Diving watches

[Nemrod]

I will raise you a pair of Citizen EcoZillas. One in stainless steel and the other the rare Ti-Zilla:



EcoDrive and massively rugged. The T-Zilla I had noticed on the top display counter of a SoFla dive shop. The next year it was still there but on the bottom shelf. The next year it was sitting forlornly in the back corner of the display case, nearly dead, missing box and the bezel was gone and it's little EcoDrive was barely beating. I asked to see it and since it was in such sad shape, I got it for hardly nothing. Sent it to Citizen and it came back with all the stuff, a scuba tank box and a new titanium bezel installed and running, well, like a Citizen watch should.



Notice that the tank is properly equipped with a J-Valve!

James

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

I will raise you a pair of Citizen EcoZillas. One in stainless steel and the other the rare Ti-Zilla:



EcoDrive and massively rugged. The T-Zilla I had noticed on the top display counter of a SoFla dive shop. The next year it was still there but on the bottom shelf. The next year it was sitting forlornly in the back corner of the display case, nearly dead, missing box and the bezel was gone and it's little EcoDrive was barely beating. I asked to see it and since it was in such sad shape, I got it for hardly nothing. Sent it to Citizen and it came back with all the stuff, a scuba tank box and a new titanium bezel installed and running, well, like a Citizen watch should.



Notice that the tank is properly equipped with a J-Valve!

James

Man, that watch is thicc!!

 

[boulderjohn]

I was toying with this same idea. My wife, knowing that I love buying stupid stuff, pre-empted me by buying me a Tag Huer dive watch for Father's Day a few years ago. This was her way of limitting my spending, I guess. Tag doesn't have quite the namesake of a Rolex but it's arguably a close second. I'll say this, though: I absolutely love this watch and I do set the timer on every dive as a backup. I use the computer or tables to plan the dive so I know BT. I need reading glasses and struggle to see most things up close--can barely read my Perdix 2 without them--but I can still somehow read this watch clear as day under water.

It must obviously depend upon the model. I, too, was given a gift of a TAG Heuer dive watch many years ago. It is a beautiful watch that I wear every day, but I can barely read it on land. It would be hopeless on a dive with poor visibility. In contrast, I once read a Petrel readout easily in heavy silt, even though it was not mine and I could not even see the arm to which it was attached.

 

[ssssnake529]

When I'm actually scuba diving, I wear a Garmin Descent MK2i with integrated air function.

For snorkeling and just casual wear, I like my Oris Depth Guage watch. It has an interesting depth gauge complication that has no moving parts.

 

[Lorenzoid]

For snorkeling and just casual wear, I like my Oris Depth Guage watch. It has an interesting depth gauge complication that has no moving parts.

I'm not a watch collector and don't wear one diving, but I've admired that one since I first saw it advertised. My question is how easy or difficult is it to read that depth gauge? It's sure "interesting," as you put it--even ingenious.

 

[jale]

When I'm actually scuba diving, I wear a Garmin Descent MK2i with integrated air function.

For snorkeling and just casual wear, I like my Oris Depth Guage watch. It has an interesting depth gauge complication that has no moving parts.

I'm not a watch collector and don't wear one diving, but I've admired that one since I first saw it advertised. My question is how easy or difficult is it to read that depth gauge? It's sure "interesting," as you put it--even ingenious.

There is nothing special in the depth gauge. Just a tube filling with water. Many cheap depth meters are made that way- capillary gauge

 

[Lorenzoid]

There is nothing special in the depth gauge. Just a tube filling with water. Many cheap depth meters are made that way

I'm aware of that. But it's a very cool idea for a watch. Maybe "ingenious" was a poor choice of word. I wasn't referring to the technology itself as much as how it's incorporated into the watch design.

 

[jale]

I'm aware of that. But it's a very cool idea for a watch. Maybe "ingenious" was a poor choice of word. I wasn't referring to the technology itself as much as how it's incorporated into the watch design.

For a 4500usd watch?
I prefer the old Swatch with the depth meter

 

[greeniguana]

I'm aware of that. But it's a very cool idea for a watch. Maybe "ingenious" was a poor choice of word. I wasn't referring to the technology itself as much as how it's incorporated into the watch design.

When I was a kid (in the 80s) I had a casio DW-220dg that had a capillary depth gauge. It was cool but it didn't take long for it to get clogged with sand grains.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I had a dive watch-style Swatch that stopped working after a few months, even though I never took it in the water. No depth gauge. Sounds like watches with capillary tube depth gauges have more drawbacks than just being difficult to read. Still, I would have fallen for the gimmick had I seen a cheapie Swatch with it back in the day.