Tested: The Best Dive Watches You Can Buy Under $1,000 (2024)

If you’re only going to add one type of watch to your wardrobe, there’s a pretty good argument to be made for diver timepieces. Not only are there a huge variety of options, plenty of which fit just about anyone’s personal style, but most of them can also take quite a bit of punishment out in the field. Best of all, there are plenty that can be had for even the strictest of budgets.

You don’t have to be a millionaire, celebrity, athlete, influencer, or whatever else to get a quality timepiece nowadays. In fact, you don’t even have to search very hard to find one that’s within your means. To prove that point, we’ve rounded up our favorite ocean-going timepieces on this list of the best dive watches that can be bought for $1,000 or less.

There are dozens and dozens of factors that one can take into account when shopping for a sub-$1,000 dive watch. Knowing this firsthand, we’ve broken down the most pivotal areas to take into account before pulling the trigger on your purchase.

Movement: The two main options here are quartz and mechanical movements. As a blanket statement, quartz (i.e. battery-powered) movements are going to be cheaper no matter what watch category you’re looking at. However, they’ll also be more precise in terms of telling time, especially at a lower price range.

Water Resistance: This is what makes a diver a diver. Most watches in general are going to have a dive rating of at least 50m or 100m. However, a good diver will extend that range to 200m or even farther. However, unless you’re a certified professional diver or military, you won’t be venturing much past 100m.

Legibility: While most watches will need to be legible, a dive watch’s visibility underwater is key to its functionality and usefulness. Look for bright lume on the hands and hour markers, as well as simplicity for the dial configuration.

ISO Certification: The International Organization for Standardization has a series of tests for brands’ dive watches to qualify for ISO 6425 certification. However, these tests are voluntary and are not always an indication of how good a dive watch is, necessarily. Again, if you’re just looking for a dive watch to wear on an everyday basis, these standards won’t really matter.

Though there’s no shortage of luxury divers on the market, the majority of dive watches currently in production are priced at or below the $1,000 mark — resulting in an enormous number of available options when shopping for a dive watch for below a grand. In order to hone in on some of the best offerings in the segment, we first began our selection process by looking to our favorite brands in order to explore their available dive watches priced at below the four-figure mark. From there, we then began scouring the space for standout watches from other reputable outfits that offers great performance, quality, or bang for your buck, relative to their MSRP. After generating an initial list of picks, we then proceeded to focus on several criteria that were used to shorten our original list down, examining each watch’s design and style, as well as fit and finish, material selection, warranty, and movement.

This would ultimately result in a penultimate list of finalists selections, which we then proceeded to get hands-on with, as it isn’t until actually wearing a watch for an extended period that you begin to get a more complete sense of the overall, day-to-day user experience. This extensive firsthand testing portion of our process also uncovered elements such as comfort, build quality, and accuracy. With this list of watches being confined to below a certain price point, we also heavily factored each timepiece’s level of value into our decision-making process. So, after using the above criteria and then extensively hands-on testing each reference, we were able to generate our final list of what we consider to be the best dive watches than money can buy for below $1,000.

Seiko Prospex SRPE99 Padi Edition

Seiko has one of the broadest ranges of watches on the planet, but the Japanese brand still arguably does divers better than anything else. This version of its Prospex sea diver is a special edition in partnership with PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors), featuring the iconic “Pepsi” elapsed-time bezel, a stainless steel 45mm case and bracelet, a day-date window, and 200m of water resistance.

It’s also powered by the Caliber 4R36 automatic movement with manual-winding capabilities and 41 hours of power reserve. In typical Seiko fashion, the Padi Edition of the SRPE99 punches well above its weight, with a level of value that blows its more exorbitantly-priced competitors out of the water.

Size: 45mm
Water Resistance: 200m
Movement: Automatic hybrid

Bulova Devil Diver

A stunning vintage-inspired dive watch that presents a stellar alternative to a variety of iconic Doxa references, the Bulova Devil Diveris an affordable 41mm diver with an ultra-legible orange dial that sits beneath a double-curved sapphire box crystal and is encompassed via a rotating bezel. ISO certified, the Devil Diver takes its name from its 2,185-foot — or 666 meter —water resistance rating.

Also equipped with a date window at 3 o’clock, this dive watch is powered by a Japanese-made Miyota 821D automatic movement, allowing it to punch well above its weight relative to its pricing. An ocean-ready polyurethane strap mated to a 19mm lug, luminous hands and markers, and an exhibition case back complete this value-laden diver.

