A Short History of the Dive Watch

Today, dive watches are the most popular type of sports watch, but they began as specialist tools. Their story is one of engineering driven by the needs of divers.

Before the 1950s, divers used waterproofed watches that were often unreliable. Panerai made instruments for Italian navy divers in the 1930s and 1940s, and these developments led the way for what came next.

In 1953, two landmark watches arrived. The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, developed with French naval divers, had a rotating bezel to track dive time, a robust case and strong lume. In the same year Rolex introduced the Submariner, which became one of the best-known watches in the world.

Other brands followed with their own designs, and over time features were standardised. A unidirectional rotating bezel, a high water resistance rating, luminous markers and a legible dial became the typical formula. The ISO 6425 standard now defines what a real diver's watch must do.

Modern dive watches often use ceramic bezels, sapphire crystals and helium escape valves for saturation diving. Many are worn far more on land than underwater, but the design remains rooted in function.

If you are choosing one, see our guide to dive watch ratings and how to choose a dive watch, and consider what you really need: a robust everyday watch, a genuine tool, or both.