Best dive watch under 1000

If you love vintage watches, you know the value of a great dive watch. Dive watches have been a part of the watch world for a long time, and the pleasant and attractive way these timepieces approach ocean-faring equipment is something to behold.

The problem for many of us, though, is the cost. Grabbing a Rolex Submariner, Omega Seamaster, or another vintage dive watch off the open market will set you back thousands of dollars! But, what if we told you that you can secure a shock-resistant, water-resistant dive watch with plenty of lasting power for less than four figures?

Watch value isn’t always about the price tag. You can bring home a distinctive watch with top specs like a Swiss-made automatic movement, unidirectional rotating bezel, luminous hour markers, and looks that put other watches to shame for a really fair price.

To prove this point, we’ve tested dozens of low-cost diver watches to put together our definitive list of the 6 Best Dive Watches Under $1000 For 2021. Let’s jump in with #6!

The 6 Best Dive Watches Under $1,000 For 2021

6) Luminox Men’s Navy Seal Pacific Diver Analog Watch

Are you ready to experience the kind of watch durability and illumination trusted by Navy Seals for a quarter of a decade? The Luminox Men’s Navy Seal Pacific Diver Watch is rough around the edges in the best of ways, and the blue dial pops with plenty of dimension and verve. The deeply-coined uni-directional dive bezel is easy to grab and turn, and the relatively sparse dial layout is given an added brilliance by Luminox’s self-powering gas-light illumination system.

Specs

Display Window Material: Anti-Reflective Sapphire Crystal

Display Type: Analog

Clasp Style: Deployment Clasp

Case Material: Stainless Steel

Case Diameter: 44 mm

Case Thickness: 12 mm

Strap Material: Stainless Steel

Strap Color: Silver

Dial Color: Blue

Bezel Material: Stainless Steel

Movement: Swiss Quartz

Water Resistance: 200 meters

Pros

• The included Swiss quartz movement keeps time so well and rarely succumbs to clock drift.
• The blue dial has little dips and dives that add depth and make it fun to look at.
• This watch lasts forever! If it can withstand the workday of a Navy Seal, it should be able to last for you.

Cons

• The dial markers lose resonance quicker than expected considering the tritium technology at play.
• The lack of an automatic movement will turn off some mechanical watch aficionados.

5) Tissot Seastar Stainless Steel Powermatic 80 Dive Watch

One of the top established Swiss brands churning out high-quality dive watches for less money, Tissot knows their way around the ocean. And the Tissot Seastar Powermatic 80 Dive Watch is proof positive of that. We love the unidirectional ceramic bezel and the self-winding Powermatic 80 Swiss automatic movement with its lengthy power reserve. To top things off, the screw-down crown and reinforced case back keep this watch ticking along to a depth of 300 meters!

Specs

Display Window Material: Synthetic Sapphire Crystal

Display Type: Analog

Clasp Style: Tang Buckle

Case Material: Stainless Steel

Case Diameter: 43 mm

Case Thickness: 12.7 mm

Strap Material: Rubber

Strap Width: 21 mm

Strap Color: Black

Dial Color: Black

Bezel Material: Ceramic

Movement: Swiss Automatic

Water Resistance: 300 meters

Pros

• 300 meters of water resistance and a great Swiss automatic movement is a heck of a combo.
• The black-on-black setup is really attractive and looks great around any wrist.
• The addition of a high-quality ceramic bezel that turns like a dream is a great selling point.

Cons

• The rubber strap is comfy enough but will take getting used to for some.
• The dial design might be too minimalistic for your tastes.

4) Orient Mako XL Japanese Automatic Diving Watch

For men with larger wrists and/or a love of big-face watches, the Orient Mako XL Japanese Automatic Diving Watch is a revelation. Orient pays homage to some of the best vintage dive watches better than anyone else out there, and the Mako XL has all the hallmarks of beloved timepieces past. Thanks to its spacious watch face and minimalist aesthetic, it’s super easy to see the time from any angle and in any type of light. We also adore the dual-color day/date display with its strong pop of red.

Specs

Display Window Material: Mineral Crystal

Display Type: Analog

Clasp Style: Push Button Fold-Over Clasp with Safety

Case Material: Stainless Steel

Case Diameter: 46 mm

Case Thickness: 13 mm

Strap Material: Stainless Steel

Strap Length: Men’s Standard

Strap Width: 22 mm

Strap Color: Silver

Dial Color: Black

Bezel Material: Stainless Steel

Movement: Automatic

Water Resistance: 200 meters

Pros

• The lume is very bright and stays that way throughout the night.
• The sheer size of this watch is a huge get for those with bigger arms and wrists.
• This watch is a great throwback to luxury watches you’re likely to know and love.

Cons

• The crown honestly feels too small for this watch.
• The movement is older and lacks hacking and hand-winding functionality.

3) Seiko SRPE33 Prospex Men’s Dive Watch

Our current fav Seiko diver watch, the Seiko SRPE33 Prospex Men’s Dive Watch will look familiar to action movie buffs in the audience. A reissue of the watch worn by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movies Predator and Commando, the Seiko Prospex exudes unabashed masculinity with no apologies. And for those watch lovers with visual impairments, Seiko’s LumiBrite lume makes the watch hands and hour markers stand out with emphasis in low-light and high-glare settings.

