6 diving watches that are just the thing!
Originally reserved for professional divers and deep-sea adventurers, the diving watch has gradually established itself as a true style statement. With their robust appearance, dials that are readable even in the dark, and their significant water resistance, they no longer simply accompany divers; today, they adorn the wrists of enthusiasts and collectors. The ultimate leisure watch, it transitions from the sea to the beach and from sports to the office with assured ease.
WARNING!
Not all diving watches have the same capabilities underwater. The main false friend: the watch water-resistant to 100 meters, with which scuba diving and extreme water sports are strongly discouraged.
Why?
Because the pressure the watch can withstand during a high-speed fall while waterskiing, jet skiing, or kitesurfing can exceed 100 meters.
However, snorkeling is possible without risk with a watch water-resistant to 100 meters.
Here’s the table to keep in mind:
Table of water resistance and corresponding sports practices.
BREITLING, Superocean Heritage B01 Chronograph 42
Sea, sun and surf for Breitling, which this summer is enriching its Superocean Heritage collection with numerous references that remain faithful to the spirit of the 1950s. Launched in 1957, this diving watch was aimed at divers, of course, but also aspires to be a style reference that is both trendy and relaxed. With a guaranteed “Beach Boys” look, it returns in a vintage chronograph version in steel, 42 mm in diameter. Offered here with a deep blue or luminous green dial – sunburst effect required – the model is available on a matching textured rubber strap and on a Milanese mesh bracelet, called “Ocean Classic”. Very successful, this one harmonizes perfectly with the steel case, equipped with a unidirectional rotating bezel, fitted with a ceramic insert matching the color of the dial. The latter is punctuated with tone-on-tone chrono counters and a discreet date at 6 o’clock, also decorated with hands and indexes coated with Super-LumiNova®.
Water-resistant to 200 meters—enough to comfortably indulge in extreme water sports—the instrument is powered by a self-winding, in-house caliber, visible through a screw-down sapphire caseback. Certified as a chronometer by the COSC, it features a column wheel and a vertical clutch, not to mention a power reserve of approximately 70 hours.
To complete your summer look, Breitling sunglasses were designed in collaboration with British designer Cutler and Gross. The models feature temples with lacquered tips reminiscent of the arrow on the hour hand of the Superocean Heritage watch. The metal stem and hand-engraved rivets evoke the Milanese mesh bracelet. The high-performance lenses are available in smoked shades: gray, blue, pinkish gray, or green. A style to suit everyone!
CITIZEN, Promaster Aqualand 40th Anniversary
Who doesn’t remember Jean-Marc Barr’s eyes, as blue as Luc Besson’s 1988 film The Big Blue? But some will have noticed something else, with a more discerning eye, when they saw Citizen’s Aqualand on the wrist of his sidekick Jean Reno, alias Enzo Molinari. This reference, presented three years earlier, is the first diving watch equipped with a depth gauge equipped with an electronic sensor.
Placed at 9 o’clock, this external element makes the watch’s design perfectly recognizable. On the technical side, this water pressure sensor is used to measure depth, then display it on a digital screen at noon. In addition to being a star of the silver screen, it has established itself over the years as a reference among professional divers and deep-sea enthusiasts.
Today, it celebrates its fortieth anniversary with an anniversary edition limited to just 250 pieces for France (5,800 pieces worldwide). Water-resistant to 200 meters, this most unusual model has a 43 mm diameter case in steel with a matte gray brushed finish, contrasted with small golden touches, in a subtle echo of the 1985 model. Powered by a quartz movement, the instrument, equipped with a unidirectional bezel, also offers various useful functions: calendar, chronograph, alarm, depth measurement, dive time, ascent rate alert.
A bio-sourced polyurethane strap (BENEBIOL™), a more sustainable and environmentally friendly material, completes this combination. Don’t forget its black oxygen bottle, which serves as a case. We love it!
€479
Technical details:
Diameter: 43 mm
Thickness: 14.8 mm
Water resistance: 200 m
Crystal glass
Cal. C520 / Quartz battery (Analog + Digital) / Accuracy of ± 20 seconds per month / Water resistant to 200 m according to ISO standard / 1/100th of a second chronograph with 100-minute counter / Luminescent indexes and hands / Unidirectional bezel / Screw-down crown / Depth gauge / Alarm
HAMILTON, Khaki Navy Scuba Auto GMT
Hamilton’s Khaki Navy collection is enriched with a GMT model, ideal for keeping track of time across multiple time zones. Designed for the urban jungle, the 43mm Khaki Navy Scuba Auto GMT is machined from bronze. This “living” material has a rather magical property, as it physically reacts to its environment by developing a patina over time. This particularity accentuates its vintage character and makes each watch unique. And what’s more, bronze on a diver’s watch is a must-have—especially when you consider that the model is water-resistant to 300 meters.
