We're currently testing our site! Please note this is a work in progress.
10% off Omega, IWC, Panerai & more – Use WF10 at checkout
offers
Sell
Exchange
Search
+44 1622621392
EUR
My Basket
Buy
Sell
Exchange
+44 1622621392
Help

Dive Watches

Created for diving professionals, dive watches boast high water resistance, highly legible dials and help tell divers how long they’ve been submerged for via a rotational bezel. They’re loved for their distinctive and robust design, making them one of the most popular watch genres around.

Read more
Filters
Filters
Brands
No matching results found
Popular Brands
  1. Rolex Rolex
  2. Panerai Panerai
  3. IWC IWC
  4. Omega Omega
  5. Breitling Breitling
  6. Cartier Cartier
  7. Tag Heuer Tag Heuer
  8. Hublot Hublot
  9. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  10. Tudor Tudor
  11. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
  12. Patek Philippe Patek Philippe
  13. Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet
All Brands
  1. A. Lange and Sohne A. Lange and Sohne
  2. Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet
  3. B.R.M Watches B.R.M Watches
  4. Ball Ball
  5. Baume et Mercier Baume et Mercier
  6. Bell and Ross Bell and Ross
  7. Blancpain Blancpain
  8. Breguet Breguet
  9. Breitling Breitling
  10. Bremont Bremont
  11. Bvlgari Bvlgari
  12. Carl F. Bucherer Carl F. Bucherer
  13. Cartier Cartier
  14. Chanel Chanel
  15. Chopard Chopard
  16. Corum Corum
  17. Eterna Eterna
  18. F.P. Journe F.P. Journe
  19. Franck Muller Franck Muller
  20. Frederique Constant Frederique Constant
  21. Girard Perregaux Girard Perregaux
  22. Glashutte Original Glashutte Original
  23. Graham Graham
  24. Grand Seiko Grand Seiko
  25. Hamilton Hamilton
  26. Hermes Hermes
  27. Hublot Hublot
  28. IWC IWC
  29. Jaeger-LeCoultre Jaeger-LeCoultre
  30. Jaquet Droz Jaquet Droz
  31. Laurent Ferrier Laurent Ferrier
  32. Longines Longines
  33. Maurice Lacroix Maurice Lacroix
  34. Montblanc Montblanc
  35. Nomos Glashutte Nomos Glashutte
  36. Omega Omega
  37. Oris Oris
  38. Panerai Panerai
  39. Parmigiani Parmigiani
  40. Patek Philippe Patek Philippe
  41. Perrelet Perrelet
  42. Piaget Piaget
  43. Porsche Design Porsche Design
  44. Rado Rado
  45. Raymond Weil Raymond Weil
  46. Richard Mille Richard Mille
  47. Roger Dubuis Roger Dubuis
  48. Rolex Rolex
  49. Romain Jerome Romain Jerome
  50. Tag Heuer Tag Heuer
  51. Tissot Tissot
  52. Tudor Tudor
  53. Ulysse Nardin Ulysse Nardin
  54. Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin
  55. Zenith Zenith
Series
Case Size
The size of a watch is very important for style and comfort. If you prefer an oversized watch like a Panerai Luminor, you’ll probably want Large. If you’re looking for something more discreet like a Rolex Lady Datejust, you’ll want Small. For everything in between, Medium.
Price
Min
€
-
Max
€
Year
More Filters
Stock Type
  1. Stock Stock
Case Material
  1. Aluminium Aluminium
  2. Bronze Bronze
  3. Carbon Carbon
  4. Ceramic Ceramic
  5. Platinum Platinum
  6. Rose Gold Rose Gold
  7. Silver Silver
  8. Steel Steel
  9. Steel & Rose Gold Steel & Rose Gold
  10. Steel & Rose Gold Plated Steel & Rose Gold Plated
  11. Steel & White Gold Steel & White Gold
  12. Steel & Yellow Gold Steel & Yellow Gold
  13. Titanium Titanium
  14. White Gold White Gold
  15. Yellow Gold Yellow Gold
Dial Colour
Black
Blue
Bronze
Brown
Champagne
Diamond
Green
Grey
Ivory
Mother of Pearl
Pink
Red
Salmon
Silver
Specialised
White
Yellow
Strap
  1. Bracelet Bracelet
  2. Fabric Fabric
  3. Leather Leather
  4. Rubber Rubber
Box and Papers
  1. Original box Original box
  1. Original papers Original papers
Movement
A mechanical watch is powered by a spring. Manual mechanical watches must be hand wound. Automatic watches are also mechanical, and are wound by a weight that spins with the wearer's movements. A quartz watch is battery powered and extremely accurate.
  1. Automatic Automatic
  2. Manual Manual
  3. Quartz Quartz
Promotion
Limited Edition
  1. Limited Edition Limited Edition
Reset Results (794)
Results (794)
Sort
Rolex Datejust 16233 275807
Vintage

