
Screw-down crown: A type of crown that can be screwed in until it is flush with the watch case, creating a seal so that no water can enter the watch through the crown tube. On older dive watches, radioactive materials like radium and tritium were used, though today most divers use a photoluminescent paint like SuperLuminova.

Lume: A term used to describe the luminescent material applied to a watch dial to make the hands and indices/numerals light up in the dark. If it were not there the helium could blow off the crystal from the watch case due to buildup and expansion at surface pressure. The valve allows this gas to escape once the diver has surfaced. Breathing gas worn by these divers contains helium, which is so small it can work its way into a watch case. Helium escape valve: Not a requirement, but useful on dive watches worn at particularly deep depths or worn by saturation divers. Gasket: A soft rubber (or synthetic) ring found inside a watch that creates a watertight seal, keeping moisture from making its way into the watch case and damaging the clockwork. A unidirectional bezel on a dive watch only turns in one direction so it’s less prone to being knocked out of place, thus throwing off the tracked time (and making the diver think he has more available time underwater than he actually does).

A diver will line up the marker at the 12 o’clock position with the current position of the minutes hand to track elapsed time on a dive. On dive watches, it only turns counterclockwise and features markings at least every five minutes. The net result is a timepiece that’s rugged, reliable and legible.īezel (unidirectional): A ring surrounding the watch dial which, on some watches, is also functional and rotates.
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ISO 6425 also stipulates the watch must be anti-magnetic and shock-resistant, as well as resistant to corrosion in seawater.

The modern ISO 6425 standard stipulates a few criteria, chief of which are: a minimum depth rating of 100 meters, a unidirectional bezel with markings at least every five minutes, a dial visible in total darkness and an indication in darkness that the watch is running - usually this is indicated by a running seconds hands with a luminous tip or counterbalance. Today, many watches can be worn and read underwater, but the best guidelines for what makes up a true diver’s watch are laid out by the International Organization for Standardization. Today there are still holdouts (who likely wear one as a backup to a dive computer) but mostly dive watches are worn as style pieces rather than tools, which is just fine because the best retain their old-school style but can still be used for their intended purpose if needed. The reality is this: the dive watch was usurped by the modern digital dive computer a long time ago. Though watchmakers continue to improve said formula - with tougher cases, more substantial depth ratings and other practical features - the many dive watches you’ll see today are still inspired by the ones first launched over 60 years ago. Go! Indulge.While they were originally intended mainly as tools for military and commercial divers, recreational diving became an exceedingly popular hobby in the decades that would follow, and more and more dive watches would arrive, following the same formula set in 1953 and featuring the same hallmark design traits. Best Solar Quartz Design: Seiko Prospex SNE441 Dive Watch. They got the ability to endure different environmental conditions sometimes to the extremes. Best Overall: Seiko Prospex Samurai Save The Ocean SRPC93 2.

This is vital for you to like the watch long-term. Seiko has been producing its 5 Sports watches in various guises for more than 50 years, but this new collection offers no fewer than 27 different iterations, each in one of five styles: Sports. Same if compared amongst dress watches.įrom the crystal covering the dial to the strap’s buckles or clasps (and everything else in between including the movement and the strap others are the dial, the indices, markings, the crown, the hands, the screws….figure out the rest), every Seiko brings forth beauty, legibility and a sense of purpose in an excellent harmony.
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Seiko’s watch-making technology and expertise is legendary compared to others in its stature and many times, to the so-called very high-end sport and/or professional watches. In terms of looks, functionality, quality and pricing, these Seiko watches too are unbeatable, little pieces of luxury that stand up to harsh and intense situations. Seiko watches are very popular not just for their professional line-ups but also for those built to be used every day. Their styles, potentials and appearances make them delightfully delectable to your eyes and your skin. The basic elements and features are excelled to insane degrees and this creates the Seiko foundation. Seiko has always been at the forefront of new technologies and designs.
