generally defined as a watch that can withstand immersion of at least 100 meters (about 300 feet). Of course, scuba divers typically do not dive that deep, but that pressure rating ensures the watch's safety for extended dips to recreational depths such as 60 feet.

What Is the Difference Between a Dive Watch and a Dive Computer?

A dive computer is a digital device that calculates several types of critical information related to your dive, including depth, dive time, water temperature and more. It uses computer algorithms to deliver information such as no-decompression time. While some may refer to dive computers as a “dive watch” because many of them are worn on the wrist like a watch, they are two very different things. Dive watches do not use an algorithm to calculate no-decompression limits and are not a replacement for a dive computer.

Ready to find the best dive watch that suits your style? Here are some of the best new dive watches on the market, categorized by brand:

ABINGDON NADIA

This women’s dive watch is available in two eye-catching options; a “Whitewater” version that is white with bright blue accents and the “Abyss” coloration, which is black with bright pink accents. The 35-mm case is made of brushed stainless steel with a screw-down caseback and two screw-locked crowns. It is depth-rated to 200 meters. Situated beneath anti-reflective sapphire crystal, the dial features a day and date window, and an inner bi-directional compass bezel. The outer one-way rotating bezel can be used for tracking dive time. The watch features luminous hands and markings for easy reading at depth. The watch band uses EZ-Squeeze pins to quickly swap between different sizes and styles.

Movement: automatic TMI NH06

Power reserve: 40 hours

Water-resistance: 200 meters/660 feet

Case diameter: 35 mm

Material: stainless-steel case with silicone strap

Crystal: anti-reflective sapphire crystal

BALL ENGINEER HYDROCARBON DEEPQUEST CERAMIC

Depth-rated to 1,000 meters, this tough timepiece’s 42-mm case is crafted out of a single piece of titanium for extreme durability and corrosion-resistance. To eliminate pressure during ascent without sacrificing the integrity of the mono-block case, an automatic helium release valve has been integrated directly into the watch’s screw-in crown. The watch uses a wide dial opening and a streamlined design for clear, immediate reading of the watch at depth. Luminous tritium gas tubes make the watch very easy to read in the dark, and require no external light or energy to light up. The scratch-proof, ceramic unidirectional timing bezel is available in black or dark green. The watch’s titanium-and-stainless-steel bracelet has an extension system so it can be quickly adjusted to be worn over a diving suit.

Movement: automatic BALL RR1101-C

Power reserve: 42 hours

Water-resistance: 1,000 meters/3,300 feet

Case diameter: 42 mm

Material: titanium case with titanium-and-stainless-steel bracelet or rubber strap

Crystal: anti-reflective sapphire crystal

BALL ENGINEER II SKINDIVER HERITAGE

This limited-edition watch celebrates the Ball watch company’s original dive watch. The all-black timepiece uses a black titanium carbide coating on the 42-mm stainless-steel case and stainless-steel bracelet. It is water-resistant to 200 meters. The dial sits under a subtlety-domed sapphire crystal and features a day/date window. A see-through back provides a view of the watch’s automatic BALL RR1102 movement in action. Luminous, energy-independent tritium gas tubes are used to provide visibility at extreme depths and other dark environments. Arranged with a rainbow-like combination of colors, these luminescent markings add a fun contrast to the watch’s otherwise black-on-black design. The screw-in crown and one-way elapsed-time bezel are knurled for easy operation, even while wearing gloves.

Movement: automatic BALL RR1102

Power reserve: 38 hours

Water-resistance: 200 meters/660 feet

Case diameter: 42 mm

Material: black-titanium-carbide-coated stainless-steel case with matching bracelet or black rubber strap with matching stainless-steel buckle

Crystal: anti-reflective sapphire crystal

CHRISTOPHER WARD C63 SEALANDER ELITE

The flagship of Christopher Ward’s new C63 Sealander collection, the Sealander Elite is designed for work, dress and play. The watch uses a Sellita SW200 COSC automatic movement for reliable accuracy and precision. Protected by an anti-reflective sapphire crystal, the matte-black dial features orange highlights, a fixed titanium bezel and a date-window at the six o’clock position. Luminous markings are used on the hands and indexes. Cut-out windows along the edge of the dial and an exhibition caseback provide users a clear look at the watch’s mechanical components. The lightweight 40-mm titanium case is depth-rated to 150 meters. The screw-down crown uses a telescoping, retractable design that lets it sit flush with the case when not in use.

Movement: automatic Sellita SW200

Power reserve: 38 hours

Water-resistance: 150 meters/492 feet

Case diameter: 40 mm

Material: titanium case with matching bracelet or hybrid Cordura/rubber strap

Crystal: anti-reflective sapphire crystal

CITIZEN PROMASTER DIVER BN0227-09L and BN0228-06W

The new Promaster Sea Collection uses light-powered Eco-Drive technology. The 47-mm super-titanium case features a diamond-like carbon coating for enhanced durability. This professional grade dive watch is ISO compliant and waterproof to 200 meters. Situated beneath mineral crystal, the dial displays seconds, minutes and hours, and features the date at the three o’clock position. Luminous coatings are used on the hands and markers for easy reading at depth or in dark environments. The locking, one-way rotating elapsed-time bezel can be used to track dive time. The watch has a power reserve indicator, and can be charged by any light source. It is available with a camo blue dial and blue polyurethane strap (BN0227-09L) or a camo green dial with a green strap (BN0228-06W).

