The main thing to remember with dive watches is that they are not substitutes for a dive computer. But a dive watch combined with the analog gauges that come standard on octopus sets can do the same job as a dive computer, and some divers prefer to have a nice-looking item that they can wear on the street. Therefore, aesthetics are an important consideration in a dive watch.
If you intend to use a dive watch’s fake watches online features underwater, the knobs and buttons need to be easy to handle when they are slippery and you are wearing dive gloves and possibly dealing with nitrogen narcosis. Likewise, the digital read-outs and clock hands need to be easy to see in dark and murky waters.
Comparison shop. Dive watches are sold in stores that sell fine watches, dive shops and online. Don’t rule out any options, but always keep extras such as the warranty in mind when comparing price tags. It does little good to buy a $99 used dive watch on eBay if it springs a leak at 60 feet.
It is possible to find some dive watches for less than $100, but quality watches are website usually more expensive. One would be hard-pressed to find a Seiko dive watch for less than $130, for example. At the top end of the spectrum are Rolex Oyster dive watches that retail at almost $8,000 in 2009.
Some products are marketed as “dive watch-computers,” but these are essentially dive computers with a little decorative polish. They are more discrete than the typical, bulky dive computer, but look like cheap electronic wrist watches. They have their value but are no substitute for a fine wristwatch.