Inspiration

Into the Deep With Our Buyers Highlights of Dive Watches

By Amanda Evans | 5 minute read

Diver’s watches are undoubtedly some of the most popular timepieces to grace our showrooms. And while not many of us will ever take them for a dive, their robust designs, impressive power reserves and water resistance make them the ideal watch to wear every day.

Many brands began their foray into underwater designs because of requests from military groups for watches suitable for their personnel and professional diver’s. Yet the tool watches proved popular with the public as well, and watchmakers have since used these early military models as prototypes for permanent collections. But why would you need a diver’s piece if you have no need to descend metres below the waves? Well, diver’s watches are popular because they are simply very good timepieces. The designs have to be extremely durable to cope with the extreme conditions of the ocean, as well as often holding an impressive power reserve and, of course, water resistance. These complications are vital for diving but they are still highly useful for every day. Diver’s watches are intended to be read underwater, so the dial design must be clear and uncluttered, with luminescence for reading in poor light. When paired with the precious metals and special alloys these pieces are crafted from, the result is a robust yet attractive watch with a reliable movement. What’s not to love?

TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional

For a brand synonymous with chronographs, TAG Heuer’s history with diver’s watches is often overlooked, yet the brand’s underwater timepieces are as impressive as the rest of its collections. An underwater sports watch was debuted by Jack Heuer in 1979, and it did so well that, by the following year, the brand had adapted it into multiple different case sizes and dial designs. Today, the brand’s best-known collection for diving beneath the waves comes in the form of the legendary Aquaracer.

TAG Heuer

Aquaracer Calibre 5 Automatic 43mm Mens Watch

£2,287.00£3,050.00

TAG Heuer

Aquaracer Professional 300 Automatic 36mm Ladies Watch

£3,400.00

OMEGA Seamaster 300m Co-Axial Master Chronometer

The word ‘icon’ is overused in watchmaking, but it’s undeniably relevant when it comes to the OMEGA Seamaster. First launched in 1948 to celebrate the brand’s 100th anniversary, the Seamaster has become an OMEGA staple, finding fans in everyone from professional divers to James Bond himself. The Seamaster quickly became a leader in the field of diving tools, and a favourite among those who worked at sea. Today, the design remains true to the original, although enhanced with the very latest watchmaking technology.

Omega

Seamaster 300m 42mm Mens Watch

£5,600.00

Omega

Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M Mens 43.5mm Automatic Co-Axial Divers Watch

£6,700.00

Breitling Heritage B20 Automatic 42

Like many other brands, Breitling began its foray into diver’s watches by designing a piece intended for use by the military and other professional divers. However, the brand’s Superocean collection became an instant hit with leisure lovers and land lovers alike. Today, the piece has all the hallmarks of a quintessential diver’s watch. The collection can withstand the most extreme of weather conditions, yet its sophisticated stainless-steel case and mesh strap means this Breitling can take you from the ocean to the office.

Breitling

Superocean Heritage B20 Automatic 42 Stainless Steel Watch

£4,650.00

Breitling

Superocean Automatic 36 White Rubber Strap Watch

£3,000.00

TUDOR Black Bay

TUDOR has a proud history of excellence in diver’s watches. The brand’s underwater tool watch dates back to 1954, with a model that was waterproof to 100m. Ever since then, TUDOR has remained persistent in its desire to produce reliable, robust and affordable watches to aid divers, and has won the respect of naval forces across the world, from the French Marine Nationale to the US Navy. Inspired by these close connections to the French Navy, the brand first created the Submariner diver’s watch with a blue colour scheme in 1969. The Black Bay collection is the modern iteration of the iconic Submariner, retaining the elegance and status of the original while updating the movement and complications to keep up with the latest technologies.

Tudor

Black Bay 41mm Stainless Steel

£3,550.00

Tudor

Black Bay Bronze

£3,870.00

Panerai Radiomir 45mm

A brand with an instantly recognisable aesthetic, Panerai’s cushion case, paired with large crown for this Radiomir iteration, is repeated throughout the brand’s diver’s watch collection. The brand’s aquatic roots date back to 1936, when the Italian Navy needed a maker of precision instruments to design watches that could be worn underwater. In fact, Panerai’s research into luminescence had begun decades earlier, having patented the substance ‘Radiomir’ in 1916, which helped to ensure the watches were readable in the dark depths

Panerai

Radiomir 45mm Mens Watch

£4,300.00

Ulysse Nardin Diver X Nemo Point

Named after Point Nemo, the farthest point from land on the planet, this piece was one of three designs released to celebrate the Vendée Globe Ocean race. This dive watch features a Titanium 44mm case, automatic movement, approximate 60-hour power reserve, unidirectional rotating bezel, sand-blasted dial, date display, power reserve indicator, fabric strap, water-resistant to 300m, and comes as a limited edition of 300 pieces.

Ulysse Nardin

Diver X 44 Limited Edition

£9,370.00

DOXA Sub 300 Professional

Ever since it began creating timepieces in the small Swiss town of Le Locle in 1889, DOXA has been heralded for its accuracy and innovation, especially in the field of dive watches. Originally prioritising function over beauty, Urs Eschle, DOXA’s head of product development during the 1960s, was inspired by the creation of the Aqua-Lung breathing regulator for his first designs. The very first diver’s watches were expensive military tools, but when Eschle began DOXA’s ‘Project SUB’ mission in 1964, he wanted to cater for the burgeoning community of amateur underwater explorers with a dependable yet affordable diver’s tool, perfect for exploring a whole new world of adventure beneath the waves.

DOXA

Sub 300 Professional 42mm Mens Watch

£2,590.00

DOXA

Sub 600T 40mm Mens Watch

£1,490.00

Immerse yourself in The Diver’s Watch Collection.

Goldsmiths is a trading name of Watches of Switzerland Company Limited. Registered Office: Aurum House, 2 Elland Road, Braunstone, Leicester, LE3 1TT, Registered in England and Wales, Company number 00146087. Registered VAT Number 834 8634 04. Watches of Switzerland Company Limited acts as a broker and not a lender and offers finance from Secure Trust Bank PLC trading as V12 Retail Finance and PayPal UK Ltd, Whittaker House, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, TW9 1EH trading as PayPal Credit. Watches of Switzerland Company Limited is authorised and regulated by the Finance Conduct Authority. Our registration number is 308710. Credit provided is subject to age and status, minimum spend applies. Terms and Conditions apply. UK residents only. We may receive a commission if your application is successful, and the amount may vary depending on the product chosen and the amount of credit taken out. Not all products are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and FOS protection will not be extended to unregulated agreements. Please note the Consumer Credit Act states that should your purchase / loan amount cost more than £30,000 you will not be covered under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

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Into the Deep With Our Buyers Highlights of Dive Watches

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