My good friend Hugo is an underwater welder for the Navy he told me that they still use Dive watches because computers do fail more often then we might think. He has never seen one fail but has heard many stories of people that had a good scare. I don’t normally comment on TH-cam videos but I must say that content you bring for us is next level. Thank you.
Because I received my dive training in the military some 50+ yrs ago, I was trained using a watch . Even today , although I use a dive computer, I still don't go down without a watch on my wrist . Redundant systems were drilled into my head all those years ago and I still find myself looking at my watch when I'm under thewater . Great video Teddy . Thanx
@@magnetpull7587 I've collected for a long time so I have a pretty robust collection of divers . I usually wear a Rolex Submariner, or my Blancpain Barracuda fifty fathoms . Sometimes I'll wear one of my Seikos. It kind of depends on wear I'm diving . If I'm out of the country, usually one of my less expensive seikos as I usually leave my more expensive watches at home. A lot of the countries that I travel to aren't as safe as we're used to here in the states .
Something worth mentioning on the rotating bezel is that in a proper dive watch, it should only rotate counterclockwise and not both ways. Reason being is that if it's knocked and turned slightly by mistake, it'll always increase the time discrepancy, meaning that your calculation will always be more conservative than otherwise. For example if you start your descent at the 12 hour mark and after a 30minute descent you bump your bezel by 10 minutes so that the bezel now ready you descended at the 11 hour mark you'll think it took you 40minutes to descend so you plan for a longer ascent and never a shorter one. If it were to rotate both ways, you could accidentally knock it to show it took you 20 minutes instead of 30, and you'd underestimate the time needed to resurface.
While dining at my club the other day, the waiter inadvertently sprinkled some water on my G.O. Sea Q while serving my lobster. The watch handled the situation like a champ.
Divewatches are just perfect toolwatches today for everyday-use. your out hicking? great legibility, no wories about some dirt or water, use the bezle to track, when you start or use it to make to check for north/south with the sun easyier. when are your loundry finished? just use the bezel, you want to track, how many minutes you work for a customer to charge him reasonable, use the bezel.. a divewatch is just the essential versitail watch, and thanks to james bond, even accepted to wear in a bit more formal occasion ;)
If Omega did 2 versions of the SMP, one with the HEV, and one without, I think most people would go for the HEV model,,( I know I would,,).. It's an iconic feature... !!
I'm not a diver, however I do wear a dive watch for chores around the house like manually washing dishes or watering my lawn. I couldn't imagine wearing a "regular" watch or solely relying on my smart phone while performing these duties. It's a great time to be alive.
While I do use dive computers, I also dive with my Oris Aquis…mostly to keep track of time of day. I am an Advanced Open Water and Rescue Diver certified recreational diver and have had my Aquis to about 110 feet deep. There is definitely a nostalgia factor, having grown up watching Jacques Cousteau and Sea Hunt and always wanting to be a scuba diver. I didn’t have the opportunity to get certified until age 57. I also really like the Aquis for it rugged design and durability as well as the craftsmanship of a Swiss automatic. Thanks for the great video.
Been down to 40 meters with my Sinn U1 B on the duoflex diving strap system (cannot recomend it enough for drysuit diving). I have depth gauge, air pressure gauge and compass on my instrument console. So together with my dive watch I have a complete backup set. I have never had the computer fail so I need it so far. But I have saved several other peoples divetrip when they are about to go into the water and the dive computer they brought is out of battery. I simply lend them my dive computer and do an old school dive using the analog instruments. Its a fun way to dive! Great and informative video!
Dive watches are still very useful in the harsh environment of the professional kitchen. Very durable and the timing bezel is great when preparing fish. High resistance for grease stains.
Οκ, but a casio with chronometer and timer countdown may be even more useful. But if someone also likes the look of diver then I get it also has usefulness.
Great video Teddy! I was a clearance diver in the Royal Navy back in the 80's and like most of my colleagues we passed up the opportunity of a military Rolex as their timekeeping was far poorer than our own watches which we chose to wear instead. Many of us wore Seiko's and G.Shocks and many divers still do. If your want to pick a brand that has clocked up more minutes underwater it hands down has to be Casio!
I did my dive training in 1976 with aspirations of seeing the world above and below the water ,but life had other plans for me. wife, house payments, kids, dogs, cats,and horses took me in other directions , but the knowledge gained from diving was equally useful in many other persuits , canoe and kayaking ,Sailing just to name a few and has saved my life on many occasions !!!. my dive watch has been a constant in the equation ,to take what ever has been thrown at it and keep on ticking, and just as life would have it , out of the blue... ive recently started diving again , no longer chasing exotic destinations , fish ,mermaids or sharks , it's more of a commercial and salvage nature around the marina my sailboats moored at. my dive instructor used to say (all the best diving in the world happens between 30 to 60 feet ) ill be 60yrs young in a few weeks and enjoying life again , its a good bench mark for the next chapter in diving. I think the reason dive watches are so popular is that they are built to take what ever life throws at them and carry on !!!
I was a commercial diver in the gulf of Mexico for a number of years, including several runs in saturation. I really only ever wore a watch while working if we were gas diving and had multiple in-water decompression stops on the open bell. And really then it was just to make sure and keep the guys topside in check with my deco times at each stop as well as deco stop depth with the digital depth gauge on the watch. More than once i caught them miscounting my deco stop time as well as depth! A really great dive watch that i rarely see (the one I used) is the Citizen Promaster Aqualand Eco-drive 20th anniversary watch. tough as hell, great functionality as basically full-blown dive computer with digital and analog readouts. Sweet watch!! All in all a watch is not very necessary for commercial diving anyways, i'm just a gear head and love watches that happened to have a great and robust dive watch that was helpful on occasion. it'll get beat up pretty bad tho, which is why, in my experience, guys usually wore a casio g shock, at most while diving. In saturation diving, it's nice to have a timepiece with you, especially with a helium release valve, but not super necessary. again i saw guys bringing their casio watches in just fine. I brought my Oris diver with me, worked great. Thanks for the video, it was cool to see that as an ex-commercial diver and scuba instructor!
I am not now and won't ever be a diver but my employment does find submersion of my watch a necessity from time to time. An SKX is my everyday piece as it's tank-tough, even if very basic, and allows me to keep my nicer pieces, well, nice. Lol. In regards to some marques' use of a HEV in saturation dive-capable pieces this is another reason for my Seiko fandom. Their construction of mixed gas divers that are buttoned up tightly enough to forego the use of an extra point of egress is highly impressive to me. As always a great vid, Teddy, both for those already a fan of this particular genre of watch and those just becoming interested alike. Keep up the great work!
@@TeddyBaldassarre Cover all the genres regarding tool watches. Such as Field watches and the Military Specifications that drove their design and development.
I did a PADI dive course back in 2000. For anyone thinking about it, absolutely do it. I've not been since but it was such an experience. During the dives we went to about 26m (as per my dive computer). As for how deep I've been with a dive watch....about 5m when snorkling on the Barrier Reef, and 1.8m in my parents pool, both in Queensland, Australia. Both were with my first dive watch. A 2009 Oris DiverDate (predecessor of the Aquis). I still have that watch and have added another few since.
@@pimvandenbos2261 And im sure the small nics and scratches that he does accumulate on the seamaster makes the watch even more beautiful to him. Thats how I feel about my MarineMaster!
@@ohaimiles I own an Amphibia 710379, non hacking, hand winding, date, low beat rate and 10 year movement service interval. The G shock before the G shock
I haven’t worn a dive watch whilst diving in over 20 years now and just use a computer although when I learned to dive you had to use a watch and deco tables as computers didn’t exist. This process helped along by the clasp on my Sea Dweller (now long sold) opening after receiving a blow on the boat ladder. The watch fell into my fingertips over a 300m drop at the Straits of Tiran.
