Given that I prefer thinner watches, it got me thinking, what's the thinnest dive watches people have run into that have a decent dive rating? I picked 200 meters out of the blue. Figured it's a decent rating for depth but not overboard. After all, I can't imagine thin dive watches being rated for too much deeper. I figure a thin dive watch is also more likely to be quartz, but it'd be interesting to see if a mechanical would compete. I also know the general tastes for dive watches are partly for their chunkiness, but given I'm not a big fan of dive watches or chunky watches, I was curious if there were any thin dive watches out there. And no, I'm not looking at thin like Piaget or even NOMOS, I'm just curious as to just how thin they go period. For example, I don't think I've ever seen one below 10 mm.
I'm not looking to buy, just curious about examples of the breed. So price is no limit.
If you move your WR tolerance to 100m then you can get a plethora of options. 100m is more than enough to tolerate most water activities and sports. I have the Oris 65. It is on the very thinnest I have seen. I have taken this watch to the beach on vacation 3 times so far and never left my wrist while at the pool or the sea.
The older models of the Hamilton Khaki Navy Frogman Auto qualify, sort of. They don't have a rotating bezel so some will rightly say it isn't a proper diver. But it does have the 200M WR, and is made of Ti (including the bracelet, but was also sold on a great rubber strap) which is a huge feature for corrosion-resistance to salt water. I don't have the measurement but it has to be around 9-10mm thick. Weighs practically nothing, even on the Ti bracelet. In my not-so-unbiased view this was always a HIGHLY underrated watch - the chrono version got most of the attention at the time but it was a big, chunky, hideous thing (or "unique", depending on your view). I actually own two of these, in different finishes.
I believe the depth rating is static depth. If you're moving around, the watch will feel a higher pressure than the depth would suggest, necessitating a higher rating. At least that's the official explanation from some watch companies; I don't know if this has been confirmed in actual use (and failure).
There are so many chunksters out there that I've had to narrow my choices down to titanium models, like my Pelagos and Saemaster. Otherwise I'm afraid one of these heavy steel watches is going to pull me down like the world's most expensive weight belt.
The current website now states 12.4mm for the Combat Sub auto. However, the Combat Sub quartz's stated thickness is 9.75mm. Both watches rated to 200m.
The lugs on the Glycine Combat Sub curve downwards very significantly. The lugs may be long, but they hug your wrist spectacularly. I don't really have a great pic of this, one of these years I will snap one.
The new Aquaracer is 12mm thick I believe. It's a great size at 41mm diameter and 12mm thickness. The fact that it looks fantastic doesn't hurt either.
I was gonna say exactly this, I think the Tag AR is probably the thinnest 300m diver out there. I honestly cant think of any other "divers" there are thin 200m+ watches out there with screw down crowns, but no divers with bezels atleast to my knowledge.
I agree, with a caveat...the maker matters. It has to be a reputable brand for me to trust it. Some companies take WR and the engineering thereof a bit more seriously than others...
Definitely an intriguing conundrum. Hard to find a very "thin" dive watch because it negates the water resistance ability. I would suggest a Seiko 7549 Golden Tuna.
Guess I can rest knowing my 100m watches will go deeper than I ever plan to go without being so thick and top heavy they can't be worn all day comfortably.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
WatchUSeek Watch Forums
22.5M posts
575.5K members
Since 2005
A forum community dedicated to watch owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about watch collections, displays, watch winders, accessories, classifieds, and more! We welcome all manufacturers including Casio G-Shock, OMEGA, Rolex, Breitling, Rolex and Tudor, Seiko, Grand Seiko and others.