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Dive Watches

Created for diving professionals, dive watches boast high water resistance, highly legible dials and help tell divers how long they’ve been submerged for via a rotational bezel. They’re loved for their distinctive and robust design, making them one of the most popular watch genres around.

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Popular Brands
  1. Rolex Rolex
  2. Omega Omega
  3. Breitling Breitling
  4. Panerai Panerai
  5. Tag Heuer Tag Heuer
  6. IWC IWC
  7. Tudor Tudor
  8. Cartier Cartier
  9. Hublot Hublot
  10. Patek Philippe Patek Philippe
  11. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  12. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
  13. Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet
All Brands
  1. A. Lange and Sohne A. Lange and Sohne
  2. Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet
  3. Ball Ball
  4. Baume et Mercier Baume et Mercier
  5. Bell and Ross Bell and Ross
  6. Blancpain Blancpain
  7. Breguet Breguet
  8. Breitling Breitling
  9. Bremont Bremont
  10. Bvlgari Bvlgari
  11. Carl F. Bucherer Carl F. Bucherer
  12. Cartier Cartier
  13. Chanel Chanel
  14. Chopard Chopard
  15. Christian Dior Christian Dior
  16. Corum Corum
  17. Eterna Eterna
  18. F.P. Journe F.P. Journe
  19. Franck Muller Franck Muller
  20. Frederique Constant Frederique Constant
  21. Girard Perregaux Girard Perregaux
  22. Glashutte Original Glashutte Original
  23. Graham Graham
  24. Grand Seiko Grand Seiko
  25. H. Moser and Cie H. Moser and Cie
  26. Hamilton Hamilton
  27. Hermes Hermes
  28. Hublot Hublot
  29. IWC IWC
  30. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  31. Jaquet Droz Jaquet Droz
  32. JeanRichard JeanRichard
  33. Laurent Ferrier Laurent Ferrier
  34. Longines Longines
  35. Maurice Lacroix Maurice Lacroix
  36. Montblanc Montblanc
  37. Nomos Glashutte Nomos Glashutte
  38. Omega Omega
  39. Oris Oris
  40. Panerai Panerai
  41. Parmigiani Parmigiani
  42. Patek Philippe Patek Philippe
  43. Perrelet Perrelet
  44. Piaget Piaget
  45. Porsche Design Porsche Design
  46. Rado Rado
  47. Raymond Weil Raymond Weil
  48. Richard Mille Richard Mille
  49. Roger Dubuis Roger Dubuis
  50. Rolex Rolex
  51. Romain Jerome Romain Jerome
  52. Tag Heuer Tag Heuer
  53. Tissot Tissot
  54. Tudor Tudor
  55. U-Boat U-Boat
  56. Ulysse Nardin Ulysse Nardin
  57. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
  58. Zenith Zenith
Series
Case Size
The size of a watch is very important for style and comfort. If you prefer an oversized watch like a Panerai Luminor, you’ll probably want Large. If you’re looking for something more discreet like a Rolex Lady Datejust, you’ll want Small. For everything in between, Medium.
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  1. Stock Stock
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  1. Aluminium Aluminium
  2. Bronze Bronze
  3. Carbon Carbon
  4. Ceramic Ceramic
  5. Platinum Platinum
  6. Rose Gold Rose Gold
  7. Rose Gold Plated Rose Gold Plated
  8. Silver Silver
  9. Steel Steel
  10. Steel & Rose Gold Steel & Rose Gold
  11. Steel & Rose Gold Plated Steel & Rose Gold Plated
  12. Steel & White Gold Steel & White Gold
  13. Steel & Yellow Gold Steel & Yellow Gold
  14. Steel & Yellow Gold Plated Steel & Yellow Gold Plated
  15. Titanium Titanium
  16. White Gold White Gold
  17. Yellow Gold Yellow Gold
  18. Yellow Gold Plated Yellow Gold Plated
Dial Colour
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  1. Bracelet Bracelet
  2. Fabric Fabric
  3. Leather Leather
  4. Rubber Rubber
Box and Papers
  1. Original box Original box
  1. Original papers Original papers
Movement
A mechanical watch is powered by a spring. Manual mechanical watches must be hand wound. Automatic watches are also mechanical, and are wound by a weight that spins with the wearer's movements. A quartz watch is battery powered and extremely accurate.
  1. Automatic Automatic
  2. Manual Manual
  3. Quartz Quartz
Promotion
Limited Edition
  1. Limited Edition Limited Edition
Reset Results (2127)
Results (2,127)
Sort
IWC Portofino Chronograph IW391022 270379

