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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. Breitling Breitling
  3. Omega Omega
  4. Tag Heuer Tag Heuer
  5. Panerai Panerai
  6. IWC IWC
  7. Tudor Tudor
  8. Cartier Cartier
  9. Hublot Hublot
  10. Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet
  11. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  12. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
  13. Patek Philippe Patek Philippe
All Brands
  1. Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet
  2. Ball Ball
  3. Baume et Mercier Baume et Mercier
  4. Bell and Ross Bell and Ross
  5. Breitling Breitling
  6. Bremont Bremont
  7. Bvlgari Bvlgari
  8. Carl F. Bucherer Carl F. Bucherer
  9. Cartier Cartier
  10. Chanel Chanel
  11. Chopard Chopard
  12. Eterna Eterna
  13. Franck Muller Franck Muller
  14. Frederique Constant Frederique Constant
  15. Girard Perregaux Girard Perregaux
  16. Graham Graham
  17. Grand Seiko Grand Seiko
  18. H. Moser and Cie H. Moser and Cie
  19. Hamilton Hamilton
  20. Hublot Hublot
  21. IWC IWC
  22. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  23. JeanRichard JeanRichard
  24. Longines Longines
  25. Maurice Lacroix Maurice Lacroix
  26. Montblanc Montblanc
  27. Omega Omega
  28. Oris Oris
  29. Panerai Panerai
  30. Parmigiani Parmigiani
  31. Patek Philippe Patek Philippe
  32. Perrelet Perrelet
  33. Rado Rado
  34. Raymond Weil Raymond Weil
  35. Richard Mille Richard Mille
  36. Roger Dubuis Roger Dubuis
  37. Rolex Rolex
  38. Tag Heuer Tag Heuer
  39. Tissot Tissot
  40. Tudor Tudor
  41. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
  42. 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. Bronze Bronze
  2. Carbon Carbon
  3. Ceramic Ceramic
  4. Platinum Platinum
  5. Rose Gold Rose Gold
  6. Silver Silver
  7. Steel Steel
  8. Steel & Rose Gold Steel & Rose Gold
  9. Steel & Rose Gold Plated Steel & Rose Gold Plated
  10. Steel & White Gold Steel & White Gold
  11. Steel & Yellow Gold Steel & Yellow Gold
  12. Steel & Yellow Gold Plated Steel & Yellow Gold Plated
  13. Titanium Titanium
  14. White Gold White Gold
  15. Yellow Gold Yellow Gold
  16. Yellow Gold Plated Yellow Gold Plated
Dial Colour
Black
Blue
Bronze
Brown
Champagne
Diamond
Green
Grey
Ivory
Orange
Pink
Red
Salmon
Silver
Specialised
White
Yellow
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 (1036)
Results (1,036)
Sort
Breitling Colt Quartz A73380 281538

Breitling
Colt Quartz
A73380

Box
Papers
Year 2014
£2,285
Breitling Colt Auto A13388 252297

Breitling
Colt Auto
A13388

Box
Papers
Year 2015
£2,180
Breitling SuperOcean Heritage A10340 269273
Limited Edition

Breitling
SuperOcean Heritage
A10340

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£3,350
Breitling Colt Quartz A73380 274923

Breitling
Colt Quartz
A73380

Box
Papers
Year 2009
£1,375
Breitling Premier A13315 274708

Breitling
Premier
A13315

Box
Papers
Year 2018
£3,120
Breitling Super Avenger A13370 270780

Breitling
Super Avenger
A13370

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£2,475
Rolex Datejust 41 126300 247690

Rolex
Datejust 41
126300

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£7,285
Breitling Chronomat AB0115 273872

Breitling
Chronomat
AB0115

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£3,905
Breitling Bentley Motors A25362 276876

Breitling
Bentley Motors
A25362

Box
Papers
Year 2003
£3,545
Breitling Colt Auto A32350 281207

Breitling
Colt Auto
A32350

Box
Papers
Year 2012
£1,375
Breitling SuperOcean Heritage B01 Chronograph 44 AB0162 282283

Breitling
SuperOcean Heritage B01 Chronograph 44
AB0162

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£4,115
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 Chronomat 44 AB0110 276111

Breitling
Chronomat 44
AB0110

Box
Papers
Year 2013
£3,175
Rolex Datejust Lady 28 279174 253221

Rolex
Datejust Lady 28
279174

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£7,540
Rolex Datejust 41 126300 279776
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Datejust 41
126300

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£7,075
Rolex Day-Date 40 228238 280692
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Day-Date 40
228238

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£27,865
Breitling Chrono Cockpit A13357 252302

Breitling
Chrono Cockpit
A13357

Box
Papers
Year 2009
£2,090
Breitling Crosswind A13355 274060

Breitling
Crosswind
A13355

Box
Papers
Year 2016
£2,135
Breitling Headwind A45355 269795

Breitling
Headwind
A45355

Box
Papers
Year 2003
£2,280
Breitling Chrono Avenger E13360 279573

Breitling
Chrono Avenger
E13360

Box
Papers
Year 2014
£2,170
Rolex Datejust Lady 31 278241 278360
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Datejust Lady 31
278241

Box
Papers
Year 2023
£10,950
Breitling Top Time A25310 281386

Breitling
Top Time
A25310

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£4,565
Rolex Datejust 41 126301 266894
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Datejust 41
126301

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£9,580
Breitling Bentley GT A13362 269682

Breitling
Bentley GT
A13362

Box
Papers
Year 2005
£4,255
Rolex Datejust 41 126334 278697
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Datejust 41
126334

Box
Papers
Year 2021
£9,635
Breitling Avenger II A13381 280790

Breitling
Avenger II
A13381

Box
Papers
Year 2014
£3,260
Breitling Transocean Chronograph A41310 265578

Breitling
Transocean Chronograph
A41310

Box
Papers
Year 2016
£3,455
Breitling Chronomat Evolution A13356 268712

Breitling
Chronomat Evolution
A13356

Box
Papers
Year 2008
£2,890
Rolex Day-Date 40 228238 279388
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Day-Date 40
228238

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£29,640
Breitling Colt Quartz A74389 275679

Breitling
Colt Quartz
A74389

Box
Papers
Year 2015
£1,875
Breitling SuperOcean Chrono A13340 269900

Breitling
SuperOcean Chrono
A13340

Box
Papers
Year 2007
£2,420
Rolex Yacht-Master II 116689 276163

Rolex
Yacht-Master II
116689

Box
Papers
Year 2007
£25,170
Breitling SuperOcean II A13341 270365

Breitling
SuperOcean II
A13341

Box
Papers
Year 2014
£2,405
Breitling Chronomat AB0115 267107

Breitling
Chronomat
AB0115

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£3,905
Breitling Chronomat AB0115 256211

Breitling
Chronomat
AB0115

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£3,145
Rolex Datejust 41 126300 277826

Rolex
Datejust 41
126300

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£7,620
Rolex Deepsea 126660 - (D'Blue) 260320

Rolex
Deepsea
126660 - (D'Blue)

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£12,225
Breitling Bentley Motors A25362 280406

Breitling
Bentley Motors
A25362

Box
Papers
Year 2008
£3,665
Rolex Datejust Lady 31 178274 270552

Rolex
Datejust Lady 31
178274

Box
Papers
Year 2016
£6,190
Rolex Datejust Lady 31 278273 273143

Rolex
Datejust Lady 31
278273

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£12,380
Breitling Chronomat AB0115 262896

Breitling
Chronomat
AB0115

Box
Papers
Year 2018
£4,790

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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