Size: 41mm
Water Resistance: 200m
Movement: Automatic

Baltic Aquascaphe Classic Blue Gilt

If beauty’s what you’re after, take a look at Baltic’s Aquascaphe might be your best bet. Available in several attractive color schemes, the timepiece, with its simplicity and 39mm diameter, can essentially pass as a dress watch. Adorned with either a tropic rubber strap or stainless steel bracelet options, the unidirectional bezel and 200m water resistance may say otherwise, but nevertheless, this model has some serious versatility.

Housed in the stainless steel case is an automatic Miyota 9039 movement with 42 hours of power reserve. At the end of the day, a monumental part of what makes this Baltic watch so special is just how well it manages to capture the essence and spirit of actual vintage divers while still being easily recognizable as a contemporary timepiece.

Size: 39mm
Water Resistance: 200m
Movement: Automatic

Marathon MSAR Quartz

Also called the Search & Rescue, this Medium Diver’s Watch isn’t just mil-spec but actually made in accordance with U.S. Military specifications so it could be issued to soldiers on SAR missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Constructed around a 316L stainless steel case boasting 300m of water resistance, this timepiece is also on the smaller side with a 36mm case size; it’s there to do its job, not to be showy.

But that’s not to say it affects its legibility, with tritium illumination on the hands and dial that make it incredibly easy to read upon just a quick glance — even when below the waves. In typical Marathon fashion, the MSAR is built like a tank, and can handle just about anything you can throw at it — and then some. Also offered in a white-dial version, this watch pairs wonderfully with NATO straps, as well as the rubber strap that it ships with.

Size: 36mm
Water Resistance: 300m
Movement: Quartz

Certina DS Action Diver

Short for the “Double Security Action Diver,” the Certina DS Action Diver is a neo-retro dive watch that draws heavily from the Rolex Submariner, albeit in a slightly more compact 38mm case — which maintains the Rolex’s 300 meters of water resistance. Sporting an all-brushed finish — save for the watch’s screw-down crown — the DS Action Diver is crafted around a 316L stainless steel case with a screw down turtle shell caseback, a boxed sapphire, a three-link bracelet that’s equipped with micro-adjustment points, and a soft iron core that protects against magnetism.

Benefitting from the use of Nivachron, this sub-$1K diver is kept ticking via a Swiss-made (Tissot) POWERMATIC 80.611 automatic movement that packs an impressive 80-hour power reserve. What really makes the Certina DS Action Diver special, however, is the fact that it boasts a slew of feature and elements that are normally reserved for markedly more expensive watches — from its stunning fit and finish to its micro-adjustable bracelet to its 300-meters of water resistance to its Swiss-made automatic movement to its impressive 80-hour power reserve.

Size: 38mm
Water Resistance: 300m
Movement: Automatic

Mido Ocean Star 200

Not as capable as the flagship Ocean Star 600, the 200 is still an admirable pick, especially if you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to the Omega Seamaster. Ticking with an ETA-based Mido Caliber 80 automatic movement with 80 hours of power reserve, this timepiece boasts 200m of water resistance and great legibility thanks to the nuanced dial which differentiates the 6 and 12 o’clock hour markers.

Likewise, the skeletonized hands offer an interesting design language to a watch that helps separate this Ocean Star from the pack. It’s also worth pointing out that the Le Locle label also produces the Ocean Star 200 in a wide array of different case finishes and dial colors, practically guaranteeing that there’s a reference that will jive with you and your personal taste.

Size: 42.5mm
Water Resistance: 200m
Movement: Automatic

Doxa Sub 200 Professional

Few dive watches are as iconic as DOXA’s SUB 300T Professional, but if you can’t afford that one, you can easily settle for this SUB 200 version for about half the price. While not nearly as legendary, this 200m diver features a similar orange color scheme (although other color options are available as well) and is decidedly more accessible from a style standpoint. For one, the busy bezel has been scaled back, removing the diving table, and the thick hands and hour markers have been slimmed down.

Throw in a slightly smaller case width and you’ll be good to go. Like a great many of DOXA’s dive watches, the Sub 200 Pro also looks fantastic when mated to a retro-style bead-of-rice bracelet — which is sold as an option with this references straight from the factory. What’s more, as one would expect, this watch is also a fantastic choice for daily wearing, while still lending itself to actual dive use beneath the waves.

Size: 42mm
Water Resistance: 200m
Movement: Automatic

Hamilton Khaki Navy Scuba

Although the Field Watch version of Hamilton’s Khaki watch is definitely the brand’s most popular, it’s definitely not the only one out there. In fact, they’ve got a diving-friendly Khaki Navy Scuba watch, as well. This particular edition of it comes with an automatic 25-jewel Swiss movement good for a power reserve of 80 hours, a blue-on-black dial with a matching dive timer bezel (known as a ‘Batman’ bezel), a shielded crown, a stainless steel case, a silicone strap, and more.

