What watch do real divers wear?

[Token]

My first 'scuba experience' was a resort course in Cancun. The dive master/instructor had a smallish watch on, and I asked what it was.

"I'm not sure of the brand," he said. " I got it free with a dive magazine subscription."

Personally, I like my Casio Eco-Drive 300m Pro. My wife says it 'makes a statement' but so far I haven't had the nerve to ask her what the statement is....

 

[Hemlon]

I mostly wear this watch for work. As an RN, I wash my hands dozens of times each day and I like having a watch that is not only water-resistant, but also able to withstand being knocked around. The face is rather large, especially for a woman, but I like being able to see the data easily.

I paid $80 for it at LeisurePro.

Also, I like the fact that IF I hop in for a dive with the watch on, it won't be damaged.

 

[BarrelRoll]

I'm a fan of the Luminox lines, I've got this one:

150$ and bulletproof so far, though you'll want to change out the band. I've ripped the rubber one, and recently snagged the nylon one on a dive. I've got the black steel band on order, here's hoping it holds up better.

 

[Charlie99]

I don't bother wearing a watch. I have a dive computer that tells me the time if I need to know it for some reason.

If I'm doing any significant depth, I'll have a buddy whose time and depth will be roughly the same as mine, and I'd just use his info to complete the dive if my computer were to fail (which has never happened in 750 dives).

When I'm diving without a buddy, it's generally at a shallow site where time is not relevant, unless I've told my wife I'll be back at a given time. In that case, I just use my SPG to tell me the time.

 

[QatarDiver]

Rolex Seadweller, 24/7, it's made for it!

 

[Walter]

Just as a footnote to some of the previous comments, watches rated for 100m are not considered adequate for SCUBA by the manufacturers. That is a static pressure rating, not the dynamic rating of moving it around, pressing buttons, etc.

The minimum rating by most manufacturers for SCUBA is 200m. The cheaper 100m watches may work, but have a much greater chance of failing.

True, but they don't fail. Even 50 meter watches don't fail. If you get a bad one that does fail, you're out $15 - $30.

 

[tardmaster]

I have several watches but my two favorite are the Citizen Aqualand and the Casio.

The Citizen has all kinds of bells and whistles and you can download your dive profile to your computer.
The drawback is having to send the watch off to have the battery replaced every 3-5 years.

This is what I dive with.

 

[FritzCat66]

National Geographic/Egana combo watch-depth gauge-bottom timer-dive log. $45 on closeout, company now seems to have disappeared. It had been on the shelf so long I had to change the battery immediately, easily done at a local jeweler's.

Quirky, but actually very functional as a dive watch and computer backup, especially with automatic water & depth activation so I can't forget to start the timer. Took off the clumsy strap and put it in a bungee mount designed for the Uwatec bottom timer, keeps the sensitive buttons from getting accidentally pressed.

Good, cheap unit if you can find one.

 

[UBigBobby]

I'm a big fan of watches in general.

I just picked up this Invicta Mesh GMT Diver

I live abroad and travel a lot, so I like that it's dual time zone. It's also a good looking watch for daily use while I'm traveling, so I can wear it exploring the town or out on a dive.

I use a wrist computer, but it's nice having this and the rdp as backup in case of a very unlikely failure. Plus I just like the old school redundancy of a dive watch.

Is a watch necessary for most divers these days? No, but neither is a $1,000 computer with wireless pressure sensors and pc profile uploading, a $300 model will suit most divers just fine. But that doesn't stop people from buying them. Some people like expensive bells and whistles dive computers, others like having a nice watch for redundancy. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[jeckyll]

To the OP: First a question: What's a 'real diver'?

When I dive with a watch, it's a Citizen Eco-Drive diver. Many times I don't.

Out of the water, I do wear dive watches as well. Ones that I don't want to get beat up