Dive watches are so versatile. Can wear in with a suit, biz casual, casual, hanging out with friends, on a date, swimming pool, at the beach. I simply love dive watches the most, though I do have some dress watches and pilot watches as well
I finally bought my first dive watch today, 2023 Seiko sumo, green dial and bezel. I love it, a really beautiful watch and I don't have to baby it, so I'm confident when it rains, doing dishes, watering the garden, going fishing, and I'm looking forward to diving for paua (abalone) soon, yay! Thanks teddy for this info bro
I recently purchased a “Loyal Scuba” divers watch here in Australia. It is rated to 1000m-Helium Safe. It has the lockdown crown plus a lockdown helium release crown. I’m not a scuba diver however I do go surfing and snorkeling occasionally. It’s definitely more capable than I’ll ever need but I do love the styling.
My orient ray ii has been on a few dive trips, and has seen depths up to 100ft multiple times. Still going strong so far! Any other dive watch I own down the road, no matter how nice will always see the same use. It’s so satisfying to see them in their intended environment.
I'm a diver and wear my skx007 on all my dive trips as a back-up to time my safety stop (paired with a physical marking on my surface marker buoy to figure out my depth) in case my dive computer fails. So yeah, you're pretty much spot on about the use of dive watches and the misconceptions about the helium escape valve. Great job explaining it all man! For the record, I'd love to one day dive with my submariner but it's way too precious hahaha
It makes sense that military or commercial divers would have a watch as a back-up to their dive computer. I do believe Astronauts in the 1960s had to have _two_ Speedmasters? If you're a professional then "fail safe" is always going to be a serious motto. As for amateur or hobby divers, yeah, I've heard that most of them won't now be going into the ocean with a dive watch - though they might well wear one back on dry land! As Teddy says, it probably has a powerful nostalgia/status value in those circles.
I own a Sub. Kermit, Omega planet ocean 600, Panerai Radiomir, Blancpain FF, Seiko MM300, vintage Seiko apocalypse now, among others. That said I’m afraid of water and only swim on swimming pools, never on the sea. But oh God, I love this pieces so much. They’re simple gorgeous, feel great on the wrist with that presence and each one have a great story behind.
I love a good historical video on watch brands or specific watch types. Can’t wait to watch the video. Actually just bought my first dive watch, the Orient Kamasu because of one of your videos, red dial, and really love it. I tossed it on a leather strap to put into my desk job work rotation. Up until now I mainly stuck with everyday watches and dress watches because that’s what my everyday life calls for.
Just ordered an Islander 38mm dive watch, which is a SKX-013 homage but upgraded... sapphire crystal, better movement etc. It’s an absolute spec monster for $300. I would love to see Teddy review the Islander dive watches, and compare them to the SKX’s that inspired them, and the Orient Kamasu that goes for about the same price.
@@skrem23 I believe Teddy has purchased watches in the past just for the purpose of reviewing them (I think). Marc has sent his watches to others for review, however he provides a return label as he does not give away his watches for free, and wants the review to be honest.
Great video Teddy, I am a long time dive instructor, and I love my dive watches and computers.. really enjoyed this video and all the information and great old cousteau era dive video
I scuba dove in the 1970's. Getting set up to buy gear again. Dive watches are pretty handy for things like cooking eggs, parking meters and the such. just spin the bezel to the minute hand, and you can tell at a glace how long it has been.
If you love dive watches you might be interested to know that you use a Pepsi bezel (the red and black/blue coloured ones) differently. There’s a lot of misinformation out there! Essentially Pepsi bezels are used to indicate your non-decompression limit (NDL) - NOT to count your elapsed time. You use your dive tables to identify your NDL for the depth you’ll be working at, and when you descend you rotate the bezel until the pip/zero is at that specific time. E.g. if my NDL is 20 mins, I rotate the bezel so that the pip/zero is 20 mins away from my minute hand when I start the dive. Now while I’m diving, I don’t need to try to count my elapsed dive time, I just have to glance at my watch to see how close the minute hand is to the colour change. If the minute hand goes “into the red”, I have exceeded my NDL and I’m now in a decompression dive situation which makes things complicated. Basically stay “out of the red”. I only dive with a Pepsi. It may sound lame but in low visibility and when things are going wrong, I want the clearest, easiest indication of where I am in relation to my NDL, and the Pepsi gives me this instantly. I also agree with the other professional divers here and I wear my watch as well as a computer as I’ve had a couple of computers fail. That said, in my workplace, we MUST use the old DCIEM tables, so I can’t use the dive profile a computer would give me anyway, so a watch is still my primary dive timer. I dive with my trusty Seiko SKX Pepsi bezel and the Prospex. They’re reliable as hell, but cheap enough to be replaced if something goes wrong. For serious divers, the Pepsi is a hell of a lot more than just fashion!
Good points all around. In additional to professional divers who wear dive watches just like any office worker, to tell the time of day, certain rec divers also wear them pretty religiously. Divers with a certification for recreational solo diving wear them as well. Solo diving is a pretty rare certification as it requires a lot of experience to even be eligible to take the course. Solo diving requires redundancy. Along with two air supplies, two computers, two signaling devices, etc... a watch is the norm. I wear a Sinn EZM13 so I have access to both a dive bezel and a chronograph which can be used underwater.
As a sailor having analogue back ups is handy, sextants, charts and compasses are still useful. Was there anyone who wished they could just use a computer, in the world of Sailing those people exist for the tests
Took my Seiko 6306 to a depth of 130 feet back when I was getting my PADI dive certification. Dive computers were a thing then, but not as ubiquitous as they are today. We learned how to and did our dive time calculations manually. Was really fun to get certified with a watch that had hundreds of hours down with its previous owner who gifted it to me.
Great video! I am a professional diver and always wear a Dive Watch and a computer. I like to know what time it is during the trip, when we are supposed to get back, what time is happy hour that kind of important stuff. I always have an idea of what the dive plan is, and it is very easy to keep a general idea of timing with a watch. My dive computer has tons of information and I keep track of what is going on throughout the dive, but I like to have a tool that is not complicated and dependable. My choice for diving is a Citizens Promaster Professional 300m.
Awesome piece Teddy! So much information that I had to watch it twice to take it all in. I have a large collection and although I have several of all of the genres/styles Divers dominate my collection. Why? Rugged, reliable, worry free, and acceptable for most occasions other than weddings and funerals!
Late to the party but my current (non-ISO) dive watch is a Casio Duro, and I've had that to 99 feet. My last one was an older (early 90's) Citizen that I had down as deep as 115.
First of all thank you again for another very helpful video. Second, personally I consider now more the leisure aspect of the diver watch but some of the most important issues myst be assured too, box resustance, wide crystal, stainless steel back, screw-down crown, seconds hand signaled with luminova, adjustable clasp, one directional bezel, markers with a good shiny lume, a well pondered movement as well. I am an enthusiast of spear-fishing and I used a Casio F91w in 20m's depth three times a week for two years. Someone has stolen it to me and I feel pity because that watch was incredibly well made for just 15€. A big Saludo !!!
Good day to you! I really can't afford most of what's in your shop, but I definitely enjoy browsing. The information and knowledge I get from your channel is priceless! Earned another subscriber. Well done, sir!
Your videos are very nice! I don't know someone already point this our or not. In the session of "working under pressure". The pressure calculation is off by 1 bar at sea level. Example: At 100ft, we got ~3 bar from the water surrounding us + ~1 bar from the atmospheric (if we diving from the sea level). A dive watch will under ~4 bar at 100 ft of sea water.