IWC
Portofino Chronograph
IW391022

Box
Papers
Year 2017
£3,695
Omega Seamaster Chrono Diver 2225.80.00 269381

Omega
Seamaster Chrono Diver
2225.80.00

Box
Papers
Year 2007
£2,730
Omega Aqua Terra 150m Gents 231.20.39.21.06.001 272965

Omega
Aqua Terra 150m Gents
231.20.39.21.06.001

Box
Papers
Year 2009
£3,575
Omega Aqua Terra 150m Gents 231.10.42.21.02.002 271638

Omega
Aqua Terra 150m Gents
231.10.42.21.02.002

Box
Papers
Year 2014
£2,990
Omega Seamaster 300m 2293.50.00 272053

Omega
Seamaster 300m
2293.50.00

Box
Papers
Year 2010
£2,670
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Geographic 1718170 272684

Jaeger-LeCoultre
Master Compressor Geographic
1718170

Box
Papers
Year 2006
£4,270
Cartier Santos De Cartier WSSA0030 271079

Cartier
Santos De Cartier
WSSA0030

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£5,235
Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 AB0136 272371

Breitling
Super Chronomat B01 44
AB0136

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£4,610
Cartier Santos 100 W20090X8 272897

Cartier
Santos 100
W20090X8

Box
Papers
Year 2016
£4,160
Cartier Roadster W6206018 270340
Limited Edition

Cartier
Roadster
W6206018

Box
Papers
Year 2011
£2,525
Cartier Santos 100 W20073X8 269919

Cartier
Santos 100
W20073X8

Box
Papers
Year 2008
£4,255
Cartier Calibre De Cartier Diver W7100055 271091

Cartier
Calibre De Cartier Diver
W7100055

Box
Papers
Year 2015
£4,925
Breitling Super Chronomat B01 44 AB0136 270316

Breitling
Super Chronomat B01 44
AB0136

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£4,475
Breitling Avenger II A13381 269877

Breitling
Avenger II
A13381

Box
Papers
Year 2018
£3,260
Breitling Avenger II A13381 272674

Breitling
Avenger II
A13381

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£3,325
Breitling Navitimer 8 A17314 272995

Breitling
Navitimer 8
A17314

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£2,065
Cartier Santos 100 W20071Y1 272712

Cartier
Santos 100
W20071Y1

Box
Papers
Year 2008
£10,995
Breitling SuperOcean Heritage II A13312 272145

Breitling
SuperOcean Heritage II
A13312

Box
Papers
Year 2018
£2,365
Breitling Crosswind Special A44355 271053

Breitling
Crosswind Special
A44355

Box
Papers
Year 2003
£2,230
Breitling Bentley GMT EB0432 270375

Breitling
Bentley GMT
EB0432

Box
Papers
Year 2016
£4,395
Breitling SuperOcean Steelfish A17390 270882

Breitling
SuperOcean Steelfish
A17390

Box
Papers
Year 2010
£1,515
Breitling SuperOcean II A17364 271373

Breitling
SuperOcean II
A17364

Box
Papers
Year 2012
£1,900
Breitling SuperOcean II A17364 271242

Breitling
SuperOcean II
A17364

Box
Papers
Year 2010
£1,990
Breitling Colt Auto A13388 269400

Breitling
Colt Auto
A13388

Box
Papers
Year 2016
£2,845
Breitling Emergency A73322 271707

Breitling
Emergency
A73322

Box
Papers
Year 2008
£3,220
Breitling Chronomat AB0115 272786

Breitling
Chronomat
AB0115

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£3,245
Breitling Chrono Avenger M1 E73360 272051

Breitling
Chrono Avenger M1
E73360

Box
Papers
Year 2007
£2,215
Breitling Colt Auto A13388 271241

Breitling
Colt Auto
A13388

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£2,600
Breitling Super Avenger A13370 270780

Breitling
Super Avenger
A13370

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£2,475
Rolex Datejust Lady 31 178274 272871

Rolex
Datejust Lady 31
178274

Box
Papers
Year 2008
£6,865
Breitling Chronomat GMT AB0413 272269

Breitling
Chronomat GMT
AB0413

Box
Papers
Year 2014
£3,455
Breitling Headwind A45355 269795

Breitling
Headwind
A45355

Box
Papers
Year 2003
£2,280
Breitling Chronomat Evolution K13356 271343
Limited Edition

Breitling
Chronomat Evolution
K13356

Box
Papers
Year 2014
£9,130
Breitling SuperOcean Chrono A13340 269900

Breitling
SuperOcean Chrono
A13340

Box
Papers
Year 2007
£2,420
Breitling SuperOcean II A13341 270365

Breitling
SuperOcean II
A13341

Box
Papers
Year 2014
£2,405
Rolex Datejust Lady 31 178274 270552

Rolex
Datejust Lady 31
178274

Box
Papers
Year 2016
£6,190
Breitling Chronomat Evolution B13356 270604

Breitling
Chronomat Evolution
B13356

Box
Papers
Year 2007
£3,930
Rolex Datejust II 116333 270026

Rolex
Datejust II
116333

Box
Papers
Year 2014
£8,000
Rolex Datejust 41 126331 271818

Rolex
Datejust 41
126331

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£9,735
Breitling SuperOcean Chrono A13340 270190