Rolex
Datejust
16233

Box
Papers
Year 1990
€6,125
Rolex GMT Master II 16710 280245
Vintage

Rolex
GMT Master II
16710

Box
Papers
Year 1997
€9,985
Rolex Datejust Lady 179174 198907

Rolex
Datejust Lady
179174

Box
Papers
Year 2006
Product Location
€5,635
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Datejust 16014 281627
Vintage

Rolex
Datejust
16014

Box
Papers
Year 1986
€5,155
Rolex Mid-Size Datejust 68240 273624
Vintage

Rolex
Mid-Size Datejust
68240

Box
Papers
Year 1993
Product Location
€4,425
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Datejust 116200 281820

Rolex
Datejust
116200

Box
Papers
Year 2010
€5,375
Rolex Datejust 16220 266959
Vintage

Rolex
Datejust
16220

Box
Papers
Year 1996
€7,185
Rolex Datejust Lady 69173 232375
Vintage

Rolex
Datejust Lady
69173

Box
Papers
Year 1990
Product Location
€5,505
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Datejust 116231 274659

Rolex
Datejust
116231

Box
Papers
Year 2008
€11,690
Rolex Datejust 16030 282135
Vintage

Rolex
Datejust
16030

Box
Papers
Year 1983
€6,025
Rolex GMT Master 16700 228346

Rolex
GMT Master
16700

Box
Papers
Year 1999
Product Location
€15,250
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Mid-Size Datejust 78274 278607

Rolex
Mid-Size Datejust
78274

Box
Papers
Year 2004
€4,515
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 15223 199824
Vintage

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual Date
15223

Box
Papers
Year 1992
Product Location
€6,235
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 1500 275878
Vintage

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual Date
1500

Box
Papers
Year 1986
€3,965
Rolex GMT Master II 16710 272123
Vintage

Rolex
GMT Master II
16710

Box
Papers
Year 1999
€14,380
Rolex GMT Master 16700 230052

Rolex
GMT Master
16700

Box
Papers
Year 2000
Product Location
€14,610
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Milgauss 116400 231114

Rolex
Milgauss
116400

Box
Papers
Year 2017
Product Location
€11,565
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Datejust 116200 281822

Rolex
Datejust
116200

Box
Papers
Year 2007
€6,735
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 15210 271454

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual Date
15210

Box
Papers
Year 2001
€4,950
Rolex GMT Master II 16710 281866

Rolex
GMT Master II
16710

Box
Papers
Year 2005
€13,465
Rolex Milgauss 116400 231815

Rolex
Milgauss
116400

Box
Papers
Year 2011
Product Location
€12,265
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 15053 272652
Vintage

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual Date
15053

Box
Papers
Year 1989
€6,380
Rolex Milgauss 116400 GV 281817

Rolex
Milgauss
116400 GV

Box
Papers
Year 2015
€10,370
Rolex GMT Master 16700 230202

Rolex
GMT Master
16700

Box
Papers
Year 1998
Product Location
€14,610
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Mid-Size Datejust 68274 272649
Vintage

Rolex
Mid-Size Datejust
68274

Box
Papers
Year 1998
€6,670
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 15000 275045
Vintage

Rolex
Oyster Perpetual Date
15000

Box
Papers
Year 1989
€3,660
Rolex GMT Master II 116718 LN 277029

Rolex
GMT Master II
116718 LN

Box
Papers
Year 2011
Product Location
€43,770
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Milgauss 116400 232364

Rolex
Milgauss
116400

Box
Papers
Year 2013
Product Location
€11,870
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Yacht-Master 169622 278611

Rolex
Yacht-Master
169622

Box
Papers
Year 2000
€5,500
Rolex Yacht-Master 116621 231814

Rolex
Yacht-Master
116621

Box
Papers
Year 2017
Product Location
€17,600
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Yacht-Master 116622 274794

Rolex
Yacht-Master
116622

Box
Papers
Year 2008
€9,420
Rolex Milgauss 116400 232243

Rolex
Milgauss
116400

Box
Papers
Year 2010
Product Location
€11,870
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Yacht-Master 168623 230321

Rolex
Yacht-Master
168623

Box
Papers
Year 2011
Product Location
€12,230
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Submariner 126610 LV 281175
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Submariner
126610 LV

Box
Papers
Year 2022
Product Location
€15,990
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Yacht-Master 16622 281267

Rolex
Yacht-Master
16622

Box
Papers
Year 2004
€9,080
Rolex Submariner 114060 257825

Rolex
Submariner
114060

Box
Papers
Year 2015
Product Location
€11,870
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Milgauss 116400 GV 283666

