Why use a watch?

[redrover]

The ATOM is a computer sold as a wearable dry. IMO too expensive to bang around in overkill for daily needs. However I put it on when heading out to dive and do not remove it until returning. I think the Mosquito is commonly used as a daily watch, but also big IMO.

 

[diver 85]

In the 'old days', that's all we had---ie a water PROOF watch(for telling bottom time), a SPG(for telling air left in tank)) and a depth gauge(for telling you you know what).....That's how the tables are dived----ie NO computer.....Since I already have them, I take them, why not?---sort of as backups I guess...Plus, old habits are hard to break......

 

[Diver0001]

Yeah....

My first dive watch was waterproof to 50m (165ft). a 200M Dive watch didn't exist back then.

I dove with it to 140 at least a dozen times before it started to fog up on the inside......

Not bad for a $25 watch.

R..

 

[diver 85]

Yeah....

My first dive watch was waterproof to 50m (165ft). a 200M Dive watch didn't exist back then.

I dove with it to 140 at least a dozen times before it started to fog up on the inside......

Not bad for a $25 watch.

R..

yea. look what you can get(click link) these days for about that same price-IMO, not bad...btw, the only watch(es) I've used since the late 80's when I ran across the G Shock series---the last 2 I've gone with this one....Can not beat the price per meter....

Amazon.com: Casio Men's Classic Alarm Chronograph Shock Resistant Sport Watch #DW290-1V: Casio: Jewelry

 

[covediver]

No practical reason, wrist watches are rapidly being replace by devices that tell time, such as cel phones, on dry land.

I wear a dive watch because:

I like the way it looks, dive watches are the coolest.
As an elapsed time indicator for swimming laps underwater.
I collect them and wearing them gives me enjoyment, much as with "vintage dive gear" enthusiasts.
It reminds me of where I have been with it.

 

[rstofer]

Hi SteveAD,

I understand that divers need to keep track of air supply, depth, and time. The device I am using during my course does this -- I thought the whole device was referred to as a SPG, though apparently I am wrong and the SPG is only for air supply. I was wondering if you still need a SPG to measure air, why not get one integrated device that also measures depth and time, rather than having two devices. I was just wondering if there was some advantage to having a separate watch.

Does anyone know of a watch that can track time and depth that is not huge and can also be worn as a daily watch?

Thanks!

There are plenty of air integrated computers. Both console mounted and connected to the high pressure hose and wrist mounted with an RF link to a transmitter on the tank. These computers keep track of you air supply, telling you exactly how much time you can stay where you are before a) you run out of air and b) you with the NDL. Many will also handle Nitrox and even switch between a couple of blends. Most have bar graph displays that indicate you nitrogen load, your oxygen load (Nitrox computers), you ascent rate and any required deco or safety stops.

It's a pretty big subject area. You can study computers for months.

Personally, and I really mean just for me, I want a physical pressure gauge. I don't care if it is in a console or not (mine aren't) but I want to look at a mechanical gauge to see how much air I have left. Now, if I had an air integrated computer with an RF link, I would be happy to see the pressure on a wrist computer but I would STILL want a mechanical gauge.

Air is life and your SPG displays your life expectancy. I'm not going to trust my life to a bunch of P-N junctions.

Good luck wading through all the computers! For a long time I dove with a console (SPG, Depth Gauge & Compass) along with a Tekna bottom timer and NAUI tables. It all worked out fine. I also had one of the Seiko dive watches with elapsed time and depth information. This won't work today, I can't see the little numbers.

So I use a Dive Rite NitekDuo wrist computer without air integration and a mechanical pressure gauge.

Richard

 

[Nemrod]

No practical reason, wrist watches are rapidly being replace by devices that tell time, such as cel phones, on dry land.

I wear a dive watch because:

I like the way it looks, dive watches are the coolest.
As an elapsed time indicator for swimming laps underwater.
I collect them and wearing them gives me enjoyment, much as with "vintage dive gear" enthusiasts.
It reminds me of where I have been with it.

Analog mechanical watches will always have a market. I hate digging in my pocket for my cell phone to tell the time and then having to read digits. A quick scan of my wrist tells my time at a glance above the water or below. But it is true many people don't wear a watch. N

N

 

[Sea Lion One]

Get an aqualand from citizen, it will solve your question, then back it up with a good easy to read/use dive computer. Have FUN!

 

[Thalassamania]

I am seeing many dive watches that have various features ranging from timers to being able to measure depth and offload info to a computer.

Why would you want a watch that only has a timer? Don't you still need a separate device to measure depth? Are these used in case something happens to the SPG? You still need some sort of separate SPG to measure how much you have left in your tank, so why not just go with that? Just curious. Thanks.

Once upon a time a watch was what you used.

I dove with a Citizens Aqualand for many years. It had most things on it a computer does, but no calculation for NDL. I used it as a backup for my computer. It displayed BT, water temp, dive time. depth, and average depth.

I sold that, and now dive two computers. A watch generally will not replace a computer. I guess you could say my Aeris Epic is a watch, but it's more of a dive computer based on the advanced functionality and ability to monitor tank pressure, and calculate NDL on multiple gas mixes.

A watch is not a replacement for a computer, more of a backup set of gauges. I think a watch becomes a dive computer if it calculated NDL.

Today a watch is backup and/or jewelry.

The ATOM is a computer sold as a wearable dry. IMO too expensive to bang around in overkill for daily needs. However I put it on when heading out to dive and do not remove it until returning. I think the Mosquito is commonly used as a daily watch, but also big IMO.

But computers are moving toward bein usable as everyday watches.

In the 'old days', that's all we had---ie a water PROOF watch(for telling bottom time), a SPG(for telling air left in tank)) and a depth gauge(for telling you you know what).....That's how the tables are dived----ie NO computer.....Since I already have them, I take them, why not?---sort of as backups I guess...Plus, old habits are hard to break......

Those of us with old watches still tend to think that they're cool.

Get an aqualand from citizen, it will solve your question, then back it up with a good easy to read/use dive computer. Have FUN!

Aqualand is a great choice.

 

[Izu]

I have a vintage Seiko, Submariner, and Seamaster but rarely take them underwater any more as my wireless Atom has everything I need both under and above the water.