In the early days of underwater exploration, a watch was a crucial piece of gear, solely responsible for tracking two pieces of information that keep divers safe below the surface of the sea: time elapsed and depth reached. Today, digital dive computers have all but replaced dive watches, yet the watches remain popular thanks to their rugged build, sporty aesthetic and water resistance. For many, dive watches are a tangible symbol of adventure.
We’ve rounded up seven of the best dive watches for men; should you decide to take one of these styles into the deep, there’s no doubt that it’ll be able to take the pressure.
IWC Schaffhausen Aquatimer Deep Three
Time and depth are the two pieces of data a diver needs underwater. This used to mean wearing a watch on one wrist and a depth gauge on the other; nowadays, a digital dive computer can replace both. But a more elegant solution is the Aquatimer Deep Three, a dive watch that features an integrated mechanical depth gauge. An aperture on the left side of the titanium case lets water in, and the resulting pressure moves a lever that drives the depth indicator on the dial. Both current and maximum depths are shown, making this watch an ingenious and useful tool for divers who still prefer their data analogue.
Hublot Oceanographic Diver
With a 4,000-metre (13,123-foot) water resistance rating, the Hublot Oceanographic Diver can withstand pressures that would crush a nuclear submarine, making it one of the most overbuilt watches on Earth. If your plans involve diving the deep wrecks off the Florida Keys or the abyss surrounding Hawaii, it would be an excellent choice. At 48 millimetres (almost 2 inches) across, this is an imposing watch, but lightweight titanium keeps it comfortable on the wrist. Timekeeping comes courtesy of a Hublot-conceived mechanical motor that winds itself as you wear the watch, and the rotating elapsed-time bezel is protected under sapphire glass. Keeping track of your depth is up to you.
Richard Mille RM 025 Tourbillon Diver’s Watch
Originally designed for pocket watches, a tourbillon counteracts the forces of gravity to ensure consistent accuracy. It is considered one of watchmaking’s most complicated mechanisms, and one of the most fragile. A dive watch is no place for a tourbillon—unless it is one built by Richard Mille, who specialises in building complicated watches for extreme environments. The RM 025 has not only a tourbillon but also a chronograph for tracking elapsed time, and fits it all in a three-part modular case that is water resistant to 300 metres (984 feet). And the watch’s avant-garde aesthetic, beefy rubber strap and see-through dial make for a wonderful post-dive conversation starter as you eat the lobster you caught by hand in the waters off of Nevis.
