Why we love Dive Watches

There’s something quietly irresistible about a dive watch. Sturdy, legible, built for pressure and extremes— yet most won’t see more than a hotel pool or a rainy commute. But that’s not really the point, is it?

What is it about these overbuilt, underwater tools that speak so clearly to life on dry land – Why do we love dive watches?

Defining the Dive Watch

Of all the types of watch a man might own, the dive watch is probably the easiest to wear and the hardest to define. It’s practical, yes. Legible, yes. Durable, always. But beyond that, it has presence—something more than the sum of its parts.

Not too long ago dive watches were serious tools. Developed for military divers and underwater explorers, they were engineered for reliability in the most unforgiving environments. A rotating bezel, high water resistance, lume you could spot in the dark—every feature had a purpose.

Fast forward to today, and the dive watch is everywhere and often most collectors first watch. But why? What makes them so enduring, even essential, to watch collectors?

Object of Purpose

Part of it is aesthetic. The proportions are often spot-on—robust without being overbearing. They wear well with just about anything. And then there’s the versatility: you could swim in it, climb with it, drop it—and it would likely be fine. A dive watch doesn’t ask to be babied.

But there’s something deeper. We like objects with purpose—even if we don’t need that purpose ourselves. It’s a bit like owning a Range Rover. You may never take it off-road, but the capability is always there. With a dive watch, it’s the same. It’s about potential. Capability. Readiness.

Take my own Omega Planet Ocean. The 43.5mm model from 2018 with a rich blue dial. Built like a submarine, yet somehow refined. I’ve never tested its 600-metre depth rating—but I’ve never needed to. Just knowing it’s there is enough.

Tool Watch Origins

It’s interesting—dive watches began as genuine tools. The Submariner, the Fifty Fathoms, the original Seamaster 300—these were instruments for divers, not accessories. They were essential, not optional. But over the years, that practicality became part of their myth.

And yes, Bond had a hand in it. The Rolex Submariner in the Connery years. The Seamaster in the Brosnan and Craig era. Suddenly, the dive watch wasn’t just practical—it was suave, masculine, desirable, aspirational even.

20th Century Fox

Why do we love them?

And practically speaking, it just works. With jeans. With a suit. On a plane. In the sea. There’s a quiet honesty to a well-made dive watch. You don’t have to apologise for wearing it, whatever the setting.

So why do we love them? Because they represent something timeless. A dive watch is a reminder that function and style can coexist. That preparedness is a virtue. And that in a world of distractions, some things are still built with purpose.

That’s why mine isn’t going anywhere.