Dive watches are standard in summer, a season of bright sunshine, moderate temperatures, long nights, refreshing drinks and, of course, endless fun in and around the water. Whether you’re jumping into the pool, diving into the ocean, or just taking a leisurely walk on the beach, for those who truly love watches, what could be more appropriate for these occasions than a stylish yet high-performance dive watch? Listed below are some very cost-effective dive watches (all priced under 2,500 euros) that will perfectly match your beach environment and bright swimwear.
Doxa SUB 200T
In April this year, Doxa reduced the size of its iconic SUB 300 to a more compact 39 mm. This modern design marked the beginning of a new era of SUB diving watches and added an emerald green dial called SUB 200T. This brand continues its diving heritage and retains all the DNA of the original SUB. With its smaller diameter, the SUB 200T not only innovates in terms of size, but it still performs very well as a dive watch. It is equipped with DOXA’s famous patented unidirectional rotating bezel and integrated US Navy no-decompression limit table, which is a standard for diver safety. In addition, the dial not only uses innovative colors, but also adds sunray brushed decoration, making its visual presentation even better. Inside the device is equipped with Sellita SW200-1 movement. The SUB 200T comes with an FKM rubber strap, priced at 1,550 euros, or a Milanese bracelet, priced at 1,590 euros.
An overview of the parameters is as follows: Dimensions are 39 mm x 41.50 mm, thickness is 10.70 mm, materials include stainless steel, brushed, polished, unidirectional double scale bezel, sapphire crystal mirror, stainless steel case back, 200 meters water resistance, 8 dial colors, flat or sunray finish, Super-LumiNova three-dimensional hour markers and hands, Sellita SW200-1, automatic winding, 28 800 times/hour, 38 Hours power reserve, hours, minutes, seconds, date, FKM rubber strap or BoR bracelet, 1,550 euros (FKM rubber) / 1,590 euros (BoR bracelet).
YEMA NAVYGRAF SLIM Model 20
Yema Navygraf Slim CMM.20 is a diving watch with a profound historical background and widespread attention. This 39mm dive watch uses a classic unidirectional bezel design. Although there is no locking mechanism, it still maintains the brand’s unique design, the most recognizable of which is its “exclamation mark” logo and bakelite bezel insert. The bezel is made of black sapphire crystal coating and is equipped with simple scales, with only luminous triangles without number marks and zero marks. The double-domed 2 mm sapphire crystal, the screw-down case back and the screw-down crown together ensure a water resistance of 30 bar, despite its relatively thin appearance (compared to the previous Navygraf model, which was approximately 2 mm thick). The overall assembly and decoration are very stable and durable, giving people a comfortable touch. The glossy black dial is adorned with hour markers made of polished steel, including stylized arrow symbols at each graduated position. The hands and other elements are filled with Super-LumiNova, second hand and the words “Navygraf”, with jumping yellow as decorative elements. The thickness of this watch is only 9.50 mm, which is very thin and feels very comfortable when worn on the wrist. Yema has equipped this product with a CMM.20 micro-rotor movement and displays it through a sapphire back. Its vibration frequency reaches 28,800 vph, which can provide users with an ample power reserve of up to 70 hours. This watch is limited to 200 pieces and comes with a black grained calfskin strap. It is priced at 1,990 euros.
An overview of the parameters is as follows: Dimensions are 39 mm x 9.5 mm, material is stainless steel, brushed and polished, surface is sapphire crystal mirror and case back. The bezel is inlaid with unidirectional sapphire and has a water resistance of 300 meters. The dial is black lacquer, equipped with Super-LumiNova luminous hands and hour markers, yellow seconds hand, CMM.20 movement, micro-rotor automatic winding function, in-house movement, 28800 vph, 70 hours of power reserve. The strap is equipped with a black grained leather pin buckle for hours, minutes and seconds, and is limited to 200 pieces.
Seiko PROSPEX 1965 dive watches SPB451 and SPB453 are both listed
When it comes to diving watches, exquisite craftsmanship definitely occupies a place. This Japanese watch brand has a number of critically acclaimed watches. This year, the Prospex 1965 Diver SPB451 and SPB453 are among the best. These watches were inspired by the 62-MAS, Seiko’s first dive watch, but compared with the previous Prospex 1965 series, they showed completely new design ideas in terms of size, dial design, movement and performance. The diameter is now 40mm instead of 40.5mm, the thickness has been reduced from 13.2mm to 13mm, and the upper and lower lugs have also been reduced to 46.4mm. These small changes make it more comfortable to wear. The dial’s water resistance has been improved from 200 to 300 meters, and the date has been relocated to 04:30, displaying horizontally aligned numerals through a circular window. This change seems to be an aesthetic effect that many brands overlook. This means that the dial will also be equipped with a complete hour mark at 3 o’clock to ensure that the dial is more balanced and meets ISO standards. The strap uses a redesigned three-link steel bracelet with shorter links and a smaller buckle, all designed to provide a more comfortable wearing experience.
