Diver Watches - How to Differentiate Them From Other Types of Watches
If you thought that this is a no-brainer - that just by looking at the tag or the label of the watch will show you what kind of watch it is, you might be one of those people who could be misled by some clever marketing techniques. The 'diver watch' label draws attention as it is used to project a watch belonging to someone with a cool or outgoing personality. If you are not going to actually use a diver watch on a dive, then whether or not the watch has properly functioning dive properties might not be important to you. However, if you are planning to go diving with a diver watch, you better read on. While there are many diver watches that hold true to their name, there are some watches that only use the 'diver watch' label as a marketing gimmick. It might look like one, but it definitely won't perform or last like one. Here are a few features that all diver watches should have:
1. The most important feature about diver watches has to be its water resistance rating. When you look at any watch's water resistance rating, you'd need to check whether it is rated with a diver's rating. Generic ratings like 'Water Resistant to 50m' don't mean that the watch is good till 50m deep underwater. If you continue to read the watch manual of the said watch, you will probably find that the watch manufacturers do not recommend using that kind of watch for snorkeling or diving. Why? Because it's only a theoretical rating made when both the watch and water are perfectly still - something that's impossible in real life. What you should really look out for are water resistance ratings that state something like "Diver's 200m". Those ratings show that the watch has been tested to be good for diving.
2. Another feature of diver watches that you need to look for is whether the case-back and crown is the 'screw-down' type or not. Most dress watches only have 'push-down' crowns - this means that if you wanted to adjust the time of your watch you only need to pull out the crown and start turning. 'Screw-down' crowns require you to unscrew the crown first before you can pull it out for any adjustment. Screwing down the crown and the back of the watch case seals the entire watch case and prevents water from seeping in. If you see any watch that is labeled as a 'diver watch' but has case-backs and crowns that only 'push-down', chances are high that it won't be able to keep water out when the watch goes deeper underwater.
3. Next, all diver watches should come with a unidirectional bezel - unidirectional being the key word. Since you will be using the bezel to track time underwater so that you won't go over a certain time limit (say because of your gas tank capacity), you definitely don't want the bezel turning in the clockwise direction which will incorrectly show that you have more time available!
4. Something else you might notice is that watch cases of diver watches are usually a little bigger than normal watches and are quite sturdy. The reason for this is that the watch case has to be able to withstand the pressure acting on it as it goes deeper underwater. Therefore, the walls of the watch case as well as the crystal need to be a little thicker and this increases its overall size. The watch case should never have a flimsy feel to it.
If you spot a diver watch that does not meet any of the criteria mentioned above, don't be fooled by its name and steer clear of it. My last advice is to check whether the watch is in compliance with ISO 6425. This ISO standard is meant for diver watches and it means that each watch has been tested under simulated diving conditions so that it'll meet all the criteria above.
1. The most important feature about diver watches has to be its water resistance rating. When you look at any watch's water resistance rating, you'd need to check whether it is rated with a diver's rating. Generic ratings like 'Water Resistant to 50m' don't mean that the watch is good till 50m deep underwater. If you continue to read the watch manual of the said watch, you will probably find that the watch manufacturers do not recommend using that kind of watch for snorkeling or diving. Why? Because it's only a theoretical rating made when both the watch and water are perfectly still - something that's impossible in real life. What you should really look out for are water resistance ratings that state something like "Diver's 200m". Those ratings show that the watch has been tested to be good for diving.
2. Another feature of diver watches that you need to look for is whether the case-back and crown is the 'screw-down' type or not. Most dress watches only have 'push-down' crowns - this means that if you wanted to adjust the time of your watch you only need to pull out the crown and start turning. 'Screw-down' crowns require you to unscrew the crown first before you can pull it out for any adjustment. Screwing down the crown and the back of the watch case seals the entire watch case and prevents water from seeping in. If you see any watch that is labeled as a 'diver watch' but has case-backs and crowns that only 'push-down', chances are high that it won't be able to keep water out when the watch goes deeper underwater.
3. Next, all diver watches should come with a unidirectional bezel - unidirectional being the key word. Since you will be using the bezel to track time underwater so that you won't go over a certain time limit (say because of your gas tank capacity), you definitely don't want the bezel turning in the clockwise direction which will incorrectly show that you have more time available!
4. Something else you might notice is that watch cases of diver watches are usually a little bigger than normal watches and are quite sturdy. The reason for this is that the watch case has to be able to withstand the pressure acting on it as it goes deeper underwater. Therefore, the walls of the watch case as well as the crystal need to be a little thicker and this increases its overall size. The watch case should never have a flimsy feel to it.
If you spot a diver watch that does not meet any of the criteria mentioned above, don't be fooled by its name and steer clear of it. My last advice is to check whether the watch is in compliance with ISO 6425. This ISO standard is meant for diver watches and it means that each watch has been tested under simulated diving conditions so that it'll meet all the criteria above.
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