Movement: E168 Eco-Drive

Power reserve: approximately 340 days

Water-resistance: 200 meters/660 feet

Case diameter: 47 mm

Material: super-titanium case with polyurethane strap

Crystal: mineral crystal

CITIZEN PROMASTER AQUALAND BJ2169-88E

This limited-edition giftset celebrates Citizen’s Aqualand dive watches. The watch’s 46-mm stainless-steel case features an eye-catching silver-tone treatment. The aluminum one-way rotating elapsed-time bezel sports a blue two-tone design. The watch is powered by any light, and never needs a new battery. Luminous hands and markings make for easy reading at depth. The dial, protected by sapphire crystal, holds numerous functions including; a date window, depth display up to 50 meters with maximum depth memory, 12/24-hour time and a one-second chronograph measuring up to 50 minutes. The watch features an auto-start dive mode. This giftset includes a Lifeline Jawz titanium rescue tool and spring-loaded sheath.

Movement: B740 Eco-Drive

Power reserve: approximately 340 days

Water-resistance: 200 meters/660 feet

Case diameter: 46 mm

Material: stainless-steel with polyurethane strap

Crystal: sapphire crystal

CRESSI NEREUS

This 200-meter dive watch features a screw-down crown and caseback. The black dial is protected by mineral glass and sports three hands for displaying hours, minutes and seconds. It also features 12/24-hour time and a stopwatch function. The one-way elapsed-time bezel can be used to track dive time. Fluorescent hands and markings allow for easy reading in dim and dark environments. The included soft-touch silicone strap is long enough to be worn over a wetsuit. The Nereus is available in three designs; stainless case with a black strap, stainless case with a blue strap and blue accents, and black-on-black.

Movement: quartz mechanism

Power Reserve: powered by SR621SW replaceable battery

Water-resistance: 200 meters/660 feet

Case diameter: 48 mm

Material: stainless-steel with silicone strap

Crystal: mineral crystal

CRESSI SEA LION

Part of Cressi’s Atelier line, this limited-edition dive watch is available only through brick-and-mortar retailers. It uses a customized 25-jewel ETA 2824-2 automatic movement and has 28,800 vibrations per hour. The 44-mm stainless-steel case features sapphire crystal on the front and back, providing a crystal-clear, scratch-resistant view of the watch’s dial and inner mechanics. Waterproof to 300 meters, this timepiece uses luminous hands and markers for easy reading even at extreme depths. The 120-click aluminum unidirectional rotating bezel can be used to track dive time. The dial displays the date at the four o’clock position and is available in black, blue and orange.

Movement: automatic ETA 2824-2

Power Reserve: 48 hours

Water-resistance: 300 meters/1,000 feet

Case diameter: 44 mm

Material: stainless-steel with rubber strap

Crystal: sapphire crystal

ORIS AQUIS DEPTH GAUGE

This dive watch utilizes the scientific principles of Boyle’s Law to create a unique depth gauge that is accurate and easy-to-read. It works using a channel milled around the outer edge of the watch’s sapphire crystal. A hole in the crystal at the 12 o’clock position allows water to enter the channel as the air inside is compressed at depth. This creates a watermark that corresponds to the yellow gauge on the outer edge of the dial to measure depth up to 100 meters. The caseback features a meter-to-feet conversion chart for divers who are used to imperial measurements This second-generation Depth Gauge watch has been outfitted with a quick-change strap system.

Movement: automatic Oris 733

Power reserve: 38 hours

Water-resistance: 500 meters/1,640 feet

Case diameter: 45.80 mm

Material: stainless-steel case with stainless-steel bracelet or rubber strap

Crystal: anti-reflective sapphire crystal

ORIS AQUIS PRO DATE

Designed as a technical tool for professional saturation divers in helium-enriched environments, this high-performance timepiece is depth-rated to 1,000 meters. The lightweight 49½-mm case is plated with a low-glare diamond-like carbon coating for increased durability. The automatic in-house movement is incredibly accurate and features a five-day power reserve. The locking one-way timing bezel uses scratch-resistant ceramic with engraved yellow and white minutes scale for improved visibility. A beefy, rubberized grip makes the bezel easy to operate while wearing gloves. The black dial features a subtle wave motif and has a date window at six o’clock. The watch clasp can be adjusted without taking off the watch, and features a safety anchor in case the clasp is unintentionally released. Hands and markings are coated with fluorescent Super-LumiNova coating.

Movement: automatic Oris Calibre 400

Power reserve: 120 hours/five days

Water-resistance: 1,000 meters/3,280 feet

Case diameter: 49.50 mm

Material: titanium with rubber strap

Crystal: sapphire crystal

SEIKO SRPH55 (KING TURTLE)

This special-edition Prospex 200-meter dive watch, nicknamed “King Turtle,” emphasizes Seiko’s efforts to preserve endangered sea turtles. The dial pattern is inspired by a turtle shell, and is available in brown, turquoise or blue. The 45-mm stainless-steel case features a screw-down crown and a special-edition case back featuring a turtle sketch. The watch has a ceramic one-way rotating bezel to track dive time, and a day/date display in English and Kanji. Each watch comes with a silicone strap and a stainless-steel bracelet. A portion of the proceeds will go directly toward the Oceanic Society to support its global work to study and protect endangered sea turtles.

Movement: automatic 4R36

Power reserve: 41 hours

Water-resistance: 200 meters/660 feet

Case diameter: 45 mm

Material: stainless-steel with stainless-steel bracelet and silicone strap

Crystal: anti-reflective sapphire crystal