Dive Watches 101

One of the first things taught at any learn to dive class is that one should never be without a reliable timekeeping device and the Underwater Ninja is no exception. While many dive watches are just for show, many others are more tailored to the Underwater Ninja in training. Let's start with the basics:

The basic dive watches:

Lower end models (under $300) from Casio, Invicta, Seiko, Luminox (think Navy Seal Watch) and IWC come in a wide range of styles and colors but will all share a similar set of features. In general, these watches are battery operated, waterproof to 200M and come with a variety of useful features including rotating bezel for navigation, illuminated hands for deep dives in low light and high durability. These watches are a good entry point for divers or a good everyday watch for people wishing they were underwater.

The Middle:

Middle of the road dive watches, those $300-$1500, include higher end IWC and Invicta. It is also possible to get the much of the Omega line (think James Bond) and Tag Heuer dive watches at this price point. These watches offer as much or more of the feature set of the lower end models but differ in that they are generally automatic and made out of higher quality/lighter materials. For the serious diver these watches offer a good value as they are generally purchased once and can last a lifetime.

The High End:

The most well known dive-specific watch is the Submariner and at $6,000 on up it represents the top of the divers watch food chain. This is, of course, generally an automatic watch, can dive deep (300M +) and can come in a wide variety of customizable configurations. For many the cache of a Submariner is worth every penny of its price tag and when you want nothing but the best, this is it.

For the aspiring Underwater Ninja one of the dive watches listed above should be standard issue. They look good and they are reliable in case your dive console gives up the ghost and leaves you in 100 feet of water without a timing device.

Dive Watches 101