Dive Watches Now Surpass All Other Timepiece Genres

Historically created for professional divers and soldiers only, dive watches now surpass all other timepiece genres

- Amish Behl

It’s hard to think of a wristwatch genre that has a greater following than dive watches. Back in the day, these precision instruments were utilitarian tools above all else, which explains their charm even today.

In the years I have spent studying, following and collecting wristwatches, I have come to realise that there’s one element for which mechanical watches really don’t get their due — toughness. Well-constructed timepieces are incredibly rugged — far more than we can imagine — and dive (or diver's) watches sit right at the top of that table. They were, after all, created with soldiers and the military in mind. Today, dive watches are a reminder of that historical association, and it makes them immensely popular with enthusiasts and collectors; even those who have nothing to do with the marine world.

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

In the 1920s, watches on wrists were quite uncommon and most gentlemen preferred pocket watches. However, driven by the emergence of the wristwatch as a category and the need for more durable timepieces, Rolex laid the foundation for effective water-resistant watches in 1926 with what they until date call the Oyster case. This invention set things in motion for further development of watches that could withstand the pressures of being underwater.

Forward to 1932, Omega created the first pressure-tested, certified dive watch, though this remains as one of the most overlooked and under appreciated pieces of trivia in horology. This was followed by Panerai, who was tasked with making watches for the commandos of the Royal Italian Navy in the late 1930s, at the time of the Second World War. While the stark, signature dial was Panerai’s own creation, Rolex supplied the water-resistant cases to them.