In typical Hamilton fashion, this watch also boasts some obvious military-inspired vibes, though what is a bit more unique for the brand is the fact that it actually delivers pretty great bang for your buck considering its full stainless construction and automatic movement — not to mention its level of fit and finish, its specs, or the reputation of the brand that made it.

Size: 40mm
Water Resistance: 100m
Movement: Automatic

Orient Kamasu Dive Watch

One look at Orient’s Kamasu dive watch and you can see the influence of the barracuda on its design (“kamasu” is Japanese for “barracuda”), especially with its teeth-like hands and hour markers. What’s more is its inexpensiveness — which would usually indicate a compromise in the form of a quartz movement — accompanied by an automatic, self-winding mechanism that keeps it ticking. It also has a day/date window, a rotating 120-click dive timer bezel, a shielded crown, and a handsome matching stainless steel link band. Better still, it’s available in three attractive colorways.

Size: 41.8mm
Water Resistance: 200m
Movement: Automatic

Citizen Eco-Drive ProMaster Diver Watch

One of the best Japanese watchmaking brands on the market today, Citizen actually offers quite a few dive watches — most of which are under the $1,000 price point. However, we’re particularly fond of the Eco-Drive Promaster you see here. Not only does it have one of the most distinctive bezels of any watch in its category, but it also has a solar-powered movement that never needs a battery swap, a sturdy silicone strap, a water-resistance rating good for depths of up to 300m, and more. For budget-friendly divers, this one is an exceptional value. So, while it does admittedly boast a very unique, somewhat unorthodox appearance, the Citizen Eco-Drive ProMaster Diver Watch is a stellar choice for anyone interested in an idiosyncratic reference that lends itself to daily wearing while still boasting some genuine dive capabilities.

Size: 48mm
Water Resistance: 300m
Movement: Solar

Unimatic U1 Classic

Unimatic has a pretty great habit of crafting gorgeous, minimalist timepieces that are also exceptionally functional — which is exactly the case with the UC-1 diver you see before you. Built with professional diving in mind, this Italian-made ocean-going timepiece houses a Seiko-sourced automatic movement, a mono-directional security bezel, a sturdy stainless steel case with built-in shock resistance, Super LumiNova C3 markings, a hacking seconds function, a shielded crown, and an in-house heavy-duty nylon strap. Considering the overall fit and finish of this watch coupled with its wildly attractive Sub-inspired design and the fact that it’s made by a small Italian microbrand make this diver something of a steal in terms of pricing, as it’s not often you come across sub-$1,000 references that even the biggest of watch snobs will approve of.

Size: 40mm
Water Resistance: 300m
Movement: Automatic

Christopher Ward C60 Trident Pro 600

There aren’t many divers under $1,000 that can venture down 600m below the surface of the ocean. But what helps this version of Christopher Ward’s hugely-popular dive watch achieve this low price is the #tide ocean material strap (along with the Sellita automatic movement). Much like the Rolex Submariner or Omega Seamaster, the C60 Trident Pro 600 has a stylistic versatility that transcends the dive watch category. And yet, it can still give you plenty on the performance side, with a top-tier Grade X1 GL C1 Super-LumiNova lume, easy-to-read hands and markers, and a reliable ceramic bezel.

Size: 40mm
Water Resistance: 600m
Movement: Automatic

Victorinox I.N.O.X. Professional Diver Watch

Though it’s a fairly deep collection, Victorinox’s I.N.O.X. lineup has elicited some of the long-standing gear brand’s best watches. And that’s been nothing, if not punctuated by the inclusion of this stainless steel edition of their Professional Diver. Complete with a dive timer bezel with a unique geometry not seen anywhere else on this list, this quartz timepiece is dive certified and capable of going to depths of 660 feet, it has a shockproof housing, it comes with a paracord band, and it is remarkably durable on top of being handsome.

Size: 45mm
Water Resistance: 200m
Movement: Quartz

Casio G-SHOCK Master Of G Frogman Watch

Although G-SHOCK’s diving offerings can’t quite go as deep as many of the non-digital watches on our list, this list still wouldn’t be complete without at least one of their fabled Master of G divers — namely, the Frogman. Imbued with everything you’d expect out of one of the brand’s famed offerings — atomic timekeeping, unrivaled shock resistance, a unique resin case, and more — this watch also boasts a unique dive measuring and record-keeping onboard kit. It can even warn you if you’re ascending to the surface too quickly, and that’s more than can be said for its analog watch counterparts.

Size: 59.2mm
Water Resistance: 200m
Movement: Solar