A reliable diving watch allows for safe and peaceful immersion. if it is of poor quality, the data necessary for your dive’s good progress will be lacking since it would not have the autonomy, the screen visibility, the functionalities, and the necessary ergonomics immersion, in peace.
It would therefore be ideal to choose your watch. How to choose a watch with good battery life? Which one has the features required for safe and secure diving?
To guide you in your choice, we have invested ourselves and tested several watch models to offer you the best watches or dive computers.
In this article, you will discover some of the best diving watches in terms of autonomy, readability of the monitor, features, and ease of use.
Table Of Content
The Components Of Diving Watches
A diving watch is often large, made of steel or titanium. But it is comfortable thanks to its rubber strap or technical canvas, which adapts to combinations.
Its muscular appearance comes from its ability to withstand strong pressures. It must also be perfectly readable in the deep sea and meet the ISO 6425 standard, which guarantees its water resistance to at least 100 meters.
Diving watches are mainly automated and need no battery. Wheels and springs drive mechanical timepieces. There is no need to think about a new battery, making the automatic diving watch very popular.
In the comparison of diving watches, We advise the sports clock and inform about the features.
Casio
The Casio brand made its first digital clocks around 1972. However, since 1970, it has revolutionized the watch market with the invention of watches that can provide both date and time. In its G-Shock collection, the Japanese brand has designed a few models dedicated to diving.
The Casio G-8900A-1E, one of the representatives of these models, has the basic diving kit. It is, among other things, an almost indestructible resin case and a water resistance equivalent to 20 ATM, i.e., around 200 meters deep.
Cressi Giotto
Established in 1946 in Italy, the Cressi company has extensive experience in designing an instrument intended for scuba diving. Attached to the Italian tradition, it has established itself in time and space through its innovations. She especially attaches value to the design of her masterpieces.
It designs a dive watch to provide information relating to depth, dive times, possible desaturation requirements, and ascent speed. Its equipped with advanced software capable of adapt the diver to its gas reserve. It is found in both air diving and nitrox diving.
Gigandet
It was in 1959 that the Charles Gigandet SA company was created in Tramelan, Switzerland. It was a family factory in the field of watchmaking. From the year 2000, apart from its vintage models, the brand disappeared, giving way to Walkman.
Nowadays, the brand reappears with well-stocked watch models equipped with Seiko calibres. These include the Gigandet Sea Ground.
The Gigandet Sea Ground Automatic Analog G2-005 is a diving watch. It has a water resistance of 30 atm (300 m) and a screw crown. It is also equipped with a rotating bezel, a massive stainless steel case, resistance to scratches, not to mention its 42-hour power reserve.
To dive safely and in peace, it is necessary to choose the right diving watch. To do this, certain criteria such as autonomy, screen readability, functionality, shock resistance, and ergonomics are crucial.
Here is a focus on the essential criteria in choosing a diving watches.
Autonomy
It is essential, especially to prevent your diving watch from abandoning you in full immersion. Some models have an autonomy that can provide up to more than 200 diving watch.
The other key aspect is the ease of swapping your device’s battery. Indeed, you should be able to do it on your own, especially without a technician’s assistance.
Suffer that we remind you that it would be impossible to find an after-sales service in the exotic territories you will explore.
Screen readability
It is vital to a watch intended for diving. The screen of your device must be large to promote the optimal reading of the information it provides.
A backlight is also fundamental for good visibility at night and also in dark caves, as you know.
Functionalities
Each brand of diving watch places more or less emphasis on one or more features. you will meet models that include a thermometer, a compass, a depth gauge, a rotating bezel, 3D compass, GPS, a logbook, the alarm goes up quickly.
And which offers you different diving modes (air, nitrox, and depth gauge), the possibility to plan your dive, to simulate it, etc.
Ergonomics
You agree that a dive watch should be easy to use since the water conditions do not offer time to undergo a device’s whims, which is essential to your survival! Please choose a diving watch that is easy to use.
We often find in these devices special features such as waterproofing, a rotating bezel, a GPS, a 3D compass, a depth gauge, etc.).
Max depth or degree of tightness
It is important to see the manufacturer indicates each watch’s case if it is waterproof by the words “water-resistant.”
In addition to this mention, your watch’s maximum depth can reach or the maximum pressure it can withstand in meters or the atmosphere.
It should be noted that waterproofing is regulated by the DIN standard (Deutsches Institut fur Norman). It is an organization that determines the standards of the German industry. The latter is then used throughout Europe.
The mention of the manufacturer should not be taken literally. You should know that it is from 50 m or 5 ATM that underwater activities are possible. Indeed, with these inscriptions, you can swim.
However, they are not possible with a gas cylinder. So, to practice diving in peace, opt for a watch with a resistance of at least 20 ATM.
Rotating bezel
The rotating bezel represents a ring placed in the middle of your watch. It is one of the main constituents of the case and especially of the crystal of your bracelet. This device allows you to measure your immersion time.
Most of the time, rotating glasses are unidirectional. However, you may come across watch models that feature bidirectional rotating bezel.
Using this feature, surprisingly, to say the least, is easy. All you have to do is match the 0 marks on your bezel to the minute hand before your immersion.
A small triangle or a line often embodies this landmark. Once the latter is fixed, the minute hand continues to rotate. It will allow you to see the difference between the mark and the said needle.
The difference between the initial position and the new one allows you to determine your dive’s duration reliably.
GPS
Dive watches equipped with GPS are often intended for deep diving.the functionality often finds all its interest.
Indeed, the GPS of a diving watch allows you to follow your course and orient yourself in space. This function is best performed when combined with a 3D compass and a depth gauge.
3D compass
The 3D compass complements the GPS. these features allow you to locate yourself with precision in the depths you will explore.
It is important to note that the 3D compass has the advantage of orienting you, whatever the position of your watch.
Depth gauge
Just like an altimeter makes it possible to know his altitude, a depth gauge is intended to help the diver to know at any time the depth at which he is found. Its survival is at stake.
Thus, depending on his oxygen reserves and skills, he can easily determine his limit group. With this feature, it is also easy to control his decompression and pause stops for long dives.
Conclusion
All in all, watches and especially dive watches have become essential for diving. The best watches can assist the diver before, during, and after his immersion by providing him with an impressive amount of information.It is necessary for underwater activity.
