{"id":1159,"date":"2017-08-25T08:41:23","date_gmt":"2017-08-25T08:41:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swisswatchexpo.com\/TheWatchClub\/?p=1159"},"modified":"2022-10-15T02:48:32","modified_gmt":"2022-10-15T02:48:32","slug":"the-most-iconic-divers-watches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swisswatchexpo.com\/thewatchclub\/2017\/08\/25\/the-most-iconic-divers-watches\/","title":{"rendered":"Most Iconic Diver’s Watches"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Diving watches are something that many men want and oftentimes\u00a0own, but few actually use\u00a0for their intended purpose. In fact, one will find a Submariner<\/a> or a Seamaster inside the boardroom more often that they will at sea. So why are diver’s watches so popular?<\/p>\n

The simple answer is that they are exceptionally well-made and versatile. Diver’s watches can get wet, take a beating, but also look good enough for more formal settings.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

If you’re in the market for a diver’s watch, it’s worth knowing the ones that sit on the hall of fame.\u00a0Here are the pioneers and icons:<\/div>\n
<br><\/span><\/div>\n
<br><\/span><\/div>\n
\n
\"Rolex<\/div>\n
pictured:\u00a0Rolex Submariner<\/a> Non Date 2-Liner Automatic Steel Watch<\/a>
\n<br><\/span><\/div>\n
\n

The Sub has been in continuous production since its launch in 1953, and remains the most recognizable (and unfortunately, most copied) watch today.<\/p>\n

Rolex already had water-resistant watches since the 1930\u2019s after\u00a0they launched the\u00a0innovative\u00a0waterproof Oyster case. But Ren\u00e9 P. Jeanneret, a passionate diver and one of their directors, had envisioned something more: a diving watch that not only was exceptionally robust, but also aesthetically pleasing and comfortable to wear.<\/p>\n

Through his insight, the Submariner<\/a> was launched with the distinct honor of being the first water-resistant dive watch, one that was waterproof up to 100 meters. It has been updated with improved water resistance, new movements, and small cosmetic changes, but today\u2019s models stay firmly in line with the original Submariner<\/a> \u2013 an homage to the man who will accept nothing but elegance in his watch.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<br><\/span><\/div>\n
<br><\/span><\/div>\n
\n
\"Omega<\/div>\n
pictured:\u00a0Omega Seamaster Professional James Bond Watch<\/a>
\n<br><\/span><\/div>\n
\n

Omega Seamaster<\/a> was first introduced in 1948, making it one of the early dive watches before they\u00a0surged in popularity in the 50\u2019s. In 1993, the Omega Seamaster<\/a> Professional 300m was chosen as the new Bond watch, and began Omega\u2019s enduring partnership with the world\u2019s most famous secret agent.<\/p>\n

After being worn by Pierce Brosnan in the 1995 film\u00a0Goldeneye,<\/em>\u00a0Omega won a younger demographic and had men walking into a store to ask for \u201cthe James Bond watch\u201d. The Seamaster has been the official watch of the Bond franchise since then.<\/p>\n

Of course, only a robust and stylish watch will do for James Bond. This particular model has a stainless steel case and bracelet,\u00a0a blue dial, a unidirectional rotating bezel with blue ring,\u00a0an anti-reflective, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, and runs on a quartz caliber. James Bond has since switched to watches with an automatic caliber, but remains loyal to the Seamaster, and continues to release a collaborative model with each 007 film.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<br><\/span><\/div>\n
<br><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Rolex<\/div>\n
pictured:\u00a0Rolex Seadweller Deepsea Ceramic Bezel Mens Watch<\/a><\/div>\n
<br><\/span><\/div>\n
\n

Rolex has had a long history of exploration, and they take an active part in many historic discoveries of the planet\u2019s most extreme frontiers. In 1960, Rolex made horological history when it created a prototype\u00a0Rolex Deep Sea Special watch to accompany the bathyscaphe\u00a0Trieste\u00a0<\/em>as it descended to what was\u00a0then the deepest-known point in the ocean.<\/p>\n

In 2012, it also took an active part in the historic Deepsea Challenge of director James Cameron. He piloted the submersible Deepsea Challenger to the deepest part of the Mariana Trench and the world\u2019s oceans, accompanied by the prototype Rolex Deepsea Challenge. The watch worked perfectly throughout the expedition.<\/p>\n

Both watches were never made commercially available due to their size, but they have inspired the Rolex Deepsea Sea-dweller, the new generation diver\u2019s watch that is waterproof up to 12,800 feet. Building off the history of innovation around diving, its Ringlock System is able to withstand unprecedented pressures equivalent to three tons, and illustrates the supremacy of Rolex in mastering waterproofness.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<br><\/span><\/div>\n
<br><\/span><\/div>\n
\n
\"\u00a0Blancpainpictured:\u00a0Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Dark Knight Black PVD Watch<\/a>
\n<br><\/span><\/div>\n
\n

The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms<\/a> was the first modern dive watch. Many people would give this title to the Sub, but the Fifty Fathoms actually debuted a year before. Designed in 1952, it was borne out of a partnership between Blancpain and the French Navy division \u2013 they wanted to address the needs of intense underwater timekeeping, such as the need for underwater legibility and readability,\u00a0luminescence, and the means to\u00a0measure oxygen consumption.<\/p>\n

By 1953, Blancpain has fulfilled this request\u00a0and debuted innovations that continue to be in use today,\u00a0including an automatic movement, a simple and readable dial and\u00a0a thick case with a screw-down case back. Its single most important innovation was the unidirectional bezel, which was necessary in helping divers determine their oxygen consumption and meet their surface time. The combination of these elements helped the watch reach a depth of Fifty Fathoms (300 feet, or 91.4 meters), the maximum depth\u00a0thought possible during its time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<br><\/span><\/div>\n
\n
\u00a0<br><\/span><\/div>\n
\"Panerai<\/div>\n
pictured:\u00a0Panerai Radiomir 1940 Equation of Time 8 Days LE Watch<\/a><\/div>\n

<br><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

During World War II, Officine Panerai<\/a> was contracted by the Regia Marina (the Royal Italian Navy) as their official supplier of watches. In 1935, at the request of the navy, they dedicated themselves to building a watch that would meet the needs of the Italian Frogmen \u2013 professional divers who conduct their operations deep into the night, stealthily encroaching into enemy territory.<\/p>\n

They dedicated themselves into creating the perfect dive watch, and sought to create one that embodied three things: a large face to optimize visibility, readability in the darkest waters, and most importantly, waterproofness. Its name is derived from the radium-based powder that makes the numbers and markers luminous.<\/p>\n

Only ten of the prototypes of the watch were made, equipped with a Rolex movement and case back that protected it from water,\u00a0and a winding crown that could be screwed down. Two years after, Panerai<\/a> started mass-producing the Radiomir, and is today considered the first underwater military watch.<\/p>\n

<br><\/p>\n

<br><\/p>\n

____<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

SEE MORE OF THE WATCHES IN OUR VIDEO:<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t