Vostok Amphibians....some of the most interesting dive history and engineering. Wearing my Black bay 58 blue on a military nationale, looks ready to go.
Nice job! For a non-diver, you worked things out well! The first five years I dived, watches and gauges were all we had. Now, a few of us wear watches as back up devices. I have never been below 140 feet. Going deeper than that is risky and just no fun. Dives have to be very short at deeper depths. I would much rather go to more shallow depths and stay longer. Deep dives cost the same, but are not a good entertainment value. The other good thing about computers is the device allows more bottom time without compromising safety.
Excellent presentation. I would only add that a dive watch is a must in deep commercial diving, particularly when diving from a bell system, whether bouncing or sat. If and when an emergency happens that cuts off divers from surface support, such as in a number of emergency scenarios, that watch and a set of emergency tables could save a dive team’s life.
I was wearing a dive watch at work. Much more comfortable to track time than constantly taking out a phone. Even tho I wasn't actually diving, I was confident that it'll be alright when it was dipped into the tap water, sea water, machine oil, glycoil and diesel fuel. And it also took some serious banging.
Thanks. Interesting information and history. I’ve always preferred dive watches because many months a year we are around sea water and constantly being in and out of the water. I feel more secure knowing my watch is with me than laying on the beach in a towel or cooler. And, until recently, smart phones were not always the best around water either. It just made sense to wear a more utilitarian watch. But I also feel the watch market does a much better job with the design of the watches. They just look better.
Thanks Teddy, As a diver I always wear a watch as a backup. Perhaps because as am IT guy in my day job my faith in computers is less than complete. While I haven't had my current automatic watch much below about 60ft, I took my previous G-Shock (it still said "Casio" on it...) well over 100' to near the limits of recreational diving fairly frequently when diving wrecks off the Florida coast. Having more than one instrument in these conditions is really important in my view as you have both the depth and what is referred to as "overhead environment" where there is a barrier between you and the surface. Making early warning of an issue or reliable timing much more critical to safety. Since the watch is self-contained, it provides a truly independent system, adding to safety.
I use my dive watch for diving i use a Seiko turtle 45mm love it works great i do snorkeling i go about 4 to 5 meters max mostly Just on the surface off the water looking for catfish found a couple arround 130 cm trying to catch them with a handline greetings from the Netherlands
I love having a watch that I do not have to worry about, is easy to read, and is durable. If I want to jump in the sea / lake or go out to dinner, or ... Dive watches seem to fit my lifestyle well.
As a long time diver, the deepest I’ve gone is 120 feet. Because the bottom time was so short, I couldn’t imagine doing that again. I’d rather stick between 30-60 feet, which is where you see the best fish. Also, as you stated, I use my dive computer and an inexpensive digital watch for backup. I couldn’t imagine using a high end Swiss watch not only because of fears of losing it, but it could easily get damaged around all the different gear. Needless to say, I love my dive watches, but ironically, I wouldn’t wear them while diving
So I never liked the look of a dive watch as I didn't like the bezel. But with the explanation on calculating time, I might reconsider them as I can use it when timing things in the oven. And I appreciate the design more now. Thanks Teddy.
This was suuuper well explained! Yes the reality is I just wear a dive computer for Diving not my dive watch, although I agree it's a cool thing to use for it's intended purpose, it's just another thing to think about and just not practical to take it off put my wet suit on and put the watch back on when it isn't going to do a whole lot for me
Underwater cave and canyon diving in Southern Turkey, an absolute heaven for divers. My maximum ever a modest 55 metres. We don't wear dive watches diving, computers are necessary for insurance and of course safety in most diving clubs anyway. However!! Divers do tend to wear dive watches when on dry land. It's both for nostalgic reasons and of course normal swimming .
I was a saturation diver for 22 years, from 1976. In the early years I've witnessed a few times watches exploding, always on decompressing, and within 20 meters of surface pressure, and usually when everyone was asleep.
I forgot to mention, very few guys (In my time ) had them, they, and me would not lay out the dosh for them, the few that did have them, wouldn't wear them while out the bell, they would hang them in the bell, or leave them in the living chamber.
I’ve been a scuba diver for 15 years but never actually owned a dive watch. I have been down to about 40 meters with my Longines Conquest. I’m planning on getting an Oris aquis 400 to wear on my next dive.
When I started wearing a watch I just had one watch for years. I had a tag heuer carrera. Then I went walking and came across a waterfall. Knowing my watch was rated for 50m water resistance I had no hesitation and jumped in. Two days later my watch fogged up and when I got round to taking it to get fixed the water rusted the movement causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage. I then realized the difference between dress watches, dive watches, beater watches etc and went and bought one of each as it's cheaper than damaging a 2k watch every so many years. I have great memories with my tag though
05:00 The pressure is actually even more than that. At 30ft it is actually 27.5 psi / 1.9 Bar since you have to add the basic surface atmospheric pressure of 14.5 psi / 1 Bar. That means if your watch is rated 145 psi / 10 bar you can "only" dive to 300ft / 90m
Your preparation to creating vlogs is second to none, Teddy. Incredibly well researched, edited and presented. I thoroughly enjoy and learn watching you educate us n horology!
@@oscarosullivan4513 oh sorry, its a submersable pressure guage, its the guage that tells you how much air pressure you have left in your tanks. Very important!
Nice video ! I have recently bought a dive watch because I wanted one such professionally made dive watch and aesthetically captivating design in it. Now, I am looking at buying a dive computer ! 😁
My deepest dives were around 120 feet with a Seiko 6309. Average scuba dives for me were 30 to 80 feet. My current dive watches are worn just swimming in the sea or mountain lakes.
I'm wearing my Vostok Amphibia right now actually, but I've only had it a few months and haven't had an opportunity to use it in any type of real water. I do love using the timing bezel though. I have used Casio sport watches in pools and at the beach though, for instance the AE-1000 world timer, and even used the pushers at a few feet below the surface no problem. I just like knowing that I won't accidentally destroy something import to me by getting it wet, and knowing it can survive far more water than I can is reassuring.
In general, it's important to note that whatever equipment is used on a dive, that equipment must be rated to at least twice the working pressure. So, if your deepest dive is 150 ft, (an unusually deep dive for recreation) your watch should be able to withstand pressures generated at 300 ft. Most recreational dives don't go beyond 90 ft. Sunlight disappears at around 100 ft. For military applications, that watch needs to withstand pressures generated at 600 feet or deeper. While dive computers are great, mechanical watches don't need batteries. Pressure does negatively impact batteries. Great job, Teddy. You should have added footage of Courtney snorkeling in the Bahamas.
@@thecianinator This essential "rule of thumb" needed to be pointed out. Besides, how often can someone make a tax-deduction of their girlfriend swimming in the Bahamas?
