When it comes to diving, tracking time is a life-and-death matter. We look into some dive watches you can bet your life on.

dive-watch-caro.jpg

It’s no exaggeration to say that a deep-sea diver’s survival is intimately linked to the reliability of their watch. Under water, a watch becomes so much more than a tool to tell the time, recording the length of time you’ve been submerged and, with some models, indicating how much air is left in the tank. To qualify as a dive watch, it must have a water resistance of at least 100m, but most average 300m. It goes without saying, durability and legibility are equally important.


 

dive watch4.jpg

The Ulysse Nardin Diver Chronograph Hammerhead Shark derives its name from the sharpest animal in the ocean, well known for its navigational skills. Accents of red and luminous indices ensure that it will be a guiding light no matter how deep you go, up to 300m.


 

dive watch3.jpg

Cartier, meanwhile, impresses with the Calibre de Cartier Diver, which is ISO-certified as meeting strict standards for eight criteria: unidirectional bezel, legibility, visibility in the dark, running indication, magnetic resistance, shock resistance, chemical resistance, strap durability, and water and pressure resistance.


 

dive watch2.jpg

Omega’s Seamaster Planet Ocean Auto has an innovative bezel that combines ceramic and rubber — an industry first. Its numbers and scales are rendered in Liquidmetal to ensure legibility, and the watch is water-resistant to 600m.


 

dive watch.jpg

When film director James Cameron embarked in 2012 on his solo expedition to the floor of the 11,000m-deep Mariana Trench, attached to the arm of his submersible was an experimental diver’s watch, the Rolex Deepsea Challenge (above). Based on this now iconic watch, Rolex created the Deepsea Sea-Dweller. While it doesn’t come close to the water resistance of Cameron’s trusty companion, the Deepsea Sea-Dweller can withstand a depth of 3,900m. While very few will go on such extreme diving expeditions, it’s good to know this piece exists should opportunity knock and nerves permit.