The dive watch wasn’t the first waterproof style of watch; the Omega Marine and Rolex Oyster case came well before the first official dive replica watches. To be a dive watch in the early days required 200 meters of water resistance, with 300 meters being the more common target today. What’s also needed is a rotating bezel with timing markers, so that a diver can easily time stops while ascending to the surface. Eventually, basic dive watches led to watches that could go even deeper and require helium escape valves, but that’s not something most of us will ever need to worry about. The ability to shrug off most situations dealing with water entering the watch is the number one reason the dive watch is so popular, but don’t discount the sporty look added by the external bezel.
Breitling SuperOcean Automatic 36 A17316
Not all dive watches need to be oversized, and not all dive watches need to be monochromatic. Breitling SuperOcean Automatic Replica shows us how to have a little fun with a bright blue dial and dark blue bezel. At 36mm, this is a dive watch for the thinner-wristed among us that don’t appreciate the larger watch trend. This smaller dive watch has the older standard of 200 meters water resistance, but that’s still plenty for most situations that a weekend diver will find themselves in, and 200 meters more than someone at a desk needs.
Rolex Submariner Ref. 16610
The wide selection of how-vintage to how-modern you want to go is entirely up to you. For me, the ref. 16610 here is right in the sweet spot, it’s part of the first two years of the Submariner that uses LumiNova and not Super-LumiNova. This best replica watch also has the older aluminum bezel and drilled lug holes, both of which can be found on vintage watches. The previous Submariner generation has tritium lume that will eventually fade and crack, while the watches made after this one will lose the drilled lug holes and start to evolve into the newer models you often see today.
Omega Seamaster 300M Co-Axial Master Chronometer 210.32.42.20.04.001
Famous for being the modern James Bond watch, the Omega Seamaster 300M dive replica watches has steadily improved since it was initially introduced in 1993. The first generation was a solid watch, but a far cry from its current generation. Today the 300M has a Co-Axial escapement, METAS certification, ceramic bezel, and ceramic dial with a fit and finish that rivals its Rolex counterpart. The one part of this watch that tends to divide people is the helium escape valve at 10 o’clock. It can be a deal breaker for some, and for others, it’s part of the charm and history of the watch.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer 300M Calibre 5 WAY201S-0
When talking about dive watches, the Luxury Aquaracer Replica Watch is often unfairly skipped over. The spec sheet is that of a bona fide diver, 300 meters of water resistance, a screw-down crown, uni-directional dive bezel, and enough lume to read it all underwater. To top it off, at 12mm thick, the only thing on this list that’s thinner is the 36mm Breitling. The matching green bezel and dial is a color scheme that is one made famous by the Rolex Hulk, but the brighter shade used on the Aquaracer means they will not be mistaken for one another from across the room. This is a good thing, as the Aquaracer deserves its own praise for being a well-built dive watch, and though it may not be a Submariner, it’s certainly not priced as one either.
