Why are dive watches so popular?

[Shadow Play]

Good question OP.

More often than not I find myself gravitating to dive watches.

To put it into some sort of context, I wear Adidas or New Balance ‘vintage’ running shoes most of the time. They are not for running. I like the style and historical / technical achievement behind them.

I suppose it’s the same thinking regarding my dive watches.

[Krash]

Originally Posted by ferrissteve11

Dive watches just look good...my .02

This.

In my case, I have a pool in my backyard too. I don’t dive, but I am in the water a lot. Just about any Rolex will suffice I suppose, but I can’t swim with my Speedmaster pro or a dress watch on…

If I didn’t have the financial wherewithal for a Rolex Submariner or Omega Seamaster, I’d probably would have a nice Doxa dive watch.


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[scurfa]

Originally Posted by Lol-x

Exactly that was what I was going to say.

Me too!


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[ROlesorusLEX]

60+ years of highly effective marketing

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[cvo]

Dive watches are the sports cars of watches.

[1William]

The look, wear and robustness of most dive watches makes them very popular.

[Chester01]

So dive watches are very robust and speaking for myself hearty to take punishment. I have mountain biked, done various water activity, hiking, kayaking, baseball, soccer, you name it and the sub and other dive watches can take it. Due to my job measuring elapsed time and having a date are essential and so the sub and other dive watches with a date are very functional. To the point where I have no use for a standard 2/3 hand watch.

[Widows Son]

Originally Posted by xrole

Diving is about 1000x more popular and accessible than flying a plane... so why are pilot watches so popular? I will let the obvious implications sink in before summarizing; it's more about the look, the features and the ruggedness, not the specific sporting name it is attached to. It's a style of watch that holds up very well to both work and play.

Also as an aside, if you have never been scuba diving then how can you even judge how special it is? It is an amazing experience.

Hmmmmmmm......Not sure about that one. I know lot's of private pilots, a retired commercial pilot, and a helicopter pilot who served in Vietnam. I know exactly one diver, and he hasn't dived in about 40 years.

[Wrist Watcher]

I think they look the best, especially the Submariner. It’s sporty and masculine yet also refined and elegant. The high water resistance is an added bonus.

[joeboy]

Timeless design, practicality and effortless style.

[travisb]

Originally Posted by ferrissteve11

Dive watches just look good...my .02

Sums it up for me.

[OrangeSport]

A timing bezel is just about the most useful additional functionality a watch can have. I use mine multiple times every day I wear a dive watch.

[Toproll85]

Originally Posted by maccm

That is a thing that I never really understood: as diving is a very specific and unpopullar hobby / sport, why are dive watches so desirable?

Do any sub or sea dwellers owners here actually dive?

I mean, I really understand the hype about aviation-inspired watches, sports cars inspired watches and even the moonwatch, but diving? What is so exciting about it?

I think because the characteristics are convincing from a versatility point of view.
The waterproofness, the robustness, is not only valid for diving but for everyday life, kind of never mind aspect.

Then to know which of the conquest of space to that of the seabed is the most exciting, it's up to each and personal.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by ferrissteve11

Dive watches just look good...my .02

I agree



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[samson66]

It's just the most iconic and classic look of all sorts watches. It's It's first watch that pops into just about anyone's head when they think sports watch.

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[warrior]

THIS. Dive Watches give off a more youthful vibe, generally speaking.

Originally Posted by cvo

Dive watches are the sports cars of watches.

[Ringhio]

Originally Posted by maccm

That is a thing that I never really understood: as diving is a very specific and unpopullar hobby / sport, why are dive watches so desirable?

Do any sub or sea dwellers owners here actually dive?

I mean, I really understand the hype about aviation-inspired watches, sports cars inspired watches and even the moonwatch, but diving? What is so exciting about it?

Historically because in Italy they decided to wear them as a fashion piece, taking the professional watches out of their context and putting it on the wrist for everyday occasions.
This launched the modern era of professionals.

[Wcdhtwn]

Originally Posted by maccm

I just want to know what am I missing here, because I’ve never been atracted to dive watches.