The watch is equipped with a new movement called Caliber 6R55, which has a power storage capacity of 72 hours. The price of this watch is set at 1,400 euros. It represents a high-end product series manufactured by Seiko. For a diving watch with excellent performance, this price is very suitable. In addition to the two previously mentioned blue (SPB451) and black (SPB453) versions, a limited edition in charcoal gray with gold plating is also launched, priced at 1,600 euros.
An overview of the parameters is as follows: Dimensions are 40 mm x 13.0 mm, material is stainless steel, brushed and polished, surface is sapphire crystal, case back is made of stainless steel, has 300 meters of water resistance, dial color is black or blue, and has LumiBrite prominent logo and hands. The product date is at 04:30, and the movement number is 6R55. It is a self-produced automatic movement with 21,600 vph and a power reserve of 72 hours. The bracelet is designed with central hours, minutes, seconds and date, made of three-link stainless steel, and equipped with a folding clasp and diving extension device. It will be available in Seiko boutiques and retailers worldwide from June 2024 for €1,400.
PEREN REGIA X No. 39 self-winding diving watch
Among the many watches, the Peren Regia X Automatic 39 Diver’s diving watch stands out for its unique design style and more competitive price. The design of this modern Swiss-made watch is inspired by the ancient calendar culture of Sarmizegetusa Regia in Transylvania. On the black dial, the combination of hour markers and hands looks very unique, simple and elegant, but also full of innovative thinking. The date also happens to fall at the unconventional 12 o’clock. The double-scale design on the diving bezel of Regia X is also a very good decorative element, adding a lot of appeal to it. The device is equipped with a unidirectional rotating bezel and a screw-down crown to ensure that it is water-resistant to 200 meters. Underneath the solid caseback lies an automatic movement called the Sellita SW200-1, which has a power reserve of 38 hours. Limited to 300 pieces, the retail price for the black FKM rubber or fabric strap is set at CHF 963.
An overview of the parameters is as follows: Dimensions are 39 mm x 12.8 mm, made of sandblasted stainless steel, equipped with a sapphire crystal mirror and sandblasted stainless steel case back. The bezel is designed for one-way dual-scale diving and has a water resistance of 200 meters. The dial is black with 3D Super-LumiNova markings, and white hands match the Super-LumiNova. The date at noon is Sellita SW200-1, with automatic winding at 28,800 operations per hour and a power reserve of 38 hours. In terms of straps and dates, black FKM rubber or black fabric straps and stainless steel bracelets are available, with a limited quantity of 300 pieces and a total of 963 Swiss francs.
Mero Bonaire MKII name
The last niche brand of dive watch is the Méraud Bonaire MKII, a watch designed in Belgium and made in Switzerland. Méraud, as the founder, has always been committed to creating a unique timepiece that reflects the retro style. He insists on finding the inner beauty between simplicity and practicality, and skillfully combines modern simplicity and warm retro elements in design. This retro-designed dive watch has a diameter of 40 mm, making it slightly larger than its predecessor but still maintaining a sleek and streamlined appearance. This bezel made of acrylic uses a unique engraving technology and incorporates luminous material, which adds a retro atmosphere to it and reminds people of the classic bakelite bezel.
The watch is available in three attractive dial color options: bright onyx black, moss green or navy blue with brushed sunray pattern. There is no date marked on the dial, but it is perfectly balanced with the large three-dimensional hour markers, sword-shaped hands and lollipop-shaped hands, and they are all equipped with Super-LumiNova inserts. The La Joux Perret G101 self-winding movement, made in Switzerland, operates stably under a sapphire crystal case back, has a 68-hour power reserve and is 200 meters water-resistant. Méraud equips it with a Tropic-style rubber strap, priced at 925 euros, and also offers a stainless steel bracelet version, priced at 1,025 euros (excluding VAT).
Here is a detailed spec list: Measures 39 mm x 12.2 mm, case made of stainless steel, brushed and polished, unidirectional bezel with acrylic “Bakelite” insert, screw-locked crown, mirror and case back made of sapphire crystal, 200 meters of water resistance, dial can be blue, green or black, Super-LumiNova hands and hour markers, Lollipop seconds hand, La Joux-Perret G101, automatic winding function, 28,800 vph, 68 hours power reserve, signed tungsten rotor, tropical-style rubber strap or stainless steel bracelet, price 925 euros or 1,025 euros (excluding VAT).