ChronoDivers.com is here to help visitors navigate the wonderful underwater world of Dive Watches. Take a journey with us and discover the world’s best dive watches on the market today.
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At ChronoDivers we do two things
- SHOWCASE the best dive watches on eBay and other selling platforms. Everything from Bell & Ross to Vostok and all brands in between. The BRAND (A-Z) pages in the main menu provide useful information on each brand such as history, models, what to pay etc.
- SELL our own products to UK customers from our ONLINE STORE. Our focus is an affordable 200m Seiko powered ChronoDivers CD200SKX. We also sell a range of Dive Watch straps and other related products.
ChronoDivers Seiko SKX Homage
We’ve been wanting to do this for years – and now we have. This is a quality homage to the Seiko SKX009 and Seiko SKX007. We’ve used marine grade 316L stainless steel, a scratch resistant sapphire glass, high lume indexes and a reliable Seiko NH35A automatic movement. We’ve called it the ChronoDivers CD200SKX and it’s available now – an affordable, quality homage to the Seiko SKX
Luxury Brand Diving Watches
We have focused on all the major brands covering most budgets from £100 to £20K+. Some of the featured brands need no introduction – the most popular Swiss marques being Rolex, Omega and Breitling. These are some of the very best luxury divers watches on the market. Rolex have their superlative Submariner and Sea-Dweller. Omega’s range is equally impressive with their Master Chronometer certified Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean and Professional Diver 300m plus the re-invented original Seamaster 300. Breitling have a long history of watches for divers going back to the 1950’s – the Breitling Superocean carries on the tradition through innovation and technology. Please click an image for more information on each brand
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More Quality Swiss Divers Watches
Don’t overlook other premium brands such as Tudor, Doxa, Sinn, Bell & Ross, Panerai and Oris etc. They all offer similar levels of underwater horological quality – at the same time showing a little more individuality. Two other brands that need a mention here are Longines and TAG Heuer. The former have recently re-invented all their classic Divers with the introduction of the Longines HydroConquest, Legend Diver, Skin Diver and Ultra-Chron. A few examples of all these brands products are shown below starting with the stunning Tudor Pelagos 500m dive watch. All these watches are true scuba diving watches. Please click an image for more information on each brand
The brands above all offer superior quality and genuine dive watch technical specification and build quality. As well as the Pelagos, Tudor have the Black Bay available in several sizes and a GMT and Chronograph version. Another favourite of ours is the Doxa Sub range – the Doxa Sub 300 and Doxa Sub Army being two of their standout models. If you’re after something a bit different consider a timepiece from German brand Sinn – the Sinn U2 and Sinn U1 are two of their most popular models.
Seiko – forever popular diving watches
Probably the most famous of all the best dive watch brands are the Japanese giants – Seiko. A huge range covering most budgets from entry level Seiko 5 through their Seiko Prospex range to the top end Seiko LX Spring Drive. The watches below show the diversity of models that can be found on eBay and other sales sites. Know what you’re looking for and do plenty of research in to model numbers before committing to buy online. For those interested – we have produced a short history of the Seiko Dive watch detailing the most significant milestones in their innovative journey. Please click an image for more information on the Seiko collection
Seiko dive watches are known by several popular, but unofficial nicknames. Here’s a few to get started.
- Seiko Tuna – the professional diver’s choice. 1000 metres water resistant with a helium gasket to protect from gaseous invasion at depth.
- Seiko Samurai – the smart, sharp diver’s watch that looks like it’s been sliced by a warrior’s sword.
- Seiko Monster – introduced in 2000 with the 7S26 automatic movement. The Monster dive watch is instantly recognizable by it’s sharp monster tooth like indexes and aggressively styles bezel
- Seiko Turtle – smooth, cushion like case worn by the fictional Captain Willard in Apocalypse Now.
- Seiko SKX009 – aka the Seiko Pepsi. One of the most popular dive watches of all time. Originally certified to 150 metres and later increasing to 200 metres water resistancy.
- Seiko SKX007 – same family as the SKX009 but this one with an all black dial and bezel. 7S26 bomb proof automatic movement
Best dive watches under $300 / £200
If you want value for money – look no further than the stalwarts of reasonably priced quality watches from Citizen, Invicta and Orient. They all manufacture genuine 200m water resistant dive watches at a great price. The Citizen Promaster range is the epitome of affordable quality. If you’re shopping for the best inexpensive dive watch – look no further than one of these leading brands. Please click an image for more information on these value for money brands
Emerging Brands – Phoibos & Panzera
Phoibos & Panzera are two emerging brands offering unique ranges of affordable, high quality timepieces. We’re working with both this brands to promote their products to buyers focused on just 3 or 4 brands. Think outside the box and be surprised by the outstanding quality and value for money of these groundbreaking new dive watch collections. Please click an image for more information on these emerging brands
Homages to classic Dive Watches
Then there’s some great homage watches from leading brands like Steeldive and San Martin. These tribute watches have a strong resemblance to classic dive watches from years gone by. But don’t confuse these two brands with cheap “fakes” – these are well engineered watches built to an build quality equal to that of the big Japanese brand names. The two watches shown below are “proper” diver’s watches. The San Martin Submariner comes certified to 200m – the Steeldive Tuna is rated to a a whopping 1000m! Please click an image for more information on these quality homage watch brands
Visit the ChronoDivers store
We stock a small handpicked range of Dive Watch straps and several more related accessories. We’ve focused on the best quality products – watch straps proven robust enough to survive the harsh marine environment. At Chronodivers we know our customers expect only the very best. Below is a sample of the products you will find in the ChronoDivers store. Our most popular products are shown below
- ChronoDiver’s own brand CD200SKX – a 200 metres water resistant diver’s watch. An excellent value for money Seiko SKX homage
- A range of NATO watch straps (Bond 007 colours included)
- Replacement Seiko Z22 diver’s strap
- Replacement silicone Citizen ND Limits dive watch strap
- Heavy Duty Spring Bars – Seiko Fatboy style (22mm x 2.5mm x 1.1mm pip)
About the eBay Authenticity Guarantee
If you are visiting Chronodivers today with the view to buying a watch over £1,500 / $1,500 please take a minute to discover the benefits of purchasing a watch from eBay under their Authenticity Guarantee scheme. We have more details and a video on the scheme here – the eBay Authenticity Guarantee
To help you shop safely – our recommended shopping partners can be identified with a ✅
New Products – Dive Watch News
A summary of the latest diving watch news and new product releases from all the leading brands. If you would like a product or news story to be featured here please contact us with details. If it’s of interest to our visitors – we will gladly publish it here
About time too … we’ve added Bremont
I have no idea why it’s taken us so ling to add the Bremont brand to ChronoDivers? The fact that I actually own and regularly wear a black and green Bremont Supermarine S500 …
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110th Anniversary – Seiko Prospex inspired by Polar landscape
Posted on 25 April 202325 April 2023 Seiko, the Japanese watchmaking giant, is all set to commemorate its 110th anniversary in 2023 in grand style! As part of the celebrations…
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ChronoDivers 200m Dive Watch is here
I am SUPER EXCITED to announce my own brand 200m Diver’s Watches. These watches have been hand assembled by myself in Norfolk using the BEST COMPONENTS available to create a …
Read MoreDive Watch FAQ’s
What is the most popular divers watch?
