Plain Old Dive Watch

[BobbyT22]

My 5 year old Citizen Eco-drive sprung a leak this weekend at 30 feet (supposedly good to 200m - HA!), so I am looking for a replacement. I already have a separate wrist computer, so no computer features needed, just a watch that is easy to read and rugged. Two desired, not required, features are a bottom timer function and an extra long band to use with a drysuit. The simpler the better. I also plan on wearing it for everyday use too.

My budget is around $300, so the rolex Sea Dwellers and Doxa's are not really an option for me.

Any recommendations?

 

[garyfotodiver]

Seiko makes some automatic - self winding - watches. I bought mine on-line three years ago for around $200. No whistles or bells, just a watch that meets the ISO standard for a dive's watch.

 

[Soggy_Diver]

I have a Bulova Marine Star. I have mixed feelings about it. I have had it for 3 years, lots of dives, it has never leaked, and it looks good. OTOH, the battery needs to be replaced about every 9 months, and although it kept excellent time for the first year, it loses about 1 minute per month now, even with a fresh battery.

 

[chicken197]

I have a 28 year old Seiko dive watch. It is basic and rugged. It costs me about $50 every four years to send it back for cleaning, battery, and seals. It has never leaked or let me down. The new ones can be found online from authorized dealers for about $225.

 

[traumadiver]

I am pretty sure when you say dive watch you mean something a bit fancy. This may not be for you then.
I dive with a Casio G-Shock watch. It has a stopwatch for BT, and is rated to 200M. I have had no issues with this watch at all. It has been high up in the mountains, in the cold, the rain, salted, surfed and bashed around and even bloodied a couple times.
The watch itself is fairly cheap, less that $100 US.
The one issue that I may see is getting the strap around your drysuit. I cant get my watch around my wetsuit. Instead I loop the strap of my watch around the strap of my computer, I can now monitor everything with one look.
As far as easy to read, the watch is digital. It is easily visible because it has an idiglo backlight. The button is big and is on the front of the watch so no issue with gloves on, at least wetsuit gloves...I dont do the drysuit thing.
Hope this helps

 

[BobbyT22]

I'll check out the seikos and the G-shock too. Thanks for the feedback, exactly what I was looking for.

Rob

 

[H2Andy]

i love my St. Moritz SLK

i can have regular time on the bottom window and start the counter on the top window at the beginning of each dive

nothing too fancy, but very, very reliable

St. Moritz Watch Corporation SLK

i use it as backup to my computer on every dive; have had it for three years now, no complaints

can easily be found under $90 new

http://www.ccoutdoorstore.com/st-moritz-slk-watch.html

 

[blue steal]

I've used my timex Ironman watch for years swimming/surfing/snorkeling in the ocean and have taken for scuba 13 times, down to 83 feet. I think it was about $50 with the velcro strap.

 

[Mike Campbell]

For what it may be worth (and interestingly, since my Citizen Aqualand did the same as yours a month or so ago) I went with the Seiko Orange Monster. Big, heavy, attractive auto wind watch. It has about ten or twenty dives on it now and I like it a lot. I had one of those Heuer thousand plus dollar watches for ten years or so and then one day after a dive to the NAECO I heard a pop on the dive platform and found the crystal lying at my fin. When they suggested eight hundred to fix it I gave up on wearing really expensive dive watches.
Mike

 

[Rickg]

I'll second H2Andy on his recommendation for a St Moritz watch if you are looking for something that is basic and reliable. My wife has and M1 and she is quite pleased with it.