Your Ideal Dive Watch. What do you look for?

[MadMex]

42 to 44 MM Case
Drilled lugs
Black face or Blue face/bezel matching
Automatic with hacking seconds
200 to 500M depth rating
Bracelet and nice rubber strap included (Change tool?)

[Spring-Diver]

I own my ideal dive watch.

Dave, that combo is SICK......I love it

That would be my perfect $8K diver


Cheers
Shannon


Cheers
Shannon

[Medusa]

This is my perfect/favorite watch. The Charmex Swiss Military CX 12,000ft

[Zama]

For me:

39-41mm
300m+ depth rating + screw down crown
Blue face
Flat sapphire crystal
Strong lume that idles white in the daytime (as opposed to yellow/green)
On bracelet or mesh
Triple safety clasp **No buttons!**
Deep lugs for a comfy fit
No more than 14mm tall

[Medusa]

I see that the SISU Guardian A3 automatic is on sale for 50% off at Watchismo

SISU Guardian A3 Watch - Cool Watches from Watchismo.com

[ManMachine]

All watches look alike. The weird ones are mostly fashion watches - good for fashion, not so good for actual diving.

Stick with the bread and butter known to WUS - I don't think there's golden treasure undiscovered here.

[dmckean44]

There's really no such thing as an 'ideal watch' for me. It will probably always take about 8-10 watches to make me happy.

[Askr]

There are a few watches on the market that would be essentially perfect to me with some tweaks. Examples would be a Planet Ocean without the numerals or arrow-shaped hands, a Sumo with a sapphire crystal, redesigned bezel and 24mm bracelet; an Oris TT1/day-date with a different case and bracelet (all-brushed stainless steel, no dome, conventional lugs); or a Black Monster enlarged to 44mm with an upgraded movement, sapphire crystal, and slightly different index design. The Boschett Harpoon is easily the closest to my ideal design at the sub $2000 pricepoint.

I'll take a stab at a list of criteria, but in the real world an x-factor of originality that I wouldn't be able to pin down would trump almost all of these. On paper I'd hate the JLC Master-Compressor, but photos reveal the Q186T770 to be one of the coolest watches I've ever seen. Speaking generally:

- Case and bracelet have to be all-brushed stainless steel and reasonably heavy. No titanium.
- WR to 300m or more.
- 44mm case size, 51-52mm lug-to-lug, curved lugs that hug the wrist.
- Cool lugs. Attractive lug/case geometry that blends into a bracelet's end-links is a must.
- I won't pin down a case thickness, but a great looking profile is important. Chunky for sure, but not too tall. Attractive crown and crown-guard design.
- 22/24mm bracelet, non-tapering; ratcheting clasp with micro-adjustments.
- Movement with a long-standing track record of excellence, hacking and hand-winding, high BPM, ideally with upgraded shock-protection.
- Flat sapphire crystal; AR coating on the underside, none on the outside.
- Ceramic or sapphire bezel insert. Solid stainless is fine, but no aluminium.
- Smooth bezel action, attractive bezel shape, thick and grippy. Extra points if it evolves or builds upon something like the Black Monster's bezel/case design.
- Applied markers, creative index shape (no numerals on the dial), BGW9 lume.
- Hands just have to work with the design and not turn me off. Originality is a plus. Second hand must be lumed.
- Framed date window at 6 or 3, black date wheel.
- Raised chapter ring, nothing ostentatious, but enough to give the dial some depth.
- Flexible on the dial, but I generally prefer black with metallic, blue or red accents. No orange!


I'm genuinely surprised by how long that list is.

[SHANE 1000]

Your Ideal Dive Watch. What do you look for?
One that is water resistant and tells the time.

[Deacon211]

I personally love all my divers. But, in your price range, I'd still need to recommend the Tuna:

-Good looks: purposefully quirky, unashamedly NOT a fashion watch, not likely to be mistaken for ANY other watch.
-Good size: 47mm I believe, but lugless, so it fits much better than you would think.
-Great visibility: large, easy to read face.
-Good lume.
-Nice bracelet with practical ratcheting extension.
-Drilled through lugs so you can wear it on a NATO, Zulu, Isofrane, or even leather all of which the Tuna ROCKS!
-Stupidly accurate: Yes, I know, it's not an automatic, but this is a great watch that I can grab and know that it will be within a second of USNO time, all the time.
-Easy to grip bezel.
-Domed Hardlex crystal which, should the mood strike you can be exchanged for domed sapphire for about $100.
-Affordable: a little on the pricey side, but you can not infrequently find one for less than the Japanese market prices in great condition.

Sapphire on NATO:




Sapphire on Zulu:




Hardlex on bracelet:




Hardlex on Iso:




Also, if you want to keep within a budget, you can grab the legendary Seiko 007/009 and change virtually EVERY piece of it until it satisfies your needs. Check out the Seiko forum and see what you can do for $500 bucks. Or check out some of Dan Pierce's recent pics and see just how different you can make a "cheap" Seiko look with a little imagination.

Deacon