Hey Teddy, I really enjoy your videos especially the ones you do on dive watches, I.e. 'Five things you should know about your dive watch.' I'm not sure whether or not you're a diver but you obviously did your due diligence and got it right. Unfortunately i cannot say the same for a lot of other 'watch people' out there. Quite a few explanations on what a helium escape valve is for are quite comical. I've owned a dive shop and been a professional diver and PADI instructor for over 30 years now. One thing i have to stress is that, in my opinion, in a professional diving environment quartz is definitely the way to go. I've had several mechanical watches, including a couple of Seikos (SKX, Monster), a well as a Submariner (16610) and there is just too much banging around when working at a dive operation. The watch is constantly being hit against tanks, weight belts, compressors, boats etc. It's unavoidable. My mechanical watches had a really hard go keeping accurate time (I mean not even close). Being based on an island in the Philippines it's very difficult to find a competent person to work on a mechanical watch, let alone anything high-end. I've been wearing a Citizen Promaster (BNO-151) for the past 5 years (great watch) and just recently upgraded to a Longines Hydroconquest quartz. As you pointed out, the great majority of divers now use a dive computer, however the dive watch bezel certainly does still come in handy. When i'm guiding i use it to time other groups who may be diving on the same boat. This way i can coordinate with the other dive guide and surface my dive dive at approximately the same. This can help you avoid a long hot-sunny-bouncing-in-the-waves surface drift. Also, upon surfacing from a dive i immediately set my bezel to time my service interval. Yes, dive computers also have this information, though often you have to press a few buttons to find it. It's a lot easier to just glance at your wrist. I also use it as a backup when i am diving on my own. This may sound a little odd but what i would love to see on a professional dive watch would be a moon phase complication. I'm sure you probably know that the moon affect tides which in turn affects the severity of currents. From a guiding perspective you would usually reference a tide table, but it's always nice to know what the moon is doing, especially when it is full. Anyway, thanks again for your videos, really insightful, you have a way with words, you could have been a writer! Paul Arpin
With my scuba gear my max depth has only been 30M or about 100ft. Spearfishing in which I freedive maybe 45-50 ft max and usually under 30 ft in general. I have been diving since I was 15 and got my PADI open water cert. at 16. My first and favourite Dive Watch was a Citizen Pro Master (quartz) which I still have today (I'm 53 now) and yes it still works although it can be a bit sketchy now and then which is why I bought another, an automatic Pro Master (lefty) a few years ago, same variant as the Italian Navy Divers used a few years back. I also have a Zodiac Sea Wolf which I love. Nowadays I have a Garmin Dive Computer that I use for scuba and a Seac for when I spearfish but I usually wear my Citizen or Zodiac too, for sentimental use or back-up although that need has never come up. I have only been a recreational diver, so have never felt the need to pursue going deeper although in hindsight I should have gone further when I was in my 20's, but I was in career building mode at that time.
Hi Guys good interesting video I like them all.....Im one of those guys who still wears his dive watch on every dive and still use it along with my computer. I guess after diving for 30 years and being a Master Diver, I still like having it. Most of my diving now is wreck diving all over the world and I still like having it with me and usually wear it the whole time Im traveling to my destinations.....going thru jungles and rain forests its a stable and good piece of equipment for much........and computers do sometimes rarely, can have a problem and get unreliable.
I dive all of my dive watches. And, yes they are backup to the dive computer that I always wear. I mostly just tell the time of day. But that is what watches are for. The most useful dive watches to use as a backup have a depth gauge built in. Citizen has made several such watches with Eco-Drive. I have one of them. Not my favorite dive watch to wear, but the best one as a backup to the computer. I have dove to 145 feet. Not very deep for a technical or commercial diver. But that is very deep for a recreational diver. I only did that because I was diving with an instructor. Recreational divers (even with advanced certification) are generally limited to 100 ft as a (nominal) maximum depth.
Gary over at I Like Watches did an episode of ISO certification as well and apparently there are two? ISO 6425 and ISO 22810 with different criteria. The former is true dive certification which requires testing the later still allows other watches to put 100m, 200m etc. On the dial.
Really cool video, Teddy! I don't dive and have no intention of ever doing so. However, I own more dive watches than any other style. I like the aesthetic of a dive watch the most and buy what I like.
I dive, only during summer and low depths, 3-5m. And I swim in the sea very often. I have a divers watch, of course. But the most water it gets, it’s when it’s raining and I’m outside. I never use it for diving or swimming. For those purposes I have a watch, which costed me like 250€ and I already have used it a lot for the past 7 years, so you can say it already paid off its price and now if it dies or gets some rust problems - I don’t care. My divers watch, on the other hand, is new and I love it, it’s also a professional dive watch, but I’m not planning on taking it to the sea.
Went to therapy with it. That was a lot deeper than i expected to go
This comment is underrated
@@felipegarcia1733 thanks man!
Hope it's going well bro!
This has to be the smartest comment in this whole section! 😂
@@Theo-jw6hz goes up an down. Another pandemic related Movement Control Order starting again today
My good friend Hugo is an underwater welder for the Navy he told me that they still use Dive watches because computers do fail more often then we might think. He has never seen one fail but has heard many stories of people that had a good scare. I don’t normally comment on TH-cam videos but I must say that content you bring for us is next level. Thank you.
I'd like to ditto the comment on the content.
Also in the event of some cyber attack they can still time dives safely. The RN issues I believe Citizens
Does your good friend happen to be a T-Rex?
@@CoordinatedCarry Ohh Dahling
"He has never seen one fail" even if he did, your story is just anecdote. I n the realm of normal human thinking, it's just as good a garbage.
Because I received my dive training in the military some 50+ yrs ago, I was trained using a watch . Even today , although I use a dive computer, I still don't go down without a watch on my wrist . Redundant systems were drilled into my head all those years ago and I still find myself looking at my watch when I'm under thewater . Great video Teddy . Thanx
Wow! Thank you for sharing your personal experience, Tim. Appreciate you for watching.
Which is your watch of choice for the actual diving?
I haven’t dived with scuba for thirty years, but I still like dive watches! They are simple and legible and I can wear them swimming and fishing.
@@magnetpull7587 I've collected for a long time so I have a pretty robust collection of divers . I usually wear a Rolex Submariner, or my Blancpain Barracuda fifty fathoms . Sometimes I'll wear one of my Seikos. It kind of depends on wear I'm diving . If I'm out of the country, usually one of my less expensive seikos as I usually leave my more expensive watches at home. A lot of the countries that I travel to aren't as safe as we're used to here in the states .
@@timmanion7459 thank you for sharing, I'm glad to see those watches being brought to their "natural habitat"
Something worth mentioning on the rotating bezel is that in a proper dive watch, it should only rotate counterclockwise and not both ways. Reason being is that if it's knocked and turned slightly by mistake, it'll always increase the time discrepancy, meaning that your calculation will always be more conservative than otherwise.
For example if you start your descent at the 12 hour mark and after a 30minute descent you bump your bezel by 10 minutes so that the bezel now ready you descended at the 11 hour mark you'll think it took you 40minutes to descend so you plan for a longer ascent and never a shorter one.
If it were to rotate both ways, you could accidentally knock it to show it took you 20 minutes instead of 30, and you'd underestimate the time needed to resurface.
While dining at my club the other day, the waiter inadvertently sprinkled some water on my G.O. Sea Q while serving my lobster. The watch handled the situation like a champ.
Lol.
Perfect, now I feel confident about my next purchase 😊
I just got a GO SeaQ Panorama today via FEDEX from European Watch Co. in Boston. Black Dial- Grey Textile Strap. Really beautiful. You can get it wet?
@@yankeesandgiants1886 Let’s not get crazy here, Mark. I certainly am not suggesting that.
Funny! Same thing happened to me a couple of months ago!
Divewatches are just perfect toolwatches today for everyday-use. your out hicking? great legibility, no wories about some dirt or water, use the bezle to track, when you start or use it to make to check for north/south with the sun easyier. when are your loundry finished? just use the bezel, you want to track, how many minutes you work for a customer to charge him reasonable, use the bezel.. a divewatch is just the essential versitail watch, and thanks to james bond, even accepted to wear in a bit more formal occasion ;)
I cannot agree more. 👍
I use the helium escape valve on my Seamaster professional because I hug it really tight from all the love I give it otherwise it may blow up.