Specs

Display Window Material: Mineral Crystal

Display Type: Analog

Clasp Style: Push 3-Fold with Secure Lock & Extender

Case Material: Stainless Steel

Case Diameter: 44 mm

Strap Material: Stainless Steel

Strap Color: Silver

Dial Color: Blue

Bezel Material: Stainless Steel

Movement: Automatic

Water Resistance: 200 meters

Pros

• If you want a men’s watch that looks and feels like a real men’s watch, this is one to highlight.
• The LumiBrite lume coating is easy to see in either the vast ocean or a pitch-black room.
• It was worn by Arnold Schwarzenegger in not one, but two classic movies! It’s got the “Arnie” seal of approval!

Cons

• The date window lacks adequate contrast and is hard to read.
• The mineral crystal dial window isn’t the most durable window on this list.

2) Hamilton Khaki Navy Scuba Automatic Dive Watch

If you want an amalgam of the best dive watches ever released for a low price point, go with the Hamilton Khaki Navy Scuba Automatic Dive Watch. The folks over at Hamilton took cues from several different vintage watches to put this one together, adding modern conveniences such as a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal dial window a nylon NATO band that provides more comfort than even the best silicone strap options. Crisp, clean, and lacking pretense, this dive watch does it all without looking busy or boring.

Specs

Display Window Material: Scratch-Resistant Sapphire Crystal

Display Type: Analog

Clasp Style: Tang Buckle

Case Material: Stainless Steel

Case Diameter: 40 mm

Case Thickness: 12.95 mm

Strap Material: Nylon NATO

Strap Width: 20 mm

Strap Color: Black

Dial Color: Black

Bezel Type: Unidirectional Rotating Bezel

Movement: Automatic

Water Resistance: 100 meters

Pros

• The scratch-resistant sapphire crystal dial window is impervious to nicks, scratches, and scuffs.
• The toughness and feel of the Nylon NATO watch strap is quite a breath of fresh air.
• This watch takes design cues from the greats without being overly derivative.

Cons

• It offers just 100 meters of water resistance.
• The bezel has had quality-control issues in the past, so pay close attention when you take it out of the box.

1) Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster Diver Watch

If you’re looking for a true value option, there’s no better timepiece for you to pick than the Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster Dive Watch. It doesn’t fulfill a left-of-center niche or push the boundaries of watch aesthetics. However, it is a truly durable diver watch that benefits from a well-designed watch face and the addition of Citizen’s fantastic Eco-Drive movement. With Eco-Drive on your side and around your wrist, you can use nearly any source of light to keep your watch ticking through the day and night. Add on 200 meters of water resistance and you have an affordable dive watch that will go anywhere and do anything with you for years to come.

Specs

Display Window Material: Mineral Crystal

Display Type: Analog

Clasp Style: Buckle

Case Material: Stainless Steel

Case Diameter: 44 mm

Case Thickness: 12 mm

Strap Material: Polyurethane

Strap Length: Men’s Standard

Strap Width: 2o mm

Strap Color: Black

Dial Color: Black

Bezel Material: Aluminum

Movement: Eco-Drive

Water Resistance: 200 meters

Pros

• It often retails for under $200 per unit!
• Citizen’s Eco-Drive technology puts the power of solar energy to extremely efficient use.
• The stainless steel watch case withstands sudden impacts quite well.

Cons

• Aesthetically, this watch does very little to separate itself from the dive watch pack.
• The aluminum bezel is fine enough but feels slightly flimsy compared to the rest of the watch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there fun, affordable dive watches out there for less than $1,000?

Yes! There is plenty of well-priced dive watches out there that combine modern dive watch design schemes with peak water resistance and entertaining features. Some of the coolest watches we’ve ever profiled are budget-friendly dive watches with great add-ons like double-domed sapphire crystal dial windows with anti-reflective coating, 200 meters of water resistance or more, 48-hour power reserve (or more) functionality with a power reserve indicator, manual-winding capacity, and multi-band atomic timekeeping.

The list above contains our favorite ocean-going timepieces for under $1,000, and they are each extremely fun to wear in their own ways!

Why is a screw-down crown so important for diver watches?

Screw-down crowns are an essential inclusion for modern dive watches, protecting your timepiece from the rigors of scuba diving and ocean play. A proper dive watch uses this winding, threaded crown as an added seal to protect your watch’s inner workings from moisture seeping in. The quintessential dive watch looks great and fends off water equally as well. When looking for diving watches in the marketplace, consider only those professional diver watches that protect your investment from the get-go.

Closing Thoughts

Low-cost dive watches can also be well-made dive watches. Whether you’re new to the watch world or possess a collection of timepieces for every occasion, the six diver watches on the countdown above are the apex of budget-conscious splendor. If you want a quality automatic movement, you’ve got options. If you want a quartz watch that lasts a heck of a long time, it’s right there for you. Grab an ocean-ready diver watch from our curated list soon and you’ll be surprised (and elated) at how much money you’ll save!