Dive Watches · Page 21

WatchAdvice

Dec 5, 2025

Owner’s Perspective: Seiko 5 Sports SKX SRPL87K In The Vibrant Yellow Dial

A bright yellow Seiko that reminds you that watches are meant to be fun. They don’t all have to be technical and serious, just pure enjoyment on the wrist! This is my story with the SRPL87K. What We Love The mango-yellow dial brings instant personality and fun to any outfit. It’s an easy grab-and-go mechanical watch you never have to think twice about. The 5-link bracelet upgrade elevates the whole look far more than expected. What We Don’t The lume is good, but not as strong as some other Seiko models. 100m water resistance is fine, but 200m would’ve felt closer to classic SKX DNA. No bracelet option for the yellow dial out of the box — a missed opportunity given how good it looks on one. Overall Rating: 8.6/10 Value for money: 9/10 Wearability: 8.5/10 Design: 8.5/10 Build quality: 8.5/10 There’s something about Seiko’s SKX range that leaves an impression on you. Even if you never owned the original model, the SKX collection of modern is the entry-level diver and the perfect canvas for those who love to mod their timepieces. It is the watch that turned a lot of casual wearers into full enthusiasts! While Seiko may have closed the chapter on the original SKX line many years ago, the spirit of the collection certainly didn’t disappear. There have been many modern iterations in Seiko’s current collections that have been inspired by SKX models of the past, each carrying hints of the familiar dive watch DNA: the practicality, the simplicity, everyday toughnes...

Read article

Monochrome

Dec 4, 2025

First Look - The Ultra-Technical Bühlmann Decompression 02 Dive Watch

There’s more to the dive watch category than your classic, 300m steel model with a rotating bezel. Some brands have decided to pack dive watches with features that actually make sense underwater (and I’m not talking about a perpetual calendar here), as is the watch we’ll be looking at today. As its name suggests, the […]

Read article

Two Broke Watch Snobs

Dec 4, 2025

Seiko 5 GMT vs Tudor Black Bay GMT: Hands-On $400 vs $4,000 Value Test

A full wrist-time test of the Seiko 5 GMT and Tudor Black Bay GMT, breaking down $400 vs $4,000 in build, usability, and long-term value.

Read article

Teddy Baldassarre

Dec 4, 2025

Rolex 1908 Review: The Dress Watch For A New Generation

It’s easy to see Rolex exclusively as a sport watch brand, if even a luxury oriented one, thanks to collections that have helped to define their respective genres, such as the Submariner, the GMT-Master, the Explorer, and the Daytona. While they undoubtedly are just that, Rolex has another dimension to be discovered in more formal territory, and it’s a side we probably don’t see as often as we should, at least if their latest 1908 collection is anything to go by. Following the discontinuation of the Cellini collection in 2023, Rolex revealed its replacement in the 1908, sporting a familiar yet novel design language, and an entirely new movement in the caliber 7140. It was an immediate breath of fresh air, and a rare truly new release from the brand.  [toc-section heading="Some Rolex Design History"] Rolex has more than a century’s worth of design language to draw upon, and it would do exactly that with the design of the 1908. From the shape of the case, to the details of the bezel, and even the design of the hour numerals, the 1908 feels like a love letter to the history of Rolex. As a result, it’s a design that doesn’t feel entirely formal in nature, landing in a more versatile space than you might imagine, especially in the right spec. This is a watch that feels appropriate in a wide range of uses, from dressed to the nines in a suit and tie, all the way down to t-shirt and jeans affairs, this is a truly dynamic platform.  From the first oyster style cases ...

Read article

Fratello

Dec 3, 2025

Hands-On With The Suprisingly Fresh And Invigorating Benrus Ultra-Deep

We’ve all heard that good things come to those who wait. In my case, I had to wait two years before the Benrus Ultra-Deep landed on my desk. That was purely the result of the never-ending stream of new releases that, unfortunately, made me forget about the brand’s retro dive watch. But when the Ultra-Deep […] Visit Hands-On With The Suprisingly Fresh And Invigorating Benrus Ultra-Deep to read the full article.

Read article

Hodinkee

Dec 1, 2025

Hands-On: The Clemence Photic MKII

The young British brand refines its easy-wearing diver with a suite of upgrades, including hardened steel, anti-magnetism, and more.