Hahaha watches need love too!
@@TeddyBaldassarre As long as my wife doesn’t think my watch collection is competition.......
If Omega did 2 versions of the SMP, one with the HEV, and one without, I think most people would go for the HEV model,,( I know I would,,).. It's an iconic feature... !!
Congratulations, your watch has performed admirably in its intended environment.
You mean the huge toothpaste cap at 10 o'clock position LOL
I have a Seiko dive watch I bought in 1985. Countless dives later and its still running perfectly. It is a quartz though.
Don’t apologize for it being a quartz, this is a cool story! 36 years, countless dives, impeccably reliable movement, wish we could see it 😎
I'm not a diver, however I do wear a dive watch for chores around the house like manually washing dishes or watering my lawn. I couldn't imagine wearing a "regular" watch or solely relying on my smart phone while performing these duties. It's a great time to be alive.
Lol.
Lol this comment really makes me question if it's sarcasm or not
@@Gave-rf1hr Either way it is funny.
Dishwash Diver^
perhaps a more representative case for the majority people who buy dive watch.
While I do use dive computers, I also dive with my Oris Aquis…mostly to keep track of time of day. I am an Advanced Open Water and Rescue Diver certified recreational diver and have had my Aquis to about 110 feet deep. There is definitely a nostalgia factor, having grown up watching Jacques Cousteau and Sea Hunt and always wanting to be a scuba diver. I didn’t have the opportunity to get certified until age 57. I also really like the Aquis for it rugged design and durability as well as the craftsmanship of a Swiss automatic. Thanks for the great video.
Been down to 40 meters with my Sinn U1 B on the duoflex diving strap system (cannot recomend it enough for drysuit diving). I have depth gauge, air pressure gauge and compass on my instrument console. So together with my dive watch I have a complete backup set. I have never had the computer fail so I need it so far. But I have saved several other peoples divetrip when they are about to go into the water and the dive computer they brought is out of battery. I simply lend them my dive computer and do an old school dive using the analog instruments. Its a fun way to dive!
Great and informative video!
Dive watches are still very useful in the harsh environment of the professional kitchen. Very durable and the timing bezel is great when preparing fish. High resistance for grease stains.
Οκ, but a casio with chronometer and timer countdown may be even more useful. But if someone also likes the look of diver then I get it also has usefulness.
🤡
What if it gets wet?
@@AndreiGeorgescu-j9p Water will ruin any diver. What ever you do, steer clear from water.
@@Nils0scar Is it safe in a safe deposit box?
Great video Teddy! I was a clearance diver in the Royal Navy back in the 80's and like most of my colleagues we passed up the opportunity of a military Rolex as their timekeeping was far poorer than our own watches which we chose to wear instead. Many of us wore Seiko's and G.Shocks and many divers still do. If your want to pick a brand that has clocked up more minutes underwater it hands down has to be Casio!
VOSTOK is probably the most used Diver's watch in the world. Since 1969.
I did my dive training in 1976 with aspirations of seeing the world above and below the water ,but life had other plans for me. wife, house payments, kids, dogs, cats,and horses took me in other directions , but the knowledge gained from diving was equally useful in many other persuits , canoe and kayaking ,Sailing just to name a few and has saved my life on many occasions !!!. my dive watch has been a constant in the equation ,to take what ever has been thrown at it and keep on ticking, and just as life would have it , out of the blue... ive recently started diving again , no longer chasing exotic destinations , fish ,mermaids or sharks , it's more of a commercial and salvage nature around the marina my sailboats moored at. my dive instructor used to say (all the best diving in the world happens between 30 to 60 feet ) ill be 60yrs young in a few weeks and enjoying life again , its a good bench mark for the next chapter in diving. I think the reason dive watches are so popular is that they are built to take what ever life throws at them and carry on !!!
I saw a mermaid wearing a Casio! I'm sure I did!
I was a commercial diver in the gulf of Mexico for a number of years, including several runs in saturation. I really only ever wore a watch while working if we were gas diving and had multiple in-water decompression stops on the open bell. And really then it was just to make sure and keep the guys topside in check with my deco times at each stop as well as deco stop depth with the digital depth gauge on the watch. More than once i caught them miscounting my deco stop time as well as depth! A really great dive watch that i rarely see (the one I used) is the Citizen Promaster Aqualand Eco-drive 20th anniversary watch. tough as hell, great functionality as basically full-blown dive computer with digital and analog readouts. Sweet watch!!
All in all a watch is not very necessary for commercial diving anyways, i'm just a gear head and love watches that happened to have a great and robust dive watch that was helpful on occasion. it'll get beat up pretty bad tho, which is why, in my experience, guys usually wore a casio g shock, at most while diving. In saturation diving, it's nice to have a timepiece with you, especially with a helium release valve, but not super necessary. again i saw guys bringing their casio watches in just fine. I brought my Oris diver with me, worked great. Thanks for the video, it was cool to see that as an ex-commercial diver and scuba instructor!
I am not now and won't ever be a diver but my employment does find submersion of my watch a necessity from time to time. An SKX is my everyday piece as it's tank-tough, even if very basic, and allows me to keep my nicer pieces, well, nice. Lol.
In regards to some marques' use of a HEV in saturation dive-capable pieces this is another reason for my Seiko fandom. Their construction of mixed gas divers that are buttoned up tightly enough to forego the use of an extra point of egress is highly impressive to me.
As always a great vid, Teddy, both for those already a fan of this particular genre of watch and those just becoming interested alike. Keep up the great work!
Just came back from my AD with a BB 58 black! The timing of this video is on point.
Congrats!!!
Connery style with gilt hands and markers with red triangle one of my grails
Would love to see more videos in this style
Plan on it! These typically never get the most views but they are videos I personally am more proud making
Yes...
Agreed! History of watches is always fascinating.
@@TeddyBaldassarre Cover all the genres regarding tool watches. Such as Field watches and the Military Specifications that drove their design and development.
I did a PADI dive course back in 2000. For anyone thinking about it, absolutely do it. I've not been since but it was such an experience. During the dives we went to about 26m (as per my dive computer). As for how deep I've been with a dive watch....about 5m when snorkling on the Barrier Reef, and 1.8m in my parents pool, both in Queensland, Australia. Both were with my first dive watch. A 2009 Oris DiverDate (predecessor of the Aquis). I still have that watch and have added another few since.
I'm a diver and I wear my watches when diving... Well, at least my Seiko, scared about my seamaster :D
I know the feeling. Even if the watch is called seamaster you're like "naaah, I'm good, let it sit this one out" 😁
You should bring it with you on your dives! I love that my watch can go anywhere I can!
Back up equipment is important from a sailor
My dad and i have been diving for years. Each dive he wears his seamaster, still in pristine condition.
@@pimvandenbos2261 And im sure the small nics and scratches that he does accumulate on the seamaster makes the watch even more beautiful to him. Thats how I feel about my MarineMaster!
Teddy, your videos are always great, but this one was exceptional!
An excellent “in-depth” refresher to value all the reasons for owning, collecting and wearing dive watches! Thank you 🙏🏼
Good pun
Just got my SKX recently and I appreciate it's beauty even more now
Same
Its a classic! Was the first diver I bought for myself and did my first diving a course with it! Never had a problem!