The world’s most popular divers watches are the Seiko Prospex models. This brand has a long history producing affordable, high quality timepieces. Almost as popular are Citizen – another Japanese brand who have been manufacturing watches for divers since the 1960’s
What watches do real divers use?
For recreational divers – not exceeding more than a few metres – these timepieces are perfect for timing the dive and, in the case of a handful of models, monitoring the depth (Citizen Aqualand, Casio Frogman etc). Professional divers use the type of watches featured here as a BACK UP only. Professional divers make us of the advanced dive computers produced by companies like Suunto, Garmin and Shearwater
What color is best for a dive watch?
The most important features of a good dive watch are contrast between the hands and the dial. This can be achieved either with a DARK dial and LIGHT coloured hands – or – vice versa. Equally important is the quality of the luminous dial, hands and bezel. Popular colour schemes are a BLACK dial with WHITE hands – or – an ORANGE / YELLOW dial with BLACK hands. A model that accomplishes this is the Doxa Sub 300 with a variety of boldly coloured dials.
Is a dive watch a good everyday watch?
Absolutely. Diving watches are designed to be both an underwater tool and an everyday wearer. Most modern watches feature an accurate automatic (self winding) movement and a scratch resistant glass. This means the watch is both robust enough for physical jobs (building, gardening etc) and also accurate. A nice timepiece can look just as at home on a building site as it can in the boardroom.
What are the best dive watches?
Tricky question – which product actually is the best dive watch depends on who’s wearing it and what they’re going to use it for. For the recreational divers it’s hard to beat the Citizen Promaster Aqualand with depth alarm and max depth record. If the question is really what’s the most expensive then consider the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, Rolex Sea-Dweller or Panerai Submersible.
Why are diving watches so popular?
Diving watches are popular as they offer value for money, longevity and years of trouble free timekeeping. Certain brands such as Rolex have become, unfortunately, a bit of an investment item. However – this is not a practice ChronoDivers endorse as it a) isn’t guaranteed and b) these watches are MADE TO BE WORN !!!! not stuffed away in a bank vault.
Do divers actually use these watches?
Yes – divers do wear this style of watch – maybe not as much as they dive 20 years ago – but they still do. A dive watch is a popular backup tool for many professional divers. Knowing how long a diver has been underwater is a critical factor in safe diving.
What watches do Divers actually wear?
Pretty much all the watches featured on ChronoDivers are worn by experienced divers. Brands like Doxa and Sinn have huge followings in the dive world. Seiko and Citizen are the most popular due to their affordability and high quality. Divers with a reasonable budget will dive wearing timepieces such as the Breitling Superocean, Tudor Pelagos, Rolex Submariner and Omega Professional Diver 300m.
What are the best dive watches under $500 / £400
There are dozens of quality divers watches to chose from in the $400-$500 (£300-£400) bracket. Seiko is a brand that immediately jumps out as a must consider. The same applies to Citizen Promaster range especially the Eco-Drive Divers 200 models.
What are the best dive watches under $1,000 / £1000
The best way to invest $1,000 on a diver’s watch is to consider a preowned luxury brand timepiece such as an Oris Aquis, a Longines HydroConquest or, if you’re lucky, a Doxa Sub 200. Try to get a watch that comes with the FULL SET – that means the original box, sales receipt and warranty card / manual.
What is the purpose of a Dive Time Bezel?
One thing a vast majority of watches featured here have is a rotating bezel with markers laid out every 5 minutes going from 12 o’clock ZERO to 11 o’clock 55 minutes. Most of these bezels are UNI-DIRECTIONAL meaning they can only rotate in one direction to prevent accidental alteration while diving. Using these bezels while diving is simple. At the start of the dive rotate the TOP ARROW in line with the minute hand. As the time passes the elapsed dive time can be read from the bezel. Basically it’s a count-up timer.
Why is the first section of the bezel a different colour?
The reason why most bezels are a different colour at 15 or 20 minutes is because that is normally perceived as the “half time” point of the dive. Most recreational dives are around 30 to 40 minutes on average. Once the minute hand moves in to the second colour band, it’s time to slowly ascend.