Read article

Fratello

Nov 30, 2025

Hands-On With Wempe’s Iron Walker Diver Bronze

In 2020, Wempe presented the Iron Walker family of watches. The retailer’s in-house brand, Wempe Glashütte, manufactures these watches to expand Wempe’s offerings in the popular class of steel watches featuring a sporty design with an integrated bracelet. The Iron Walker family comprises slightly sporty (Automatic and GMT), sportier (Chronograph), and fully sporty (Diver) watches. […] Visit Hands-On With Wempe’s Iron Walker Diver Bronze to read the full article.

Read article

Time+Tide

Nov 29, 2025

Yema balances beauty and brawn with the Navygraf Pearl CMM.20

Expanses of mother-of-pearl make this Yema an elegant, stylish, and quintessentially French take on a modern dive watch.The post Yema balances beauty and brawn with the Navygraf Pearl CMM.20 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Read article

Two Broke Watch Snobs

Nov 28, 2025

An Affordable Timex Diver With Rolex Sea-Dweller Energy: Deepwater Meridian 200 Review

Review of the Timex Deepwater Meridian 200, a quartz dive watch that blends practical specs with Timex’s evolving tool-watch design language.

Read article

Fratello

Nov 28, 2025

Fratello’s Top 5 Dive Watches Of 2025 - Featuring Omega, Doxa, Seiko, And More

Another Friday, another list! However, it’s not just any random list, as we kick off our look back at 2025 with this compilation. In this first installment of the year’s highlights, we take a look at dive watches. This has been the most popular watch category in recent times, so it is hard to pick […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Dive Watches Of 2025 - Featuring Omega, Doxa, Seiko, And More to read the full article.

Read article

Monochrome

Nov 27, 2025

First Look - Titoni Lightly Updates its Robust Dive Watch, The Seascoper 600 COSC

An independent, family-owned Swiss brand, Titoni was founded in 1919 by Fritz Schluep in Grenchen, Switzerland and is now managed by the third generation of its founding family. Known for its robust, fully-equipped yet accessible watches, the brand impressed us about 5 years ago with the launch of the Seascoper 600, a dive watch with […]

Read article

Worn & Wound

Nov 26, 2025

Clemence Introduces the Photic MKII Dive Watch

My love/hate affair with dive watches almost always comes down to sizing: too big, and it feels like a handcuff, requiring tightening the strap or bracelet to an uncomfortable degree. So, when a brand makes a concentrated effort to slim down a dive watch, my ears perk up. While the Clemence Photic MKII is not exactly tiny at 38.5mm in case diameter and 46.5mm lug-to-lug, it touts an impressive 9.9mm case thickness, while still promising 200 meters of water resistance. Top that off with vibrant colorways, a precision bezel, and an automatic movement, and Clemence has a tempting dive option on their hands.  At a glance, the new Photic MKII has a lot in common with its predecessor, which was released in 2021. With case shape and dimensions, the MKII functions more as a continuation than it does total reinvention. In fact, the original Photic colorway-with a blue sunray dial-is still available here, and lifts the dial design from the original, setting it apart from the rest of the MKII lineup. The new colorways shake things up a little more, introducing a second track inside the indices that gives the watch a more segmented and complicated look, without distracting from the chunky numerals and hands. The Nemo model wears a Munro yellow dial and a black bezel, while the Kraken switches the two shades for a more subtle take on the sunny colorway. Similarly, the Shoal edition’s slate gray bezel and light warm gray dial are contrasted by a black bezel, while the Moray keeps...

Read article

Two Broke Watch Snobs

Nov 26, 2025

The Best Dive Watch Bezels We’ve Ever Tested From Seiko To Microbrands

From huge watch brands to the lesser known names, we compare real-world bezel feel, grip, alignment, and long-term wear to see which dive watches truly deliver.

Read article

SJX Watches

Nov 26, 2025

Slimmer, Sharper Seamaster: Omega Updates the Planet Ocean

Omega marks the 20th anniversary of the Seamaster Planet Ocean with a full redesign, introducing a sharper, faceted case and a slimmer profile that addresses long-standing concerns about about the model’s thickness. The fourth generation design retains the headline 600 m water resistance and METAS-certified movement, but adopts a more contemporary silhouette that differentiates it from earlier generations. The anniversary launch spans three colourways - black, blue, and the signature orange - with the latter now priced in line with the Rolex Submariner. While the refresh enhances everyday wearability, it also moves the Planet Ocean slightly away from the recognisable aesthetic that has defined the collection since its 2005 debut. Initial thoughts The Seamaster Planet Ocean is a watch that carries a lot of nostalgia for me personally. The first generation model, launched in 2005, was the first mechanical watch I purchased for myself in my student days and while my watch, powered by the slim cal. 2500C, has seen the inside of the Omega service centre more times than I would have liked, it still has a place in my regular rotation, especially when the weather turns warm. The appeal of the Planet Ocean is its fresh interpretation of historical Omega motifs; it features details like the broad arrow hands without attempting to be a vintage remake. The collection was refreshed in 2011 and again in 2016, but it seemed to get chunkier with each new iteration, to the dismay of ...

