Is A Dive Watch Worth It?
Before the endless possibilities of technology were discovered, scuba divers faced a life and death problem during their adventures underwater.
It was the problem of measuring the amount of time underwater, and thankfully the creation of dive watches solved that problem.
Now that dive watches are not a necessity for every diver as dive computers are rampant, there lies the obvious question “are dive watches worth it?” The honest answer is yes!
Dive watches provide features that have not only proved beneficial to divers, but to the human race at large.
dive watches are worth buying for 7 reasons
Different watch brands offer dive watches in various sizes, shapes, colors and aesthetics, but all these watches possess common qualities that enable them to stand out from dress watches, regular sport watches, field watches, and every other type of watch.
Some of these attributes include:
1. Dive watches are practical
No matter the water-resistance rating of a dive watch, they allow you to go about your daily basic duties without worrying too much about the safety of your watch.
The range of activities you can perform while wearing your dive watch can only be restricted by how much water pressure it can withstand.
Generally, you can wash your hands, cook, workout, shower, adventure, work in the yard, go for a swim, take a hike, scuba dive, and even snorkel.
Dive watches are not watches that restrict your lifestyle, but are very practical timepieces that can be worn every day.
2. Dive watches are durable
Dive watches are built to survive the harshest of weather conditions and storms, and are structured to live through these events.
Dive watches have proved to be the most durable of all types of watches because the materials used in production are meant to hang around for a long time.
These watches feature materials such as stainless Steel, Resin, Oyster Steel, Gold, Titanium, Ceramic, Sapphire glass among others.
If you seek a watch that will stand strong no matter how rigorous your daily activities are, then dive watches will be worth your purchase and will provide you a great deal of satisfaction.
3. Dive watches are waterproof, and are usually shock and dust resistant too
No watch is completely waterproof but a dive watch will get you as close to that as you will ever be.
The “waterproof-ness” of a watch is determined by how many Bars of water pressure it can withstand.
Dive watches can withstand pressure as low as 10atm and as high as 50 atm. This range offers any dive watch owner a wide range of activities to partake in while wearing your watch.
The structure of dive watches also makes most of them Shock and dust resistant.
This is why they can still keep on running perfectly after passing through a sandstorm or falling from a high place.
Water, shock and dust are three elements that can ruin the functionality of your watch, so a watch that can offer protection against all three is definitely worth buying.
4. Dive watches are Tough
Dive watches are very tough and rugged watches that are capable of surviving most of the obstacles that they face.
5. Dive watches are fashionable
Well, this isn’t particularly true for all dive watches, but a great percent of them are fashionable.
A dive watch might not go with a suit and tie, but it will look good with everything else.
Most divers’ watches look great with nearly every outfit, except corporate outfits like suits. But if your style is centered on casual and corporate-casual looks, then dive watches should be worth it to you.
6. Dive watches are reliable
Dive watches keep and tell time very well.
The watch accuracy may differ based on the movement present within it, but one thing is for sure and that is; you will always be able to tell the time with a dive watch.
Whether you are trapped in a cave, underwater, at war, on the beach or even in the kitchen, you are assured that your watch WILL tell the time and this is reliability at its peak.
Of course, this would seem like a fairytale if your watch is not properly serviced or is facing poor maintenance. Your dive watch is as reliable as the care you give to it.
7. Dive watches useful in the dark
Most dive watches are coated with LED paint to help with visibility underwater, this function is still beneficial above the water surface and to those searching for secrets 200 meters below the ocean’s surface.
Dive watches have lume which makes it easy to read the time in dark environments. These lume markers can be recharged with solar energy or with UV light.
Dive watches are easy to identify by their traditional large dial which helps the wearer to view the indices clearly in any lighting situation.
Why do you need a dive watch
A dive watch is multi-functional and caters to people from all walks of life.
It can be used as a timer for monitoring the cookies in the oven; it is the perfect gift for your nephew who recently enrolled into the naval forces, or a suitable companion for a couple going hiking on their honeymoon.
The usefulness of a dive watch cannot be undermined. Dive watches have also come to be much appreciated by sportsmen and field personnel, and although not all dive watches have been inculcated into the diverse world of fashion, it has proud representatives in that sector.
The rotating bezel of dive watches can be used to track the time. People actually use the rotating bezel as a timer to track time spent on activities such as cooking, baking or measuring the time spent moving from one distance to another.
Why are dive watches expensive?
6 dive watches that are worth it
Not all watches that have a dive watch appearance are worth it.
Some ‘dive watches’ only exist to suit the aesthetic interest of fashion enthusiasts. Most watches like this fall under the class of designer dive watches.
Some of these watches may have the looks of a dive watch, but are not necessarily waterproof, durable or have good quality like a standard dive watch.
Here are six examples of dive watches that you can never regret purchasing and are extremely worth it:
Casio G-shock DW 5600
Very affordable G-shock DW 5600 watch held the title of ‘Toughest Dive watch’ awarded to the watch by the popular record-keeper – Guinness Book of Records.
This watch sets an example of what it means to be a tough and rugged watch to the extreme.
Its case and bracelets are made from resin, a highly water-resistant material and the watch offers features such as alarms, 200m water-resistance, glow-in-the-dark, and quartz movement with digital display.
This Casio watch may not be the prettiest of watches; but it is highly reliable in terms of functionality making it a worthy watch.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner
The submariner was the first dive watch to survive a dive of up to 100m. It is remarkable for its anti-corrosive, scratch-resistant, and high fashion properties.
A very stylish yet functional piece, it has an interesting history which causes it to stand out among other watches.
Backing this watch also is the brand name Rolex and the great investment opportunity the watch provides.
Omega Sea master Professional 300m Diver
The professional 300m diver is a member of Omega’s line of mechanical, automatic winding and chronometer watches that have been around for a number of years.
It has constantly been evolving with the best innovation and pioneering technology to become one of the most authentic ocean timepieces in the watchmaking world.
Tudor Black Bay fifty eight
Tudor is a brand that has solidified itself in the aspect of making dive watches so it is no surprise that its Black Bay ’58 makes the cut when mentioning six of the best dive watches.
The Black Bay ’58 is a stylish 200m waterproof watch with snowflake dial and a unique 70 hour power reserve.
Liv GX Diver
This limited-edition dive watch is known for its impressive functionality and sleek styling. It is also anti-reflective with water-resistance of up to 300m.
The LIV GX Dive is the perfect inexpensive dive watch alternative to a Tudor Black Bay, offering all the same advantages, for a cheaper price.
Citizen Eco-drive Promaster
This professional diver watch is ISO compliant and features Eco-Drive technology which means it’s powered by light—from either the sun or an artificial source.
It means you’ll never have to change the batteries of your Eco-Drive Promaster.
It runs solely on renewable energy and is an advantageous watch to not only an individual but to the environment also.
This next generation watch will guarantee its user the best value for money, is extremely durable, might cost much at first but is worth it.
The right dive watch will never cease to amaze you and will be your trusted companion through thick and thin. Like in every aspect of life, background knowledge is very important in deciding the dive watch for you.
Conclusion
Let’s face it, most people do not actually need its performance standard, but they buy dive watches because they are very cool.
In every watch collection, there has to be one dive watch. It is like a rule of thumb among watch enthusiasts and collectors.
There is no true watch enthusiast that would not even have a slight interest in buying a dive watch.
Its multi-functionality is one of its greatest appeals and it is therefore worth purchasing. There are dive watches to suit every taste and wrist size, so picking out one should be a fairly simple decision.
