Divers watch is like a fashion piece, conveys elegance and style. Some people might say a watch is a watch. It’s there to tell the time; perhaps the date… kind of like a car is just there to get you from A to B. But there is one type of wristwatch, in both men’s and women’s styles, that defies this train of thought, in fact it throws it out the window! I am talking about the prestigious, functional divers watch. The sports car of the wristwatch world, the divers watch serves as both a tool for professional divers and a fashion accessory that will accentuate any outfit. From the simply sublime to the technical and complex, by no means is it just another watch!
Diving Watch is definitely the pearl in the wristwatch oyster. There are well over 60 brands, each with tens, sometimes hundreds of different models, each providing water resistance to depths in the thousands of meters. They provide functions such as multiple time zones, alarms and ratings. To be labeled as such, a diving watch requires the ISO-6425 testing standard approval. To achieve this, the timepiece must satisfy under water reliability to a depth of at least 100 meters and pressure of no less than 10 ATM (atmospheres). There are also requirements of condensation, temperature-shock resistance, and water-tightness in both active and still waters.
Dive watches are the diamonds in the rough of the wristwatch world. From brand to brand and model to model, they will not only provide water-pressure resistance to unfathomable depths only explored by the most skilled divers, but can also feature functions like multiple time zones, alarms and ratings. Thanks to product placement in big-budget spy blockbusters and being endorsed and worn by the most popular celebrities, they can put the wearer into a total other fashion class.
Whenever I have worn dive watches, I have definitely felt like I suddenly belong to an exclusive club of adventurous and technically savvy men and women. They make me feel like I can dive to untold depths and take on giant monsters of the deep sea before shooting up some bad guys, only to tell the tale with the undivided attention of members of the social elite later that evening over expensive cocktails. Continue reading →
If you’re after a timepiece that’s simple, attractive, and can stand up to accidental impacts and glances with hard objects that would ruin the finish on other watches, your search is probably at an end. From its tempered stainless steel casing, to its face window that’s made out of a careful blending of two different materials (known as flame-fusion), designed to maximize its durability, it’s clear that this model in Invicta’s revered Pro Diver collection was designed to be a working man’s watch. The flame-fusion coating is intended to provide a remarkable balance between scratch-resistance and shatter-resistance.
Typically, in a watch face you can expect plenty of one or the other, but rarely both. The soft rubber band, and smoothly honed case floor plate make this reasonably sized Diver a comfortable companion, especially when the last thing you want is a constant reminder that something large and bulky is attached to your wrist. Excellent color contrast and good illumination properties make reading this little guy a cinch, even in the dark, and each minute mark is individually incremented on the serrated, unidirectional rotating bezel. Granted, some might see a model like this as “plain Jane,” and it doesn’t fit the picture that immediately comes to mind when someone mentions the words “diving watch,” but Invicta is well-known for its quality control and overall attention to detail. It’s hard to go wrong with them. The level of craftsmanship is truly something to behold, and considering the price point they generally try to market toward, you still end up with a watch you’re not afraid to use as a daily beater for fear of scratching up a massive investment. The Pro Diver Collection watches only look very expensive.
The thing that most Seiko watches have in common is that they tend to favor function over form, and this one is no exception. The Seiko Chronograph Dive Watch definitely stands out visually, and the first thing you tend to notice about it is its high-visibility face, and broadly numbered font work along the edge of the textured bezel. Some people might not be a fan of the coloring scheme that Seiko opted to go with here, since it’s not likely to match well with all styles of dress, but at the end of the day you have to remember that watches of this style are purpose built for being easy to read and use in low light conditions that tend to be present beneath the waves.
If you were to actually take this watch diving, you definitely be impressed with its simple, snag free design, and the Lumibrite hands and hour marks. The band is polyurethane, and is not flashy by any means, but it is strong, and practically designed. The Seiko is ISO rated against splash damage up to 660 feet, which will allow you to submerge this watch without fear. This is quite respectable for a unit in this price range, and makes it suitable for casual diving, such as scuba diving.
With nice big buttons, and serrations cut into the outer edge of the rotating dial, you will have an easy time manipulating all of the functionality that comes built into this Seiko, even if you’re wearing thick gloves in the Winter. Out of the water, wearing a watch like this is fairly conspicuous, but some people choose to see it as a fashion statement; a silent declaration of the extreme hobbies that drive their active lifestyles on the weekends, hinting that there’s much more to the wearer than meets the eye.
Designed to meet the demanding criteria of professional divers, the durable and sporty Aquaracer combines precise timekeeping technology with TAG Heuer’s signature prestige styling. The 41 mm brushed steel case showcases a black dial with a full-color TAG Heuer logo and an automatic date calendar at the 4:30 position. Chronograph subdials at 2 and 10 o’clock display the 1/10 second counter and 12-hour counter respectively, and an additional subdial at 6 o’clock registers the seconds. Luminous hands and hour markers, a chronograph seconds hand, and a red chronograph minute hand with an arrow tip are all designed for optimal radiance and readability. The dial is framed by a unidirectional rotating bezel with an Arabic numeral scale for timing dives and other limited events. The watch presents on a handsome and durable brushed steel link bracelet that features an extension system for divers and fastens with a fold over clasp with safety..