Read article

Teddy Baldassarre

Nov 25, 2025

How Bronze Watches Patina

The bronze watch patina is one of the most fascinating, naturally occurring phenomena in watch collecting. So much so that it seemed every horological player wanted to put its own spin on this rugged, sea-worn metal around a decade ago. A lot has changed in watchmaking since then. Manufacturers have pushed boundaries further than we ever thought possible, offering enthusiasts a vast array of proprietary materials to choose from, with bronze taking its place alongside classic favorites like stainless steel and gold. Bronze watches remain a compelling choice among collectors today.  Article by Nina Scally [toc-section heading="Bronze Watches Context"]  Despite its association with maritime history, this corrosion-resistant material has infiltrated the pilot-watch sphere and established a foothold in the category of field watches as well. Today, bronze continues to cast its rich, warm nuances over some of the world’s most beautiful and evocative neo-vintage dive watches as well. Indeed, this ancient metal of seafaring legends appears to have secured its place on the wrists of watch enthusiasts for the foreseeable future. So there seems no better time than now to delve into how bronze has come to settle within the watch-collecting landscape, and why its slow-burning patina and rugged charm have cemented it as a modern collector’s favorite.  [toc-section heading="How Patina Develops"]  Would you ever walk into a dealership and ask, “Do you have something that’s alre...

Read article

Teddy Baldassarre

Nov 25, 2025

Tudor Black Bay 54 Vs. 58 Comparison Review

If the modern success story of Tudor can be attributed to the launch of one distinct collection, it is, undoubtedly, the Black Bay. Like any intelligent watch brand, Tudor has taken that success and run with it full speed ahead, riffing and launching distinct extensions and sub-collections within the Black Bay universe that, at this point, are designed to meet the wants and needs of just about every enthusiast out there. Today, I’m going to be putting two distinct lines within the Black Bay family head-to-head that are, to the untrained eye, quite similar, but take on the vintage-revival theme in two distinct directions: the Black Bay 54 and the Black Bay 58. Down below, I’ll get into the nitty-gritty of what these two members of the larger Black Bay family have in common, and the intricacies that, together, have profound effects on what they deliver. After our short and sweet history lesson, I’ll be diving right into the key details of the Tudor Black Bay 54 vs. 58, all while interjecting my own musings and philosophies on how to approach these subtle differences.  [toc-section heading="Tudor Black Bay Context"]  As always, I’m going to keep the history lesson as concise here as I can, but if you have a bit more time, I’d recommend checking out this complete guide to the Tudor Black Bay. Anywho, the story of the modern Black Bay begins at Baselworld in 2012 (initially dubbed the “Heritage Black Bay”). After years of struggling in the shadows of the Crown a...

Read article

Two Broke Watch Snobs

Nov 25, 2025

Watchdives WD7922 Review: Can This Affordable Dive Watch Compete with the Tudor Black Bay?

Watchdives WD7922 review: vintage-inspired dive watch with VH31 sweep quartz and classic Tudor Sub looks. All for $94.

Read article

Fratello

Nov 25, 2025

Fratello On Air: The Greatest Dive Watches Of All Time

Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we enter the depths and declare the greatest dive watches of all time. Yes, there are some expected entries, but we also offer a surprise or two. Enjoy the listen! This podcast player is blocked because you did not accept marketing cookies. Change cookie […] Visit Fratello On Air: The Greatest Dive Watches Of All Time to read the full article.

Read article

Fratello

Nov 24, 2025

Hands-On With The New Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie

When you think of Blancpain, you probably see a mental image of the Fifty Fathoms, Bathyscaphe, or perhaps even a Villeret model. At least, those were the watches I had in mind when the folks at Blancpain invited us over to Le Brassus and see their latest creation a few weeks ago. This video is […] Visit Hands-On With The New Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie to read the full article.

