Watches

The 7 Best New Dive Watches You Can Buy Right Now

March 11, 2024

Dive watches are some of the most popular timepieces right now for both those who dive and those who don’t. Watchmakers continue to deliver new models with fresh and proven designs to the hungry watch public.

Vaer DS5 Pacific Automatic

Vaer’s latest watch is a colorful and remarkably affordable automatic with the right diving chop. The DS5 Pacific Automatic has stunning bezel and dial using white, blue, and orange colorway that stands out in a sea of black versions. The watch features a reliable Seiko NH35 automatic movement, AR coated sapphire glass, a display back, and BGW9 lume on the hands, indices, and bezel. The 200 meter depth rating means its not just for dips in the pool, and, as with all of Vaer’s watches, it comes with two straps. Choose between 38 and 42mm case sizes.

Buy: $349

Sinn U50 Hydro

German tool watch maker Sinn is in the business of building some of the most over-engineered watches. For 2024, Sinn took one of its most popular dive watches, the U50, and gave it an oil-filled case, temperature-stabilized quartz movement, and long-lasting lithium batteries resulting in a mindblowing 5,000 meters of water resistance--substantially more than the deepest human dive of 332 meters. The watch still manages to keep modest dimensions of 41mm wide and just under 12mm thick. Dials are flat black, and the sword hands and markers are a direct descendant of the larger Sinn UX Hydro line. The new line of U50 Hydro watches come in various case/bezel finishes and straps/bracelets, but the movement, lume, and submarine steel construction are identical.

Buy: $2750

Yema Superman Slim CMM.20

Yema has done something no other watchmaker has tried for the price. The Superman Slim CMM.20 boasts an in-house micro-rotor movement that makes the watch thin and supremely wearable. Only high-end watchmakers typically do this for far more coin. The sunburst dial comes in black or blue, and the simple hands and indices keep things very legible through the sapphire glass, also present on the display caseback. The thinness doesn’t compromise its 300m water resistance, either.

Buy: $2490

Islander Northport Hi-Beat Automatic

Rarely do you find a dial with this intricate of a texture for this money. The Islander Northport Hi-Beat Automatic is named after a historic maritime village on the North Shore of Long Island, and the dial evokes sea waves to the point where you just want to touch it. At least you can go into them with 200 meters of water resistance, a unidirectional ceramic dive bezel (very high end, mind you), and C3 Super-LumiNova for ideal low light reading. The solid-link bracelet tapers from 20 to 16mm, and there’s a dive suit-friendly 6-position micro-adjust clasp.

Buy: $429

Citizen Promaster Aqualand

This iconic hybrid analog-digital timepiece hit the scene back in 1985, and it was the first watch with a digital display mated to a depth gauge. The Aqualand gets the Promaster name this time around, and that amounts to a gunmetal-like PVD coating, ISO-compliant dive-readiness, a maximum depth memory, rapid ascent alarm, and auto start dive mode. The greenish-yellow dial sports excellent green lume, and you’ll need it should you ever max out its 200-meter depth rating, which is unlikely. The tough, black rubber strap caps things off nicely.

Buy: $550

Spinnaker Croft Dolphin Project Limited Edition

Some divers are just fancier than others, and all the better if it’s for a good cause. The Croft is one of the brand’s best timepieces, and the Dolphin Project LE version makes it even more stunning with a double-dolphin inner dial and a silver bezel to match the case and bracelet. The case measures 40mm in diameter by 14mm thick, topped with an AR-coated sapphire glass. The caseback reflects the cause, and every watch will send 12 percent of sales directly to the Dolphin Project’s efforts to protect the species. Every watch comes with a stainless steel bracelet and a red recycled ocean plastic strap that matches the red bezel pip and the lollipop second hand.

Buy: $425

Orient RA-AA0819N19B

Orient delivers excellent value in watchmaking. Their latest dive watch might not have a fancy name, but all the right goods are there, including 200-meters of depth, sapphire glass, screw-down crown, unidirectional 120-click bezel, luminous hands and markers, and and automatic Caliber F6922 with hand-winding, hacking, and 40 hours of power reserve. The extra touches come in the way of gilt hands and day/date window for great contrast against the dark matte gray dial. This is a dive watch you can wear just about everywhere and not worry.

Buy: $340