The diving watch

The diving watch is a timeless watch, elegant, sporty and functional, the diving watch has been around since the beginning of the 20th century - perhaps even earlier. We have a large collection of diving watches in our store in Vlissingen and are happy to tell you more about the origins and functions of the traditional and contemporary diving watch.

History of the diving watch

As the name suggests, water resistance or water resistance is one of the most important parts of the diving watch. There are records of water and dust resistant watches being developed in the 19th century. These watches were specially developed for explorers or other people who braved the elements.

The first concrete example of a diving watch comes from 1926. Rolex created a watch they called the Oyster. The diving watch had an airtight seal that, in theory, would prevent water damage to the timepiece and was therefore submersible.

This was immediately put to the test the following year. An English swimmer would wear the watch when attempting to swim across the English Channel. After more than 10 hours in the sea, the dive watch retained its seal and even managed to keep accurate time.

In the following years, more and more watchmakers started to concentrate on developing diving watches, see also the Seiko Prospex collection for the underwater history of the Japanese brand, Seiko had a major role in the development of diving watches. As diving became more accessible to the general public, there was also a greater demand for diving watches. In recent years, more diving watches have been developed for looks rather than function. But the style of the traditional diving watch is always reflected in today's diving watches.

What makes a watch a dive watch?

There are a number of criteria to determine what is or is not a dive watch. These have been drawn up by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and include a number of specific features. First and foremost, a diving watch must be water resistant to a depth of at least 100 meters or 10 ATM, many diving watches have a resistance of 200-300 meters, but at least 100 meters is required to call it a diving watch. The watch must also have a certain degree of magnetic, chemical and shock resistance.

In addition, the dive time must be tracked in some way, this can be digital, but with mechanical watches this is usually done by using a rotating bezel. This is an important function for any dive watch so that a diver knows how long he has been underwater. In a world before digital clocks and chronographs, it was revolutionary that time could be kept by turning the bezel. Set this to the minute you went underwater and then monitor this for the next 60 minutes.

The watch must also be easy to read, even in complete darkness. This usually means large minute markers for legibility and luminous dial features. Besides looking very nice with a wetsuit, it is also anti-reflective so that glare under water is avoided. The final requirement is that the tire must be able to withstand 45 pounds of force on both sides.

There are many “dive watches” on the market that do not meet these specific requirements, in many cases it is more about the appearance of a diving watch than the specific requirement. Our collection of diving watches consists of all watches that can go up to 100M deep. This means that they are at least water resistant, have a sturdy strap and a clear timekeeper.

What does a dive watch look like?

Dive watches come in a wide variety of styles, but there are some important features that you will see with every dive watch. In general, dive watches are bulkier than other watch styles. Originally this was mainly due to the need to create a watertight seal and the extra mass created by the watch's gasket. This has remained the case over the years, also because it is important for the diver to be able to read the watch underwater.

You will also find that many of the best dive watches are made of stainless steel, or a silicone material. Obviously, leather straps are not ideal for taking underwater, and using a material like silver or gold gives a watch natural water resistance. Many watch manufacturers such as Seiko have opted for a rubber or silicone strap in recent years. These straps provide a more casual feel, which some people prefer.

The 4 features of a diving watch

In summary, there are 4 specific features that make a dive watch a real dive watch.

Water resistant

To be considered a dive watch, a watch must have a water resistance of at least 100 meters. However, most diving watches have a water resistance of 200 to 300 meters. For the full explanation of water resistance, view water resistance watches. 

Good readability

A diving watch must be easy to read underwater, which means large indices and a large watch case. Many diving watches also have a luminous function in the dial to be readable in low-light situations.

Rotating bezel

The rotating bezel was a simple yet efficient invention for divers worldwide. By setting the bezel at the moment the diver goes underwater, you can keep track of exactly how much time is left underwater for 60 minutes.

Durable tire

The strap of a diving watch must be able to withstand a minimum of 45 pounds of weight on each side, it is dangerous for a diver to lose their watch underwater and therefore the strap must be able to withstand a large amount of weight.

Buy a diving watch at the jeweler in Zeeland

Are you looking for a nice diving watch? We have a beautiful collection of diving watches in our store in Vlissingen. The jeweler is 5 minutes away from the Vlissingen beach, so you can try out your new diving watch immediately. Most diving watches can be found in the Seiko Prospex collection , but the Seiko 5 sports collection can also be submerged up to 100 meters and is therefore officially a diving watch. All our diving watches come with the trusted service you have come to expect from us. Do you see a diving watch online and would you like to try it in our store? No problem, we are an official dealer of Seiko Netherlands, Swiss Military Watches and Fityta and can have any model inspected for you free of charge. Please contact our customer service for this.