Rolex
Milgauss
116400 GV

Box
Papers
Year 2017
€9,035
Rolex Submariner 114060 280903

Rolex
Submariner
114060

Box
Papers
Year 2007
Product Location
€8,910
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex GMT Master 16700 228343

Rolex
GMT Master
16700

Box
Papers
Year 1998
Product Location
€14,245
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Yacht-Master 116622 233083

Rolex
Yacht-Master
116622

Box
Papers
Year 2017
Product Location
€17,010
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Submariner 116610 LNXXTEST 273750

Rolex
Submariner
116610 LNXXTEST

Box
Papers
Year 2011
Product Location
€12,590
incl. import taxes & duties
Rolex Submariner 124060 283048
Manufacturer's Warranty

Rolex
Submariner
124060

Box
Papers
Year 2023
€11,785

Dive Watches

History

The dive watch, a symbol of adventure and resilience, has a rich and exciting history that stretches back to 1927 when Rolex launched its Oyster model. This innovative watch, with its screw-down case and crown, is considered the first fully water-resistant wristwatch.

Famously, it was worn that year by a young swimmer called Mercedes Gleitz who was the first woman to swim the English Channel. To advertise the feat—and the capabilities of its latest watch—Rolex bought the front page of the most widely read British newspaper of the time, the Daily Mail.

Rolex went on to supply movements to Panerai, who developed the dive watch further with the specialist timepieces they made for the frogmen of the Italian navy in the late 1930s. These early dive watches had a water resistance of 30 metres—unimpressive by today’s standards which requires a dive watch to have a minimum water resistance of 100 metres.

By the mid-1950s, scuba-diving was a popular worldwide pastime due to the invention of the aqualung a decade earlier. This led to a spate of similar-looking dive watches like Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms, which featured the first rotating bezel—enabling divers to accurately measure immersion time—and the Rolex Submariner. Both these watches were water-resistant to 100 metres, while the Zodiac Sea Wolf, released shortly afterwards, doubled this to 200 metres.

In the decades since, dive watches have become more and more capable of withstanding extreme water pressure. In 2012, Rolex launched its Deepsea Challenge model which boasted an incredible 12,000 metres water resistance. In the same year it was attached to a submersible that Hollywood director James Cameron piloted to the deepest part of the world’s oceans—the Marianas Trench—to a depth of 10,898 metres, surviving the ordeal unscathed.

Key features

Today, dive watches continue to push boundaries, incorporating advanced technologies and materials such as helium escape valves, luminescent dials, and enhanced water resistance.

What sets dive watches apart from other timepieces? Let's look at what makes a dive watch unique, designed specifically for the rigours of underwater exploration.

Firstly, their exceptional water resistance is critical. Unlike standard watches, dive watches can withstand the extreme conditions of deep-sea diving, with a water resistance rating of at least 100 metres and many capable of depths up to 300 metres or much more.

Additional features of a dive watch include a unidirectional rotating bezel for tracking immersion time, bold luminous markers and hands for good visibility in murky conditions, and a helium escape valve to prevent damage during decompression. Most dive watches don’t have the latter as they are only of use in saturation diving when a diver spends time in a decompression chamber.

Some diving watches even incorporate helium-filled cases and built-in depth gauges, allowing divers to monitor their current depth without the need for additional equipment. These features make dive watches a useful tool for underwater exploration, although in an age of wearable dive computers they are more often now used as a back-up option.

One thing every mechanical dive watch must have is a constantly running seconds hand, or some kind of display indicating the watch is running that can be viewed in total darkness.

The science of water Resistance in dive watches

Water resistance is a vital feature of a dive watch. Special seals and gaskets prevent water infiltration, while robust materials like stainless steel or titanium ensure durability and resistance to corrosion. Rigorous testing verifies a dive watch's ability to withstand different pressures and temperatures, simulating the conditions encountered underwater.

Water resistance is measured in metres or bar units, indicating the depth to which the watch can be submerged safely. It's worth noting that factors such as water temperature and movement can affect a diving watch's performance underwater.

Popular dive watch models

The Rolex Submariner is a classic choice, renowned for its robustness and precision, and capable of withstanding depths of up to 300 metres. It was famously worn by James Bond until the 1990s when he swapped one dive watch for another: the equally iconic Omega Seamaster.

Other enduring models that are as timeless as they are stylish include the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, Breitling Superocean, Panerai Luminor and IWC Aquatimer. Fellow Swiss brands Tudor and TAG Heuer offer more affordable choices like the Black Bay and Aquaracer, respectively.

At Watchfinder, we offer a vast selection of pre-owned luxury dive watches from all of the aforementioned brands, from Rolex to IWC, catering to every budget and taste. Explore our collection and discover the exceptional craftsmanship and performance of these remarkable watches.

Read more