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It has been almost 70 years since the basic template was laid down for watches capable of diving to the ocean’s depths. And such was the appeal of the formula defined by the Rolex Submariner and Blancpain Fifty Fathoms—clean, simple dials, robust steel cases, and luminous material on everything that matters—that it wasn’t long before the professional tool achieved wider popularity.
Today, just as the practicality of the SUV has given us the ubiquity of “crossover” cars, dive watches’ specialized competence has evolved into a market position as the de facto all-arounder. You can also thank a generational shift toward bigger cases, a softening of formal dress codes, and an appreciation of all things vintage. The result is that the elemental dive watch is now frequently executed in unusual and attention-grabbing ways.
Tudor has worked hard to cast the dive watch as the answer to every question with its ever-growing Black Bay range, but it still surprised us this year with the release of the Black Bay Fifty-Eight 925, cased in sterling silver (and named for the percentage of pure silver in the alloy). Silver’s propensity to tarnish renders it fairly unsuitable for modern watchmaking, let alone for ostensibly surviving at 200 meters underwater. Tudor won’t say, but it is a safe bet that elements have been added to the alloy to ensure better durability. Still the mere existence of a silver dive watch is noteworthy. Equally notable is the taupe bezel, dial, and strap—a look chosen more for sartorial than practical qualities.
For those interested in the technical specifics, you get a 39-mm dive watch with 200-meter (660-foot) water resistance, a screw-down winding crown (to help with that water resistance), a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal instead of glass, and some 70 hours of power reserve, which is how long this self-winding diver continues to run once you take it off. Don't like this NATO fabric strap? You can spec one in brown leather too.
Price: £3,230 | Harrods
Meanwhile, TAG Heuer has given its own long-standing dive watch, the Aquaracer, a host of performance upgrades, yet the overall impression is that it’s just as important for the diver to be stylish as sturdy. Because, yes, there’s a wetsuit-ready bracelet extension system and 300-meter water resistance, but there’s also a sandblasted matte finish to the lightweight titanium case and a carefully-paired orange and green color scheme throughout on this model.
There are many other flavors of the new Aquaracer (well, seven to be precise). Our favorite might well be TAG's limited-edition Aquaracer Professional 300 Ref 844, based on the same new 43-mm design with the same 38-hour power reserve, but this version has been designed to resemble the look of Heuer's classic 844 diver from 1978. Along with that pressure-proof case in grade 5 titanium, the luminous dial elements have been faux faded, a red 24-hour scale has been added, and best of all you get a retro black rubber strap with octagonal holes to match the shape of the watch case. Be quick if you want one, as these are limited to just 844 pieces.
Price: £3,500 | Jura
Longines’ latest Legend Diver is built for the deep, with its 300-meter underwater rating and rotating inner bezel that lets you turn the elapsed-time indicator via a second crown rather than twist the bezel yourself. But it's also perfectly suited to a landlocked existence with a smoked green dial, bronze case, and leather strap displaying an acute awareness of the most directional design trends. You also get in the box an additional interchangeable color-matching NATO-type nylon strap, where many other brands would charge you for this nice extra.
The 42-mm diver is, of course, an automatic (meaning it is self-winding while you wear it), and if you don't want to go for a fashionable green version, there are black and blue versions as well. You can also opt for a decidedly fetching, classic Milanese stainless steel bracelet.
Price: £2,300 | John Lewis
If you are looking to push the boat out, then high-end maker Ulysse Nardin has the Diver X Skeleton, which exudes sporty appeal, while taking a radical step towards transparency with it's skeletonized design. Skeleton watches, also sometimes referred to as “open-worked” watches, are crafted specifically to show off the inner workings of the mechanical movement, and the devilishly complicated process often involves stripping parts down to the bare bones to secure such an intricate view.
The new Diver X Skeleton takes this to an extreme, as it is “highly open-worked,” and then combines this with a bombastically colorful take on its resolute Diver tool watch. Unlikely to be picked out by Cousteau types today, it nevertheless combines all the technical requirements of a traditional modern diver (lightweight titanium case, 300 meters of water resistance) with a design that is anything but, and the cost reflects this.
Price: £18,410 | Goldsmiths
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This article was originally published by WIRED UK
