Whether diving into the depths of the deep, blue seas or the ever-changing fashion world, these watches will equip you for the inevitable.
Diver watches came about to fulfill a specific reason. It is meant to provide accurate, illuminated time with a mechanism to measure the depth of the seas with a rotating bezel. It also has to be resilient enough to withstand being submerged into great aquatic depths.
A true diver watch is in accordance with the standardisation of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), with a long list of requirements to adhere to for the distinction of a diving watch.
In a nutshell, it needs a few of these essential features – water resistance to a minimum of 100 meters, particular levels of visibility and legibility in total darkness, magnetic, shock, and chemical resistance, and an illuminated second hand that indicates that the watch is working, even in complete darkness.
These days, a diving watch is just as much of a fashion statement as it is a piece of sophisticated underwater equipment. So, whether you are diving into the great deep blue or the worldly fashion world, these are the six latest ones to keep an eye out for.
Panerai Submersible Chrono Guillaume Néry Edition
This is a tribute to the French world champion freediver Guillaume Néry, and is made to accompany him in his next diving pursuit. It is water resistant for 300 metres with a rotating bezel to calculate dive duration complete with white and blue glowing indices that are visible in all conditions. As it is made in celebration of Guillaume Néry, the back of the watch bears his signature. W panerai.com
Ulysse Nardin Diver 42mm Chronometer Collection
Ulysse Nardin has anchored the new Diver 42mm to its Diver Chronometer Collection. The new addition maintains the inverted, concave bezel and 300-meter water resistance of its Diver 44mm siblings, only in a smaller 42mm model. It has been given a more vintage look, inspired from the brand’s 1964 diver watch, the “Diver Le Locle”. In this collection, you get to pick from several different strap options – blue fabric, black veal, three-row stainless-steel or, in a first for Ulysse Nardin, a stainless-steel Milanese mesh bracelet. W ulysse-nardin.com
Longines HydroConquest
After being the brand’s sole dive range for 10 years, the new HydroConquest dive watches have gotten a facelift featuring a coloured ceramic insert for the bezel in black, grey and blue. Ceramic is a popular choice as it is scratch proof and retains its polished look for a long time. The watches are water resistant for 300 meters due to their stainless-steel case with screwed down crown and caseback. W longines.com
Breitling Superocean Heritage II B01 Chronograph 44
Breitling is a name that has more than 60 years of experience with diving watches, right from the time the Superocean in was launched in 1957. The new Superocean Heritage II comes with a major upgrade from the previous Superocean models. It boasts an impressive 70-hour power reserve and contrasting panda dials for the minute and hour counters as well as the ticking seconds. While its 44mm dial may not appeal to some, it offers more colour choices in black, silver, and blue dials. W breitling.com
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Rolex Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Sea-Dweller
Rolex premiered its first line of diving watch, the Submariner in 1953, and since then it has worked on continuous improvements to its dive line. This has resulted in the new Deepsea Sea-Dweller, the ultimate diver watch that is waterproof for an impressive 3,900 meters. The new 2018 model was revamped with new lugs and bracelet for more comfort in sporting this massive extreme depth diver watch. This self-winding marvel has the patented Chronergy Escapement incorporated, is made of magnetism-resistant nickel phosphorus that renders the movement both highly energy efficient and extremely durable. W rolex.com
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Carbon
When TAG Heuer’s collaborated with customization maestro George Bamford, it resulted in the launch of the carbon-cased Monaco Bamford special edition. Now, the brand’s Aquaracer line of diving watches come in similar all-black carbon treatment along with impressive water resistance for 300 meters and an automatic Caliber 5 movement. The bezel of the Carbon Aquaracer is made from lightweight carbon and black PVD steel, while the cases are made of grade 5 titanium and are also PVD coated. It comes in three different versions, each with a carbon pattern and accents in either rose gold, yellow, or blue. W tagheuer.com