Breitling
SuperOcean Chrono
A13340

Box
Papers
Year 2012
£2,575
Rolex Datejust 41 126333 273277

Rolex
Datejust 41
126333

Box
Papers
Year 2016
£7,040
Rolex Datejust Lady 79160 272851

Rolex
Datejust Lady
79160

Box
Papers
Year 2006
£3,720

Dive Watches

History

The dive watch, a symbol of adventure and resilience, has a rich and exciting history that stretches back to 1927 when Rolex launched its Oyster model. This innovative watch, with its screw-down case and crown, is considered the first fully water-resistant wristwatch.

Famously, it was worn that year by a young swimmer called Mercedes Gleitz who was the first woman to swim the English Channel. To advertise the feat—and the capabilities of its latest watch—Rolex bought the front page of the most widely read British newspaper of the time, the Daily Mail.

Rolex went on to supply movements to Panerai, who developed the dive watch further with the specialist timepieces they made for the frogmen of the Italian navy in the late 1930s. These early dive watches had a water resistance of 30 metres—unimpressive by today’s standards which requires a dive watch to have a minimum water resistance of 100 metres.

By the mid-1950s, scuba-diving was a popular worldwide pastime due to the invention of the aqualung a decade earlier. This led to a spate of similar-looking dive watches like Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms, which featured the first rotating bezel—enabling divers to accurately measure immersion time—and the Rolex Submariner. Both these watches were water-resistant to 100 metres, while the Zodiac Sea Wolf, released shortly afterwards, doubled this to 200 metres.

In the decades since, dive watches have become more and more capable of withstanding extreme water pressure. In 2012, Rolex launched its Deepsea Challenge model which boasted an incredible 12,000 metres water resistance. In the same year it was attached to a submersible that Hollywood director James Cameron piloted to the deepest part of the world’s oceans—the Marianas Trench—to a depth of 10,898 metres, surviving the ordeal unscathed.

Key features

Today, dive watches continue to push boundaries, incorporating advanced technologies and materials such as helium escape valves, luminescent dials, and enhanced water resistance.

What sets dive watches apart from other timepieces? Let's look at what makes a dive watch unique, designed specifically for the rigours of underwater exploration.

Firstly, their exceptional water resistance is critical. Unlike standard watches, dive watches can withstand the extreme conditions of deep-sea diving, with a water resistance rating of at least 100 metres and many capable of depths up to 300 metres or much more.

Additional features of a dive watch include a unidirectional rotating bezel for tracking immersion time, bold luminous markers and hands for good visibility in murky conditions, and a helium escape valve to prevent damage during decompression. Most dive watches don’t have the latter as they are only of use in saturation diving when a diver spends time in a decompression chamber.

Some diving watches even incorporate helium-filled cases and built-in depth gauges, allowing divers to monitor their current depth without the need for additional equipment. These features make dive watches a useful tool for underwater exploration, although in an age of wearable dive computers they are more often now used as a back-up option.

One thing every mechanical dive watch must have is a constantly running seconds hand, or some kind of display indicating the watch is running that can be viewed in total darkness.

The science of water Resistance in dive watches

Water resistance is a vital feature of a dive watch. Special seals and gaskets prevent water infiltration, while robust materials like stainless steel or titanium ensure durability and resistance to corrosion. Rigorous testing verifies a dive watch's ability to withstand different pressures and temperatures, simulating the conditions encountered underwater.

Water resistance is measured in metres or bar units, indicating the depth to which the watch can be submerged safely. It's worth noting that factors such as water temperature and movement can affect a diving watch's performance underwater.

Popular dive watch models

The Rolex Submariner is a classic choice, renowned for its robustness and precision, and capable of withstanding depths of up to 300 metres. It was famously worn by James Bond until the 1990s when he swapped one dive watch for another: the equally iconic Omega Seamaster.

Other enduring models that are as timeless as they are stylish include the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, Breitling Superocean, Panerai Luminor and IWC Aquatimer. Fellow Swiss brands Tudor and TAG Heuer offer more affordable choices like the Black Bay and Aquaracer, respectively.

At Watchfinder, we offer a vast selection of pre-owned luxury dive watches from all of the aforementioned brands, from Rolex to IWC, catering to every budget and taste. Explore our collection and discover the exceptional craftsmanship and performance of these remarkable watches.

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