@@mr.ethings1545 despite that it's non hacking, it's practically durable and iconic, 2 months and still on the honeymoon phase
Now is the time before they disappear from the last stock shelves
@@ohaimiles I own an Amphibia 710379, non hacking, hand winding, date, low beat rate and 10 year movement service interval. The G shock before the G shock
I haven’t worn a dive watch whilst diving in over 20 years now and just use a computer although when I learned to dive you had to use a watch and deco tables as computers didn’t exist. This process helped along by the clasp on my Sea Dweller (now long sold) opening after receiving a blow on the boat ladder. The watch fell into my fingertips over a 300m drop at the Straits of Tiran.
Dive watches are so versatile. Can wear in with a suit, biz casual, casual, hanging out with friends, on a date, swimming pool, at the beach. I simply love dive watches the most, though I do have some dress watches and pilot watches as well
A dive watch can really be an everyday watch!!!
In most cases it is!
The bezel can be used as a timer.
@@looseunit1615 I'm guilty of doing this
@@felipegarcia1733 It really us the most likely practical use....
@@looseunit1615 perhaps rename them the Parking Meter Watch?
Ouuu I'm learning so much! Fantastic video..... AS ALWAYS! And gorgeous watch shots. Loved this!
I finally bought my first dive watch today, 2023 Seiko sumo, green dial and bezel. I love it, a really beautiful watch and I don't have to baby it, so I'm confident when it rains, doing dishes, watering the garden, going fishing, and I'm looking forward to diving for paua (abalone) soon, yay! Thanks teddy for this info bro
My entire collection is Dive watches. Love my New Sinn U50 SDR. Really a great looking watch on a red rubber strap too!
Love it! From the wife of a former commercial diver, dive watches are the sexiest! Thanks for this interesting content :)
I recently purchased a “Loyal Scuba” divers watch here in Australia. It is rated to 1000m-Helium Safe. It has the lockdown crown plus a lockdown helium release crown. I’m not a scuba diver however I do go surfing and snorkeling occasionally. It’s definitely more capable than I’ll ever need but I do love the styling.
My orient ray ii has been on a few dive trips, and has seen depths up to 100ft multiple times. Still going strong so far! Any other dive watch I own down the road, no matter how nice will always see the same use. It’s so satisfying to see them in their intended environment.
This made me look twice at my watch today, thank you Teddy!
I'm a diver and wear my skx007 on all my dive trips as a back-up to time my safety stop (paired with a physical marking on my surface marker buoy to figure out my depth) in case my dive computer fails. So yeah, you're pretty much spot on about the use of dive watches and the misconceptions about the helium escape valve. Great job explaining it all man! For the record, I'd love to one day dive with my submariner but it's way too precious hahaha
Really love this video! I wear most of my dive watches while diving. I think it just adds something to the experience!
It makes sense that military or commercial divers would have a watch as a back-up to their dive computer. I do believe Astronauts in the 1960s had to have _two_ Speedmasters? If you're a professional then "fail safe" is always going to be a serious motto. As for amateur or hobby divers, yeah, I've heard that most of them won't now be going into the ocean with a dive watch - though they might well wear one back on dry land! As Teddy says, it probably has a powerful nostalgia/status value in those circles.
I was looking for a video that would break it down to me.. I'm still fairly new to watches and never understood divers watches, THANK YOU TEDDY!
I own a Sub. Kermit, Omega planet ocean 600, Panerai Radiomir, Blancpain FF, Seiko MM300, vintage Seiko apocalypse now, among others. That said I’m afraid of water and only swim on swimming pools, never on the sea.
But oh God, I love this pieces so much. They’re simple gorgeous, feel great on the wrist with that presence and each one have a great story behind.
I love a good historical video on watch brands or specific watch types. Can’t wait to watch the video.
Actually just bought my first dive watch, the Orient Kamasu because of one of your videos, red dial, and really love it. I tossed it on a leather strap to put into my desk job work rotation. Up until now I mainly stuck with everyday watches and dress watches because that’s what my everyday life calls for.
Thanks Kyle! We get a bit nerdier in this one so I think you’ll enjoy it. Nice choice with the Kamasu.
Keep your dress watches
Brilliant exquisitely articulate comprehensive presentation. Hard to imagine one better, more carefully crafted.
Just ordered an Islander 38mm dive watch, which is a SKX-013 homage but upgraded... sapphire crystal, better movement etc. It’s an absolute spec monster for $300. I would love to see Teddy review the Islander dive watches, and compare them to the SKX’s that inspired them, and the Orient Kamasu that goes for about the same price.
@@skrem23 I believe Teddy has purchased watches in the past just for the purpose of reviewing them (I think). Marc has sent his watches to others for review, however he provides a return label as he does not give away his watches for free, and wants the review to be honest.
Bravo, Teddy. One of the few accurate explanations of the function of the helium escape valve I’ve seen online.
Great video Teddy, I am a long time dive instructor, and I love my dive watches and computers.. really enjoyed this video and all the information and great old cousteau era dive video
I scuba dove in the 1970's. Getting set up to buy gear again. Dive watches are pretty handy for things like cooking eggs, parking meters and the such. just spin the bezel to the minute hand, and you can tell at a glace how long it has been.
If you love dive watches you might be interested to know that you use a Pepsi bezel (the red and black/blue coloured ones) differently. There’s a lot of misinformation out there! Essentially Pepsi bezels are used to indicate your non-decompression limit (NDL) - NOT to count your elapsed time. You use your dive tables to identify your NDL for the depth you’ll be working at, and when you descend you rotate the bezel until the pip/zero is at that specific time. E.g. if my NDL is 20 mins, I rotate the bezel so that the pip/zero is 20 mins away from my minute hand when I start the dive. Now while I’m diving, I don’t need to try to count my elapsed dive time, I just have to glance at my watch to see how close the minute hand is to the colour change. If the minute hand goes “into the red”, I have exceeded my NDL and I’m now in a decompression dive situation which makes things complicated. Basically stay “out of the red”.
I only dive with a Pepsi. It may sound lame but in low visibility and when things are going wrong, I want the clearest, easiest indication of where I am in relation to my NDL, and the Pepsi gives me this instantly. I also agree with the other professional divers here and I wear my watch as well as a computer as I’ve had a couple of computers fail. That said, in my workplace, we MUST use the old DCIEM tables, so I can’t use the dive profile a computer would give me anyway, so a watch is still my primary dive timer. I dive with my trusty Seiko SKX Pepsi bezel and the Prospex. They’re reliable as hell, but cheap enough to be replaced if something goes wrong.
For serious divers, the Pepsi is a hell of a lot more than just fashion!
Good points all around. In additional to professional divers who wear dive watches just like any office worker, to tell the time of day, certain rec divers also wear them pretty religiously. Divers with a certification for recreational solo diving wear them as well. Solo diving is a pretty rare certification as it requires a lot of experience to even be eligible to take the course. Solo diving requires redundancy. Along with two air supplies, two computers, two signaling devices, etc... a watch is the norm. I wear a Sinn EZM13 so I have access to both a dive bezel and a chronograph which can be used underwater.
As a sailor having analogue back ups is handy, sextants, charts and compasses are still useful.
Was there anyone who wished they could just use a computer, in the world of Sailing those people exist for the tests
Absolutely the best dive watch explanation ever. Thank you Teddy and crew for diving so far into this topic. Much appreciated!
The way you filmed that Citizen is fantastic. It looked amazing and far more expensive than it actually is.
Good job.
Took my Seiko 6306 to a depth of 130 feet back when I was getting my PADI dive certification. Dive computers were a thing then, but not as ubiquitous as they are today. We learned how to and did our dive time calculations manually. Was really fun to get certified with a watch that had hundreds of hours down with its previous owner who gifted it to me.
