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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
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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
Panerai Luminor 1950 PAM00352 270773

Panerai
Luminor 1950
PAM00352

Box
Papers
Year 2013
£4,000
Panerai Luminor 1950 PAM00361 255798

Panerai
Luminor 1950
PAM00361

Box
Papers
Year 2011
£5,400
Panerai Radiomir 1940 3 Days PAM00658 254246

Panerai
Radiomir 1940 3 Days
PAM00658

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£6,400
Panerai Luminor 1950 PAM01359 269109

Panerai
Luminor 1950
PAM01359

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£4,370
Panerai Luminor Base PAM00114 265233

Panerai
Luminor Base
PAM00114

Box
Papers
Year 2014
£4,415
Panerai Radiomir 1940 PAM00627 254277

Panerai
Radiomir 1940
PAM00627

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£4,675
Panerai Luminor Power Reserve PAM00028 261283
Limited Edition

Panerai
Luminor Power Reserve
PAM00028

Box
Papers
Year 2009
£7,250
Panerai Radiomir 1940 3 Days PAM00658 245546

Panerai
Radiomir 1940 3 Days
PAM00658

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£6,400
Panerai Manifattura Luminor PAM00320 271025

Panerai
Manifattura Luminor
PAM00320

Box
Papers
Year 2015
£4,465
Panerai Luminor Base PAM00560 274106
Limited Edition

Panerai
Luminor Base
PAM00560

Box
Papers
Year 2017
£3,255
Panerai Radiomir 8 days PAM00346 246294

Panerai
Radiomir 8 days
PAM00346

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£5,100
Panerai Radiomir 1940 3 Days PAM00658 254294

Panerai
Radiomir 1940 3 Days
PAM00658

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£6,400
Baume et Mercier Riviera 10660 279179

Baume et Mercier
Riviera
10660

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£1,960
Panerai Radiomir Manual PAM00643 258625

Panerai
Radiomir Manual
PAM00643

Box
Papers
Year 2016
£5,500
Panerai Radiomir 8 days PAM00346 246313

Panerai
Radiomir 8 days
PAM00346

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£5,100
Panerai Radiomir 1940 PAM00627 245551

Panerai
Radiomir 1940
PAM00627

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£5,785
Chanel J12 H1625 272306

Chanel
J12
H1625

Box
Papers
Year 2014
£2,100
Panerai Luminor Regatta PAM00107 267819
Limited Edition

Panerai
Luminor Regatta
PAM00107

Box
Papers
Year 2009
£4,415
Panerai Radiomir 1940 PAM00627 245552

Panerai
Radiomir 1940
PAM00627

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£5,785
Panerai Radiomir 1940 3 Days PAM00658 254288

Panerai
Radiomir 1940 3 Days
PAM00658

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£6,400
Panerai Ferrari FER00009 268981
Limited Edition

Panerai
Ferrari
FER00009

Box
Papers
Year 2006
£3,380
Panerai Radiomir 1940 3 Days PAM00658 254283

Panerai
Radiomir 1940 3 Days
PAM00658

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£6,400
Panerai Luminor 1950 PAM00127 265685
Limited Edition

Panerai
Luminor 1950
PAM00127

Box
Papers
Year 2004
£10,285
Panerai Radiomir 1940 PAM00627 254275

Panerai
Radiomir 1940
PAM00627

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£5,785
Panerai Luminor GMT PAM01176 276746
Limited Edition

Panerai
Luminor GMT
PAM01176

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£11,130
Panerai Radiomir Manual PAM00577 282203

Panerai
Radiomir Manual
PAM00577

Box
Papers
Year 2017
£4,505
Bell and Ross BR V2-92 BRV292-BU-G-ST/SST 271511

Bell and Ross
BR V2-92
BRV292-BU-G-ST/SST

Box
Papers
Year 2019
£2,150
Bell and Ross BR-X5 BRX5R-BO-TC/SRB 282015
Limited Edition

Bell and Ross
BR-X5
BRX5R-BO-TC/SRB

Box
Papers
Year 2023
£8,800
Panerai Radiomir Manual PAM00514 246287

Panerai
Radiomir Manual
PAM00514

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£3,540
Panerai Radiomir Manual PAM00449 246754
Limited Edition

Panerai
Radiomir Manual
PAM00449

Box
Papers
Year 2013
£7,250
Panerai Luminor Chrono PAM00250 265025

Panerai
Luminor Chrono
PAM00250

Box
Papers
Year 2009
£4,910
Panerai Radiomir 1940 3 Days PAM00662 245547
Limited Edition

Panerai
Radiomir 1940 3 Days
PAM00662

Box
Papers
Year 2020
£5,770
Panerai Luminor Marina PAM00104 270406

Panerai
Luminor Marina
PAM00104

Box
Papers
Year 2007
£3,835
Panerai Luminor Chrono PAM00188 277795

Panerai
Luminor Chrono
PAM00188

Box
Papers
Year 2004
£6,550
Bell and Ross BR03-92 BR03-92-S 263243

Bell and Ross
BR03-92
BR03-92-S

Box
Papers
Year 2023
£2,260
Bell and Ross BRS BRS-64-S 274802

Bell and Ross
BRS
BRS-64-S

Box
Papers
Year 2024
£1,640
Panerai Radiomir 8 days PAM00346 276821

Panerai
Radiomir 8 days
PAM00346

Box
Papers
Year 2013
£5,090
Bell and Ross BR01-92 BR01-92 Carbon 275690
Limited Edition

Bell and Ross
BR01-92
BR01-92 Carbon

Box
Papers
Year 2017
£3,750
Rado Captain Cook R32129158 272244

Rado
Captain Cook
R32129158

Box
Papers
Year 2022
£2,000
Panerai Luminor GMT PAM00335 279399

Panerai
Luminor GMT
PAM00335

Box
Papers
Year 2015
£9,060
Chanel J12 H0967 270876

Chanel
J12
H0967

Box
Papers
Year 2008
£3,115
Chanel J12 H0967 269737

Chanel
J12
H0967

Box
Papers
Year 2009
£3,495

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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