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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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Rolex Datejust Lady 31 178343 269438

Rolex

Datejust Lady 31

178343

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Rolex Explorer II 16570 276834

Rolex

Explorer II

16570

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Rolex Datejust 16203 269734

Rolex

Datejust

16203

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Rolex Datejust Lady 69178 267302

Rolex

Datejust Lady

69178

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Rolex Datejust 16200 282563

Rolex

Datejust

16200

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Rolex Datejust 16030 282006

Rolex

Datejust

16030

Rolex Datejust 126201 270802

Rolex

Datejust

126201

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Rolex Datejust 116201 270630

Rolex

Datejust

116201

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Rolex Datejust 116234 273901

Rolex

Datejust

116234

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Rolex Mid-Size Datejust 68240 269426

Rolex

Mid-Size Datejust

68240

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Rolex Datejust Lady 79179 254574

Rolex

Datejust Lady

79179

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Rolex Mid-Size Datejust 68274 269721

Rolex

Mid-Size Datejust

68274

Rolex GMT Master II 116719 BLRO 218499

Rolex

GMT Master II

116719 BLRO

Rolex Datejust 116233 270864

Rolex

Datejust

116233

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Rolex Mid-Size Datejust 68240 273624

Rolex

Mid-Size Datejust

68240

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Rolex Mid-Size Datejust 68273 280822

Rolex

Mid-Size Datejust

68273

Rolex Datejust 16030 282135

Rolex

Datejust

16030

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Rolex Mid-Size Datejust 68240 272855

Rolex

Mid-Size Datejust

68240

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 15223 252448

Rolex

Oyster Perpetual Date

15223

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Rolex Mid-Size Datejust 78240 282410

Rolex

Mid-Size Datejust

78240

Rolex Mid-Size Datejust 68273 258862

Limited Edition

Rolex

Mid-Size Datejust

68273

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 15210 261663

Rolex

Oyster Perpetual Date

15210

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 1500 275878

Rolex

Oyster Perpetual Date

1500

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Rolex GMT Master II 116710 LN 282507

Rolex

GMT Master II

116710 LN

Rolex GMT Master II 16710 272123

Rolex

GMT Master II

16710

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Rolex GMT Master II 16710 281866

Rolex

GMT Master II

16710

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 15210 261665

Rolex

Oyster Perpetual Date

15210

Rolex Submariner 126610 LN 282504

Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex

Submariner

126610 LN

Rolex Submariner 14060 236701

Rolex

Submariner

14060

Rolex Submariner 16613 261653

Rolex

Submariner

16613

Rolex Submariner 16613 265683

Rolex

Submariner

16613

Rolex Submariner 1680 Single Red 240885

Rolex

Submariner

1680 Single Red

Rolex Yacht-Master 116655 268756

Rolex

Yacht-Master

116655

Rolex Submariner 16610 242673

Rolex

Submariner

16610

Rolex Submariner 16610 LV 261638

Rolex

Submariner

16610 LV

Rolex Submariner 14060M 261662

Rolex

Submariner

14060M

Rolex Submariner 16613 275017

Rolex

Submariner

16613

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Rolex Submariner 16610 LV 280345

Rolex

Submariner

16610 LV

Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600 261639

Rolex

Sea-Dweller

16600

Rolex Submariner 16610 261661

Rolex

Submariner

16610

Rolex Explorer 1655 270269

Rolex

Explorer

1655

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

Rolex Oyster Perpetual 114300 279585

Rolex

Oyster Perpetual

114300

Product Location

incl. import taxes & duties

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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