Great video! I am a professional diver and always wear a Dive Watch and a computer. I like to know what time it is during the trip, when we are supposed to get back, what time is happy hour that kind of important stuff. I always have an idea of what the dive plan is, and it is very easy to keep a general idea of timing with a watch. My dive computer has tons of information and I keep track of what is going on throughout the dive, but I like to have a tool that is not complicated and dependable. My choice for diving is a Citizens Promaster Professional 300m.
Awesome piece Teddy! So much information that I had to watch it twice to take it all in. I have a large collection and although I have several of all of the genres/styles Divers dominate my collection. Why? Rugged, reliable, worry free, and acceptable for most occasions other than weddings and funerals!
As a teacher, i love my dive watch, i use the timing bezel a lot, mainly to time my 30 mins - 1 hour class tests.
Late to the party but my current (non-ISO) dive watch is a Casio Duro, and I've had that to 99 feet. My last one was an older (early 90's) Citizen that I had down as deep as 115.
Impressive. I own a Duro also. I just love the simple and no fuss design. 😅
Great, general overview with fantastic imagery as always. I appreciate the time you put in to create a video like this.
Took about 2 weeks to complete this one. Glad the hard work was noticed!
First of all thank you again for another very helpful video. Second, personally I consider now more the leisure aspect of the diver watch but some of the most important issues myst be assured too, box resustance, wide crystal, stainless steel back, screw-down crown, seconds hand signaled with luminova, adjustable clasp, one directional bezel, markers with a good shiny lume, a well pondered movement as well. I am an enthusiast of spear-fishing and I used a Casio F91w in 20m's depth three times a week for two years. Someone has stolen it to me and I feel pity because that watch was incredibly well made for just 15€. A big Saludo !!!
Good day to you! I really can't afford most of what's in your shop, but I definitely enjoy browsing. The information and knowledge I get from your channel is priceless! Earned another subscriber. Well done, sir!
Your videos are very nice! I don't know someone already point this our or not. In the session of "working under pressure". The pressure calculation is off by 1 bar at sea level. Example: At 100ft, we got ~3 bar from the water surrounding us + ~1 bar from the atmospheric (if we diving from the sea level). A dive watch will under ~4 bar at 100 ft of sea water.
Vostok Amphibians....some of the most interesting dive history and engineering.
Wearing my Black bay 58 blue on a military nationale, looks ready to go.
I own an Amphibia which is a daily
Nice job! For a non-diver, you worked things out well! The first five years I dived, watches and gauges were all we had. Now, a few of us wear watches as back up devices. I have never been below 140 feet. Going deeper than that is risky and just no fun. Dives have to be very short at deeper depths. I would much rather go to more shallow depths and stay longer. Deep dives cost the same, but are not a good entertainment value. The other good thing about computers is the device allows more bottom time without compromising safety.
Excellent presentation. I would only add that a dive watch is a must in deep commercial diving, particularly when diving from a bell system, whether bouncing or sat. If and when an emergency happens that cuts off divers from surface support, such as in a number of emergency scenarios, that watch and a set of emergency tables could save a dive team’s life.
I was wearing a dive watch at work. Much more comfortable to track time than constantly taking out a phone. Even tho I wasn't actually diving, I was confident that it'll be alright when it was dipped into the tap water, sea water, machine oil, glycoil and diesel fuel. And it also took some serious banging.
Thanks. Interesting information and history. I’ve always preferred dive watches because many months a year we are around sea water and constantly being in and out of the water. I feel more secure knowing my watch is with me than laying on the beach in a towel or cooler. And, until recently, smart phones were not always the best around water either. It just made sense to wear a more utilitarian watch. But I also feel the watch market does a much better job with the design of the watches. They just look better.
Thanks Teddy, As a diver I always wear a watch as a backup. Perhaps because as am IT guy in my day job my faith in computers is less than complete. While I haven't had my current automatic watch much below about 60ft, I took my previous G-Shock (it still said "Casio" on it...) well over 100' to near the limits of recreational diving fairly frequently when diving wrecks off the Florida coast. Having more than one instrument in these conditions is really important in my view as you have both the depth and what is referred to as "overhead environment" where there is a barrier between you and the surface. Making early warning of an issue or reliable timing much more critical to safety. Since the watch is self-contained, it provides a truly independent system, adding to safety.
Similar in sailing but redundancy seems to be dying out as a state of mind
I use my dive watch for diving i use a Seiko turtle 45mm love it works great i do snorkeling i go about 4 to 5 meters max mostly Just on the surface off the water looking for catfish found a couple arround 130 cm trying to catch them with a handline greetings from the Netherlands
I love having a watch that I do not have to worry about, is easy to read, and is durable. If I want to jump in the sea / lake or go out to dinner, or ... Dive watches seem to fit my lifestyle well.
As a long time diver, the deepest I’ve gone is 120 feet. Because the bottom time was so short, I couldn’t imagine doing that again. I’d rather stick between 30-60 feet, which is where you see the best fish. Also, as you stated, I use my dive computer and an inexpensive digital watch for backup. I couldn’t imagine using a high end Swiss watch not only because of fears of losing it, but it could easily get damaged around all the different gear. Needless to say, I love my dive watches, but ironically, I wouldn’t wear them while diving
If I dived I would take my Amphibia
So I never liked the look of a dive watch as I didn't like the bezel. But with the explanation on calculating time, I might reconsider them as I can use it when timing things in the oven. And I appreciate the design more now. Thanks Teddy.
Been wearing my Rado captain cook to dive since 2019. Havnt dived without it.
Super complete video. Congrats Teddy!
This was suuuper well explained! Yes the reality is I just wear a dive computer for Diving not my dive watch, although I agree it's a cool thing to use for it's intended purpose, it's just another thing to think about and just not practical to take it off put my wet suit on and put the watch back on when it isn't going to do a whole lot for me
Great video Teddy! I especially enjoyed learning the history so thank you
Underwater cave and canyon diving in Southern Turkey, an absolute heaven for divers. My maximum ever a modest 55 metres. We don't wear dive watches diving, computers are necessary for insurance and of course safety in most diving clubs anyway. However!! Divers do tend to wear dive watches when on dry land. It's both for nostalgic reasons and of course normal swimming .
Similar to traditional sea faring but both are great back ups
...and because they'd look dumb walking around on dry land wearing a dive computer.
That welding arc gonna load up the lume really good
I was a saturation diver for 22 years, from 1976. In the early years I've witnessed a few times watches exploding, always on decompressing, and within 20 meters of surface pressure, and usually when everyone was asleep.
I forgot to mention, very few guys (In my time ) had them, they, and me would not lay out the dosh for them, the few that did have them, wouldn't wear them while out the bell, they would hang them in the bell, or leave them in the living chamber.
I’ve been a scuba diver for 15 years but never actually owned a dive watch. I have been down to about 40 meters with my Longines Conquest. I’m planning on getting an Oris aquis 400 to wear on my next dive.
When I started wearing a watch I just had one watch for years. I had a tag heuer carrera. Then I went walking and came across a waterfall. Knowing my watch was rated for 50m water resistance I had no hesitation and jumped in. Two days later my watch fogged up and when I got round to taking it to get fixed the water rusted the movement causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage. I then realized the difference between dress watches, dive watches, beater watches etc and went and bought one of each as it's cheaper than damaging a 2k watch every so many years. I have great memories with my tag though
Ouch
05:00 The pressure is actually even more than that. At 30ft it is actually 27.5 psi / 1.9 Bar since you have to add the basic surface atmospheric pressure of 14.5 psi / 1 Bar.
That means if your watch is rated 145 psi / 10 bar you can "only" dive to 300ft / 90m
Your preparation to creating vlogs is second to none, Teddy. Incredibly well researched, edited and presented. I thoroughly enjoy and learn watching you educate us n horology!
