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    Best Dive Watches: Reviews Of Our Top Picks For All Budgets

    Dive Watch
    There’s a funny fact about the best dive watches on the market today: most of them never go under the water. The best dive watch should be able to withstand up to 200 meters of depth so that a diver can see what time it happens to be, but for many watches, the most water they’re going to see is the morning shower. Whether you are stuck behind a desk or need to keep track of time out on your boat, the best diving watches will help you look great and keep you on schedule with ease.

    Here Is the Best Chart For Diving Watches

    Are you looking for cheap diving watches? Or are you looking for the best dive watches under $1000? Either way, there are some models that are going to work better than others. This chart will help you determine which watch will be the best watch for you.

    Here Are the Salty Dog’s Favorite Dive Watches

    Seiko Stainless Steel Kinetic Dive Watch


    The best Seiko dive watch offers a stainless steel foundation and a corrugated bezel with alternating circular and triangular markers that make it easier to read the analog display. It features kinetic movements that function without power or a battery. All that is needed is the movement of your arm every day to keep the watch functioning. It has a water resistance rating of 200 meters, so it’s good for most recreational dives, while the Hardlex crystal dial window always stays crystal clear. It’s definitely a watch to think about purchasing.

    Stuhrling Original Men’s Stainless Steel Dive Watch


    If you’re looking for the best dive watch for the money you’ve got available, then this is one of the best watches for diving to look at right now. It features a triple row link bracelet that secures tightly around most wrists. It has a decorated case back, has a window date in a unique position, and features a stainless steel foundation. The blue unidirectional bezel also has ratcheting action and it contains a screw down crown. Swiss quartz movement supports are included, giving this watch a tremendous amount of value.

    Orient Men’s Automatic Dive Watch


    This diver’s watch offers the classic appeal of an automatic timepiece with elegant styling, but with 200 meters of water resistance as well. It’s got kinetic powering features and is protected by a mineral crystal dial window. The date and time are in the standard 3 o’clock position and the sleek black dial stands out nicely except in the darkest of water environments. It’s made from stainless steel, has an awesome high-end appearance, but has a reasonably affordable price.

    Stainless Steel Eco-Drive Watch


    As one of the best dive watches under $500, this offering from Citizen offers Japanese quartz movement and an in-depth analog display that will help divers keep track of anything time related. The pilot’s slide-rule inner bezel ring allows for dual time functions and operates at the crown starting from the 8 o’clock position. There’s a low charge warning light, a fold-over button clasp with a safety closure, and it is rated to 200 meters.

    Suunto Core Sport Watch


    For the dive watch that has everything, users won’t believe everything that this watch is able to track. Not only does it come equipped with an altimeter, but there’s a company, a barometer, and a depth measurement as well. It even has a weather indicator and will sound an alarm when it senses drops in air pressure. Depths are measured down to 30 feet, however, so deep dives won’t benefit from this feature. It weighs just over 2 ounces, features a digital display, and the black finish looks great in any setting.

    The best dive watch doesn’t have to cost you $10,000 or more. You can get premium features and an incredible amount of durability for a very affordable cost. Use these dive watch reviews, care tips, and other information to find, care for, and enjoy the best watch for diving that will meet your needs today.

    What Are the Different Types of Dive Watches?

    There are many different types of dive watches that are available today and each type has many different styles. To determine what watch is the best dive watch often relies a lot on personal preferences. There are so many different kinds of dive watches out there that narrowing down the watches into specific categories is a necessity.

    • Analog dive watches. These are the most common type of dive watches available today. It means that the display is more like a standard clock with two or three hands that point to numbers on a dial face. You’ll want an analog dive watch that has a unidirectional bezel.
    • Digital dive watches. These watches are popular because they are often the best cheap dive watches. The best feature that this type of watch needs to have is a backing light. This will allow divers to see the time even in the darkest of water. The numbers need to be large enough to read at a distance.
    • Automatic dive watches. These watches are designed to be powered on kinetic energy. When you move, it produces power for the watch so that it never needs a battery or to be wound. You’ll want to have a watch that can stay powered for up to 48 hours if it isn’t on your wrist and still keep accurate time.
    • Titanium dive watches. These watches are either analog or digital, but the benefit is that they are hypo-allergenic. Titanium is also very resistant to corrosion that could happen in a salt water dive to other metals. It’s stronger than steel, but still lighter, and all of this comes at a higher than average price.
    • Chronograph dive watches. These dive watches act like a stopwatch. This allows a diver to set specific times for different events and can usually track up to an hour of time accurately. This allows for timing on the bottom, safety stops, and overall dive length.

    What is the best dive watch for you? Select from these five types and you’ll be ready to move onto your next decision.

    Are There Advantages to Cheap Diving Watches?

    You can find cheap diving watches under $500 virtually anywhere. Some dive watches can be as low as $10 sometimes. Many of them are rated to be water resistant to 100 meters or more. You’ll be able to save money with the best cheap dive watch, but it probably shouldn’t be your primary timing device. Cheap dive watches are a good secondary backup option in case you need one.

    It is important to remember that just because a watch is rated to go to a certain depth doesn’t mean that it will survive a dive to that depth. That’s where the “resistant” part of the description comes into play. Being resistant to water still indicates that water can get into the watch. That’s why investing into a high quality dive watch, as your primary timing device is often the best idea.

    What Makes a Good Dive Watch?

    How you care for your dive watch is the biggest determining factor in how good your watch will be. It doesn’t take much effort to take care of your watch so that it will last for a long time – and this applies to even the cheap dive watches too.

    • Rinse it off. After any dive, rinse the watch with fresh water at home. This applies to pool wear as well. Chlorine and freshwater bacteria could be on the watch.
    • Turn the bezel. You need a unidirectional bezel because water can force debris to the dial of the watch. When you turn the bezel, you’ll clean out the debris.
    • Stay out of the sauna. Hot tubs, the jacuzzi, and saunas are not the place for a dive watch. The heat expands the rubber seals inside the watch that make it water resistant and can degrade them.
    • Secure the crown. Some dive watches have screw down or push down crowns. Push them in or screw them in before going into the water. Don’t use the devices while you’re underwater.
    • Keep the chemicals away. Solvents and sprays can damage the plating of a watch and make it less resistant to corrosion.

    You should also make sure to check the seals of your watch at least once every 18 months or so. This will allow you to make sure that the dive watch is remaining water resistant.

    What Are the Prices of the Best Dive Watches?

    If you look at the average big box discount store, there’s a good chance that you’ll be able to find a dive watch for under $20. On the other end of the spectrum, premium watchmakers like Rolex have created dive watches that are water resistant up to 300 meters that retail for around $10,000. Most divers are going to be able to find a great dive watch on a site like Amazon, however, for around $500 or less that can be their primary timing device.

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