Dr. N.
In this article we will look at a selection of five luxury diving watches. The pieces we present are very different from each other, but they have in common elegance and the ability to withstand the extreme conditions of diving. These products of Swiss ingenuity are equally at home on a diver's wrist and next to a glass of champagne at an elegant dinner.
All the diving watches that we are going to discover have in common that they are automatic, and have a water resistance equal to or greater than 20 atmospheres.
Automatic winding is necessary to reduce as much as possible the number of times the winding crown is pulled out, minimizing the risk of water entering the watch.
Resistance to 20 atmospheres, equivalent to a depth of 200 meters, may seem excessive, given that most dives take place at depths of less than 30 meters. In reality, the actual use of the watch while diving involves its exposure to arm movements, water currents, shocks, which bring a higher level of stress than that given by the pressure generated by the depth alone. For this reason it is recommended to use a watch waterproof to at least 20 atmospheres when diving.
1 Rolex Submariner
The first on our list could only be the best-known icon in the world of luxury diving watches. The Rolex Submariner, introduced in 1953, is an instant success, thanks to its combination of robustness and elegance. Worn by actors, celebrities and successful men, as well as professional divers, the Rolex Submariner fully embodies the idea of a luxury diving watch.
2 Omega Seamasters
Initially presented in 1948, this watch featured great pressure resistance from the start, of 20 atmospheres, later increased to 30, and an automatic movement. The success is not immediate, despite the technical validity of the watch; The popularity of the Omega Seamaster increases since it was chosen to replace the Rolex Submariner on James Bond's wrist in the famous film saga. Today the Seamaster continues to stand out thanks to its coaxial movement and sixty-hour power reserve.
3 Panerai
Panerai is a brand that is both recent and historic. Recent as sales to the public began in 1993, historic because the company had until then worked as a supplier to the Italian Navy, with the first models made already in the Second World War for the raiders. The massive and robust style of the case, combined with the military pedigree, immediately caught the attention of Sylvester Stallone, who used a Panerai in the 1996 film “Daylight”, making the Florentine brand popular throughout the world.
The Collections Panerai Luminor and Radiomir are inspired by the historical models of the Brand, carrying on its long tradition.
4 Blancpain Fifty Fathoms
This watch was born from the need of the French Navy to have a watch for its divers, and from the passion of the then Blancpain CEO Jean-Jacques Fiechter for diving. The result was an automatic, non-magnetic, waterproof and easily readable watch, which became the first modern diving watch in 1953. The name derives from the fact that it was waterproof up to fifty fathoms, or approximately one hundred meters (one fathom, Fathom in English, is equivalent at 1.83 m). The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms was immediately adopted by the French navy, and later by many others including the American one.
5 Tudor Black Bay Heritage
Modern dive watches are very different from their predecessors. They have complications such as the date, which was not present in the fifties and sixties, and sometimes dials oriented towards aesthetics rather than functionality. The Tudor Black Bay is a return to origins. In fact, it features a simple, clear and legible dial, a water resistance of 200 meters, and a style that harks back to the classic diving watches of fifty years ago.
Il Tudor Black Bay Heritage it has been produced since 2012 with an ETA movement, and since 2016 it has been fitted with a Tudor manufacture caliber.