As a diver I still wear mine along with my dive computer...always great to have a backup
same! I only use the comp to monitor my NDL, even for my depth i prefer to look at my SPG (mouned with analogue depth gauge)
@@mr.ethings1545 What is a Spg and ndl
@@oscarosullivan4513 oh sorry, its a submersable pressure guage, its the guage that tells you how much air pressure you have left in your tanks. Very important!
@@mr.ethings1545 Thanks
Nice video ! I have recently bought a dive watch because I wanted one such professionally made dive watch and aesthetically captivating design in it. Now, I am looking at buying a dive computer ! 😁
My deepest dives were around 120 feet with a Seiko 6309.
Average scuba dives for me were 30 to 80 feet.
My current dive watches are worn just swimming in the sea or mountain lakes.
I'm wearing my Vostok Amphibia right now actually, but I've only had it a few months and haven't had an opportunity to use it in any type of real water. I do love using the timing bezel though. I have used Casio sport watches in pools and at the beach though, for instance the AE-1000 world timer, and even used the pushers at a few feet below the surface no problem. I just like knowing that I won't accidentally destroy something import to me by getting it wet, and knowing it can survive far more water than I can is reassuring.
I also have an AE-1000W, what is the reference of your Amphibia
I dived Blue hole Belize with my Luminox Navy seal 3050 went down to 45 meters great watch and a awsome dive five reef sharks hanged around us!
Awesome video Teddy. Such rich history.
In general, it's important to note that whatever equipment is used on a dive, that equipment must be rated to at least twice the working pressure. So, if your deepest dive is 150 ft, (an unusually deep dive for recreation) your watch should be able to withstand pressures generated at 300 ft. Most recreational dives don't go beyond 90 ft. Sunlight disappears at around 100 ft. For military applications, that watch needs to withstand pressures generated at 600 feet or deeper. While dive computers are great, mechanical watches don't need batteries. Pressure does negatively impact batteries.
Great job, Teddy. You should have added footage of Courtney snorkeling in the Bahamas.
All that just to ask the man for footage of his wife in a bathing suit
@@thecianinator This essential "rule of thumb" needed to be pointed out. Besides, how often can someone make a tax-deduction of their girlfriend swimming in the Bahamas?
Hey Teddy,
I really enjoy your videos especially the ones you do on dive watches, I.e. 'Five things you should know about your dive watch.' I'm not sure whether or not you're a diver but you obviously did your due diligence and got it right. Unfortunately i cannot say the same for a lot of other 'watch people' out there. Quite a few explanations on what a helium escape valve is for are quite comical.
I've owned a dive shop and been a professional diver and PADI instructor for over 30 years now. One thing i have to stress is that, in my opinion, in a professional diving environment quartz is definitely the way to go. I've had several mechanical watches, including a couple of Seikos (SKX, Monster), a well as a Submariner (16610) and there is just too much banging around when working at a dive operation. The watch is constantly being hit against tanks, weight belts, compressors, boats etc. It's unavoidable.
My mechanical watches had a really hard go keeping accurate time (I mean not even close). Being based on an island in the Philippines it's very difficult to find a competent person to work on a mechanical watch, let alone anything high-end. I've been wearing a Citizen Promaster (BNO-151) for the past 5 years (great watch) and just recently upgraded to a Longines Hydroconquest quartz.
As you pointed out, the great majority of divers now use a dive computer, however the dive watch bezel certainly does still come in handy. When i'm guiding i use it to time other groups who may be diving on the same boat. This way i can coordinate with the other dive guide and surface my dive dive at approximately the same. This can help you avoid a long hot-sunny-bouncing-in-the-waves surface drift. Also, upon surfacing from a dive i immediately set my bezel to time my service interval. Yes, dive computers also have this information, though often you have to press a few buttons to find it. It's a lot easier to just glance at your wrist. I also use it as a backup when i am diving on my own.
This may sound a little odd but what i would love to see on a professional dive watch would be a moon phase complication. I'm sure you probably know that the moon affect tides which in turn affects the severity of currents. From a guiding perspective you would usually reference a tide table, but it's always nice to know what the moon is doing, especially when it is full.
Anyway, thanks again for your videos, really insightful, you have a way with words, you could have been a writer!
Paul Arpin
Truly a fantastic educational piece. Keep 'em coming.
Thanks Ted....love your content as usual , not dissapointed!
Excellent video, especially about the PSI examples.
With my scuba gear my max depth has only been 30M or about 100ft. Spearfishing in which I freedive maybe 45-50 ft max and usually under 30 ft in general. I have been diving since I was 15 and got my PADI open water cert. at 16. My first and favourite Dive Watch was a Citizen Pro Master (quartz) which I still have today (I'm 53 now) and yes it still works although it can be a bit sketchy now and then which is why I bought another, an automatic Pro Master (lefty) a few years ago, same variant as the Italian Navy Divers used a few years back. I also have a Zodiac Sea Wolf which I love. Nowadays I have a Garmin Dive Computer that I use for scuba and a Seac for when I spearfish but I usually wear my Citizen or Zodiac too, for sentimental use or back-up although that need has never come up. I have only been a recreational diver, so have never felt the need to pursue going deeper although in hindsight I should have gone further when I was in my 20's, but I was in career building mode at that time.
Hi Guys good interesting video I like them all.....Im one of those guys who still wears his dive watch on every dive and still use it along with my computer. I guess after diving for 30 years and being a Master Diver, I still like having it. Most of my diving now is wreck diving all over the world and I still like having it with me and usually wear it the whole time Im traveling to my destinations.....going thru jungles and rain forests its a stable and good piece of equipment for much........and computers do sometimes rarely, can have a problem and get unreliable.
I dive all of my dive watches.
And, yes they are backup to the dive computer that I always wear.
I mostly just tell the time of day. But that is what watches are for.
The most useful dive watches to use as a backup have a depth gauge built in.
Citizen has made several such watches with Eco-Drive.
I have one of them. Not my favorite dive watch to wear, but the best one as a backup to the computer.
I have dove to 145 feet. Not very deep for a technical or commercial diver. But that is very deep for a recreational diver. I only did that because I was diving with an instructor.
Recreational divers (even with advanced certification) are generally limited to 100 ft as a (nominal) maximum depth.
59.6 feet
Seiko SSC017 (solar diver)
Always dive with it. I use the spot where the dive computer typically shows time to show other valuable data.
Do divers wear watches is actually one of the questions I've always wanted answered! Thank you
Thank you Teddy for all ur videos....I'm going to buy 2 watches here in a month that you reviewed.
Best explanation of dive watches I have seen--thank you!
Gary over at I Like Watches did an episode of ISO certification as well and apparently there are two? ISO 6425 and ISO 22810 with different criteria. The former is true dive certification which requires testing the later still allows other watches to put 100m, 200m etc. On the dial.
Pure pleasure, thanks for the great video Teddy!
Really cool video, Teddy! I don't dive and have no intention of ever doing so. However, I own more dive watches than any other style. I like the aesthetic of a dive watch the most and buy what I like.
I dive, only during summer and low depths, 3-5m. And I swim in the sea very often. I have a divers watch, of course. But the most water it gets, it’s when it’s raining and I’m outside. I never use it for diving or swimming. For those purposes I have a watch, which costed me like 250€ and I already have used it a lot for the past 7 years, so you can say it already paid off its price and now if it dies or gets some rust problems - I don’t care. My divers watch, on the other hand, is new and I love it, it’s also a professional dive watch, but I’m not planning on taking it to the sea.