Read article

SJX Watches

Nov 24, 2025

In-Depth: Blancpain Grande Double Sonnerie

Blancpain has just unveiled its most complex modern-day watch, the Grande Double Sonnerie, to mark its 190th anniversary. This CHF1.7 million grand complication signals Blancpain’s return to the highest tier of haute horlogerie. One of the most technically ambitious chiming wristwatches ever made, the Grande Double Sonnerie incorporates traditional complications: grande and petite sonnerie, minute repeater, flying tourbillon, and retrograde perpetual calendar, but also offers an unexpected twist with two distinct chiming melodies, a Westminster chime plus a a bespoke sequence composed for Blancpain by Eric Singer of rock band Kiss. Initial thoughts It has been some time since Blancpain unveiled a truly headline-grabbing complication. The manufacture made its name in this arena with the 1735 of 1991, but in the decades since, its output has leaned toward more conventional high-end offerings - perpetual calendars, tourbillons, carrousels, and chiming watches - while its commercial momentum has come largely from the Fifty Fathoms and Villeret triple calendar. The unexpected Grande Double Sonnerie is therefore a reminder of what Blancpain can do at the very top level of watchmaking. The Le Brassus-based manufacture tends to be overlooked when speaking of high horology today, but the Grande Double Sonnerie should remind enthusiasts how sure-footed Blancpain is in this regard. Even before considering the many complexities of the timepiece, the watch impresses from the fir...

Read article

SJX Watches

Nov 23, 2025

Tudor Scales Down the No-Frills Ranger

One of Tudor’s most affordable models equipped with an in-house movement (the base model costs under CHF3,000), the Ranger is functional watch with a design based on the 1960s model of the same name. Originally available only with a 39 mm case and black dial, the Ranger is now also available in a 36 mm that’s truer to the vintage original. Also new is the unusual “dune white” dial. The pale dial with black markings is a subtle reference to historical sports models with similar dials often nicknamed “albino” by collectors. Initial thoughts The larger Ranger was facelifted in 2022, and though good value, it was a little chunky for the style. And the black dial was traditional, but also a bit plain. The smaller size and beige dial add a bit more vintage flair to the model, which should resonate in particular for those who appreciate such things. The tweaks to the model won’t likely make it a watch with mainstream appeal like the Black Bay, but the Ranger remains a strong proposition at its price. An explorer’s watch The vintage Ranger was Tudor’s equivalent of the Rolex Explorer, and hence shares a similar design. This style has been ported over onto the modern remake. The new “dune white” retains the same style, but with adjustments for the colour. So the hour markers are printed in black, with the luminous markers being dots on the edge of the dial instead. The rest of the watch remains unchanged, except for the size. The steel case is entirely brushed...

Read article

Fratello

Nov 23, 2025

Sunday Morning Showdown: Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M Vs. Rolex Submariner Ref. 124060

Welcome to another installment of Sunday Morning Showdown. This week, we put the new Omega Planet Ocean 600M to work. We’re not giving it an easy start to life, pitting it against the mighty Rolex Submariner “No-Date” ref. 124060. Jorg has the honor of defending the new Omega, while Thomas sides with the Rolex. Now, […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M Vs. Rolex Submariner Ref. 124060 to read the full article.

Read article

Two Broke Watch Snobs

Nov 22, 2025

Testing Two Generations of The Omega Seamaster: Is Newer Really Better?

Explore how the Seamaster 2254’s understated utility compares to the 300M’s refined luxury. Discover whether the new model truly earns its higher price.

Read article

Worn & Wound

Nov 21, 2025

eBay Finds: Vintage Finds from Seiko, Omega, and More!

eBay Finds is back! This bi-monthly installment will feature a selection of watches currently listed on eBay that have caught the eye of editor Christoph McNeil (@vintagediver). If you come across any hidden gems on the ‘Bay drop us a note at info@wornandwound.com for potential inclusion. Seiko 6138-0049 Starting off this week with a bang, or rather a bull…head! This vintage Seiko 6138-0049 Bullhead chronograph is a real beauty. The massive steel case is excellent, unpolished with sharp edges and the original polished/brushed finish. The brown dial looks to be in superb condition, with no black funk on the lume or hands. The tachymeter bezel is equally superb. The watch comes on the correct and original fishbone steel bezel, which is always a plus. Seems like this is coming from the original owner, as it includes the original sales receipt. Sadly, no box or papers. However, the watch runs and functions as per the seller. Great opportunity for a really well preserved example of an awesome vintage Seiko chronograph. View auction here Vintage Aquadive  Here’s a nice vintage Aquadive diver from probably the 1970s. The 36.5mm case is chrome plated with a steel back, and the plating is in really solid shape. The edges are nice and crisp as well. The dial is a really cool one, black and gray bullseye style with white painted hour markers and lume filled white baton hands. The orange seconds hand has a classic lume filled lollipop tip for easy reading. The aluminum elapsed ...

Read article