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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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Stock Type
  1. Stock Stock
Case Material
  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
Black
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Strap
  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
Tudor Pelagos M25707B/22-0001 280858
Manufacturer's Warranty

Tudor
Pelagos
M25707B/22-0001

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£2,825
Rolex Yacht-Master II 116681 280938

Rolex
Yacht-Master II
116681

Box
Papers
Year 2012
£14,375
Rolex GMT Master 16750 263436
Vintage

Rolex
GMT Master
16750

Box
Papers
Year 1988
£11,430
Panerai Radiomir 8 days PAM00992 278826

Panerai
Radiomir 8 days
PAM00992

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£6,740
Tag Heuer Aquaracer WAY1395.BH0716 280098

Tag Heuer
Aquaracer
WAY1395.BH0716

Box
Papers
Year 2023
£2,370
Tag Heuer Carrera CAR2110.BA0720 273408

Tag Heuer
Carrera
CAR2110.BA0720

Box
Papers
Year 2016
£2,280
Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris 9068670 281398

Jaeger-LeCoultre
Polaris
9068670

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£5,775
Breitling Transocean Chronograph AB1411 271719
Limited Edition

Breitling
Transocean Chronograph
AB1411

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£3,905
Rolex Sky-Dweller 326934 279290

Rolex
Sky-Dweller
326934

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£18,190
Rolex Datejust 41 126334 280229

Rolex
Datejust 41
126334

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£9,260
Rolex Daytona 116520 271337

Rolex
Daytona
116520

Box
Papers
Year 2001
£16,465
Rolex Daytona 116523 276989

Rolex
Daytona
116523

Box
Papers
Year 2018
£15,020
Rolex Daytona 116523 276077

Rolex
Daytona
116523

Box
Papers
Year 2009
£15,425
Rolex Daytona 116520 277343

Rolex
Daytona
116520

Box
Papers
Year 2010
£19,350
Rolex Daytona 116520 274562

Rolex
Daytona
116520

Box
Papers
Year 2005
£18,300
Rolex Daytona 116520 271976

Rolex
Daytona
116520

Box
Papers
Year 2010
£18,820
Hublot Big Bang 451.CX.1140.CX 262785
Limited Edition

Hublot
Big Bang
451.CX.1140.CX

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£10,485
Tag Heuer Carrera CAR2110.BA0720 259372

Tag Heuer
Carrera
CAR2110.BA0720

Box
Papers
Year 2012
£2,070
Tag Heuer Carrera CAR2110.BA0720 261409

Tag Heuer
Carrera
CAR2110.BA0720

Box
Papers
Year 2016
£1,835
Breitling Transocean Chronograph AB1411 252500
Limited Edition

Breitling
Transocean Chronograph
AB1411

Box
Papers
Year 2015
£3,565
Breitling Chronomat 41 AB0140 252474

Breitling
Chronomat 41
AB0140

Box
Papers
Year 2013
£4,490
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 15200 258198
Vintage

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual Date
15200

Box
Papers
Year 1998
£3,910
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 15200 251715
Vintage

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual Date
15200

Box
Papers
Year 1993
£3,700
Rolex Oyster Perpetual 114300 253691

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual
114300

Box
Papers
Year 2018
£6,490
Rolex Daytona 116503 271490

Rolex
Daytona
116503

Box
Papers
Year 2017
£16,505
Longines HydroConquest L3.781.3.58.7 284777

Longines
HydroConquest
L3.781.3.58.7

Box
Papers
Year 2023
£1,350
Rolex Datejust Lady 69173 269496
Vintage

Rolex
Datejust Lady
69173

Box
Papers
Year 1996
£3,695
Rolex Datejust Lady 69173 266593
Vintage

Rolex
Datejust Lady
69173

Box
Papers
Year 1989
£4,100
Tudor Pelagos FXD M25717N-0001 280520
Manufacturer's Warranty

Tudor
Pelagos FXD
M25717N-0001

Box
Papers
Year 2023
£3,800
Rolex Explorer 40 224270 283286
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Explorer 40
224270

Box
Papers
Year 2023
£7,750
Breitling Aerospace E79362 275523

Breitling
Aerospace
E79362

Box
Papers
Year 2009
£2,340
Rolex Datejust 16203 269734

Rolex
Datejust
16203

Box
Papers
Year 2000
£7,250
Panerai Luminor Power Reserve PAM00028 261283
Limited Edition

Panerai
Luminor Power Reserve
PAM00028

Box
Papers
Year 2009
£7,250
Breitling SuperOcean Automatic 36 A17377 270525

Breitling
SuperOcean Automatic 36
A17377

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£2,935
Rolex Datejust 16233 276856
Vintage

Rolex
Datejust
16233

Box
Papers
Year 1990
£4,800
Omega Planet Ocean 215.30.46.51.99.001 274156
Manufacturer's Warranty

Omega
Planet Ocean
215.30.46.51.99.001

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£6,005
Rolex Yacht-Master 169623 282187

Rolex
Yacht-Master
169623

Box
Papers
Year 2002
£6,275
Maurice Lacroix Aikon AI6038-SS002-132-1 268973

Maurice Lacroix
Aikon
AI6038-SS002-132-1

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£2,240
Rolex Datejust Lady 28 279381 RBR 283303
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Datejust Lady 28
279381 RBR

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£14,950
Rolex Explorer II 16570 275347

Rolex
Explorer II
16570

Box
Papers
Year 2002
£7,250
Panerai Luminor 1950 PAM00321 277569
Limited Edition

Panerai
Luminor 1950
PAM00321

Box
Papers
Year 2010
£4,960
Rolex Datejust 16234 274429
Vintage

Rolex
Datejust
16234

Box
Papers
Year 1997
£5,945

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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