Let’s stay on the technical side with a grained black dial that houses hour and minute hands, as well as imposing indexes coated with Super-LumiNova® Grade A, emitting a light green glow in the dark. The dial is also topped by a red GMT hand, which indicates the 24 hours, present on a rotating ceramic bezel. Designed for exploration at sea as well as on land, this edition completes its retro look with a black NATO strap decorated with gold stripes. On the mechanical side, the watch is powered by an automatic caliber, equipped with a non-magnetic Nivachron™ balance spring and endowed with approximately 80 hours of power reserve.
€1,595
View the technical details of the Hamilton Khaki Navy Scuba Auto GMT watch.
MATWATCHES, Picobello Blue
Here’s a watch that’s on the rise: the Picobello Blue by MATWatches. Combining urban style with a decidedly sporty look, the watch flaunts its elegance with a 316L steel case measuring 39.5 mm in diameter. It’s particularly distinguished by its water resistance of up to 200 meters, making it a reliable partner during underwater exploration. Inspired by its surrounding element, the sea, this instrument features a beautiful azure blue dial.
Protected by a domed sapphire crystal, it features a discreet date at 6 o’clock, then equipped with luminescent hands, indexes and an hour ring. Let’s talk about luminescence, because when the piece is plunged into darkness, its green glow is very intense and long-lasting, remarkable enough to be underlined and highlighted by a slightly curved hour contour, which thus lets all the light express itself. Enhanced by a bidirectional aluminum bezel, the robust case houses a beautifully made Swiss Soprod automatic caliber, whose regulating group oscillates at 28,800 vibrations per hour.
Visible on the reverse side, through a transparent caseback, it has approximately 42 hours of power reserve and a meticulously openworked oscillating weight. Last but not least, the watch, limited to just 100 pieces, comes with three interchangeable straps: steel with five Jubilee links, Tropic rubber, and blue canvas.
€1,180
Technical Details:
Movement
Caliber: Soprod M100 – Swiss Made
Frequency: 28,800/h
Jewels: 25r
Power Reserve: 42h
Automatic movement, H+M+S+D
Case
Material: 316L steel
Water resistance: 200 meters
Dial: Blue
Crystal: Domed, scratch-resistant sapphire with anti-reflective coating
Bezel: Bidirectional aluminum
Transparent case back
Screw-down crown – diameter 7.5 mm
Diameter: 39.5 mm
Thickness: 12 mm (10 mm without glass)
Straps
Supplied with 3 interchangeable straps:
– steel with 5 jubilee links
– blue rubber
– blue canvas
SWATCH, collection Scubaqua
Since 1983, Swatch has been revolutionizing the world of watchmaking with its typically Swiss joie de vivre and taste for positive provocation. Thanks to its creative models, always in step with the times, Swatch has established itself as one of the world leaders in watch manufacturing.
An iconic brand deeply committed to the use of sustainable materials, this summer it unveils the new Scubaqua collection, composed of five 44 mm diameter models, including these two versions “Blue Fire” and “Egg Yolk”. Neon is invited for a quirky result that we love and that exudes good humor.
A slight preference for the second, whose fluorescent color takes on its full dimensions when the watch is exposed to UV rays. Machined from bioceramic and bio-sourced material, the case has a translucent dial evoking the “jellyfied” appearance of jellyfish.
Like a fish in water, the watch is water resistant to 100 meters, perfect for enjoying summer water sports. If you’re not a fan of these two colors, three others are available: bright red, black, or white.
€155
Case
44 mm diameter
Bioceramic and glossy transparent bio-based material, bioceramic crown
Bezel
Glossy transparent bio-based material with white printed indexes and numerals that glow in the dark
Dial
Transparent with white indexes and numerals that glow in the dark
Glass
Bio-based material
Hands
Hour, minute, and second hands that glow in the dark
Bracelet
Matte and matte transparent, matte loop, glossy transparent buckle made of bio-based material
Water resistant to 100 m
TISSOT, Seastar 1000 Chronograph
Second and final favorite of this selection: the Tissot Seastar 1000 Chronograph. The watch is dressed in a duck blue or turquoise green shade – everyone will see their color at their door. Let’s especially highlight the beauty of the vertical brushed dial, slightly gradient. It features three chrono counters, which are distinguished by a grained surface with “glittery” reflections, whose sparkle catches the eye with each movement of the wrist. Overflowing with imposing hands, punctuated by luminescent indexes and a perfectly legible date at 4 o’clock, this dial allows this reference to benefit from the characteristics that make it an ideal watch for diving into the deep end. This is also without counting its unidirectional rotating bezel, its screw-down crown and caseback; not to mention its water resistance to 300 meters. This model, which smells of summer, has a 38 mm diameter case, made of 316L steel – a robust and durable steel – with a rose gold PVD coating. It features a beautifully crafted Swiss quartz movement with an “EOL” battery life indicator. A big plus for this edition: the perfectly coordinated, “soft touch” silicone strap. We approve!
€595
View the technical details of the Tissot Seastar 1000 Chronograph
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