Divers Watches (Diving Watches)

We classify divers watches as watches that are suitable for scuba diving. They are not necessarily suitable for deep sea diving. Either the watch manufacturer specifies these watches specifically as 'diving watches', or they are water resistant to 300 metres or above. At Watch Shop UK, we stock a large range of diving watches for both men and ladies, from brands such as Citizen and Wenger.

History and information on divers watches
For divers around the world, the splash of new diving watches on the market today has caused a great deal of excitement, as well as anticipation for what kind of mind-blowing technology will hit the scene next. Divers watches are becoming more sought after and more technologically advanced as competition soars to produce the highest-quality and most functional diving watch.

There are two very good reasons for using a divers watch when diving. First of all, it is extremely helpful as a timing and safety device. A diver should always focus on safety first when attempting a dive of any depth. Diving can be dangerous and sometimes life-threatening. There is no good in taking any unnecessary chances. Under the water, it can seem as if time is standing still, so it is important to know how long you have been down. Secondly, a divers watch is becoming an important part of the whole divers ensemble. Therefore most diving enthusiasts are finding it an important part of the outfit and the image.

While divers watches seem to be a fairly new invention, they actually have been around for some time. The first diving watches were specifically designed for the military to meet their important needs. A company called Omega SA is thought to have created the first ever divers watch in 1932 which they appropriately called the Omega “Marine.” These watches were obviously waterproof and were a big step forward for the marines and military officers, aiding in their safety and the success of their missions. Panerai also began supplying divers watches to the Royal Italian Navy during this time. They were waterproof at 650 feet and also included a luminescent feature. The military were also supplied with a style of diving watches called “canteen” style after World Ward II, which were only made available for military use.

A French company called Lip-Blancpain came out with the next popular waterproof diving watch to hit eh market in 1953 and it was called Lip-Blanpain’s Fifty Fathoms. These were distributed to military personnel around the world, including the French Navy and the United States divers. The watch became famous due to the movie “Le Monde du Silence” in which Jacques Cousteau wore the watch underwater.

Next Rolex decided to come out with a diving watch called the Rolex Submariner, and it was unveiled at the Basel Watch Fair of 1954. Interestingly enough, this was the same year the scuba breathing-wear was released onto the market. This was a big year for divers. Rolex came out with several other models over the following year, and their watch made a film debut as well in the first ten James Bond movies. In the 1960s, Rolex took the challenge of producing diving watches that would work at greater depths and to be used as safety devices. The result was superior divers watches such as the Rolex Sea-Dweller Submariner 2000 in 1967 and the Omega Seamaster Professional in 1970.

From then on the market for divers watches exploded and the competition became quite dense. At Watch Shop UK, we stock diving watches from famous brands such as Wenger, Citizen, Nixon, Zodiac and Casio.