Why? No rules say you have to like them. If you don’t then don’t, there are plenty of other watch styles to collect, as you mentioned. Answering this question is like trying to explain to a non watch enthusiast what is so great about collecting watches… if someone doesn’t get it, isn’t excited about it, no one will ever be able to make them understand or become passionate about it. The same could be said for collecting anything.

[MrGoat]

Seems like you answered your future query back in 2017.


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[JRell]

For me, zero to do with diving. I don’t even like going in the ocean when I am at the beach. For me I love the shiny ceramic bezel and the clean black dial.

[GaoKS]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

James Bond

Agreed!

[Mystro]

I dive with all my watches and am drawn to water activities. Some people feel the same way about flying. That said, Rolex uses desirable activities to theme all their sport watches on. Yachting, Auto racing, Diving, Flying, etc…. Diving is more popular because of how robust a tool must be to be used underwater. This under water test has become a benchmark in the horological world in developing time pieces to display how rugged they are. A dive watch will withstand any other activities not related to diving above the water line BUT a watch built for above water activities might not survive diving.

[enjoythemusic]

Because this planet we call Earth is 2/3rds water?

Did I get it right?

Is there a prize award?

[Master_Grogu]

Because bezel goes brrrrr

[173rdabn]

Folks think they really look cool. Most haven't any idea of it's functionality and uses.

[donas]

I think most the answers have been accurately stated, with #1 being - they just look good. But a factor for me is the "water proofness". A watch rated for 100m is with static even pressure. If one is into water sports, even diving into a pool can generate more pressure than that. I am not a scientist, nor can I prove this claim, merely relaying information I have read before. I saw an interesting chart somewhere years ago of the amount of pressure various non-diving activity exhibited on the watch; it was pretty surprising.

....on another note, I am a certified diver, even used to do it professionally, but I haven't done it in almost 30 years. I own probably 10 or so dive watches and not one has been on a dive, lol.

[saxo3]

Originally Posted by Brew

The are big, bold, and built to be seen. Naturally, the socially-driven herd will gravitate to such shiny toys.

Why so judgemental?
Any of my 4 and 5 digit Submariner and Sea-Dweller is neither big, bold, nor built to be seen, and certainly less shiny than any gold watch.

Originally Posted by Brew

I know it’s not popular around here to admit that TRF is part of the sm environment ...

Here I join you, it's a fact.

[bremersm]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

James Bond

Actually Ian Fleming's Bond likely wore a Explorer in the novels.

[liberalclown]

Do you have to be a race car driver to own Daytona? Do you have to be a pilot to own GMT? Do you have to be a mountaineer to own Explorer? Do you have to be a spelunker to own Explorer II? Or most importantly, do you have to be James Cameron to own DSSD JC?

Nowadays, buying Rolex Sports series for using it for its functionality is a bit delusional, people often say “for intended use” while doing those sports, however its real intended use is to tell time in an elegant way, from board rooms to oil rigs, to mountains to seas but nothing more. No industrial diver uses dive watches as the primary instrument anymore, no mountaineer uses field watches as the primary instrument anymore, race laps are not being measured with mechanical chronos, pilots are not relying on their gmts to declare route times when talking to air traffic controller. But James Cameron, he wears James Cameron because he is James Cameron!

Real answer is: Dive watches are robust, due to its WR rating cases are being built like tanks, bracelets usually have easy adjustments, they have mostly brushed surfaces so less blingy, have legible dials and dive bezels maybe one of the most useful complications that you can use in everyday real life, if not the most useful.

[Rori]

Originally Posted by maccm

That is a thing that I never really understood: as diving is a very specific and unpopullar hobby / sport, why are dive watches so desirable?

Do any sub or sea dwellers owners here actually dive?

I mean, I really understand the hype about aviation-inspired watches, sports cars inspired watches and even the moonwatch, but diving? What is so exciting about it?

IMHO it's not the activity of diving that makes Rolex divers so desirable but rather the design. Ingenious to say the least.