Although men have a wide variety to choose from when it comes to dive watch styles, women aren’t so lucky in that regard. There are fewer options for women, making it difficult to buy the best watch for your needs. That’s especially true if your budget is limited. You need to select a functional watch, but you don’t want it to be heavy, cumbersome, or unattractive. The best dive watches for women have features that will come in handy when you’re beneath the water’s surface but serve you just as well on land.
Table of Contents
- Our Favorite Women’s Dive Watches: A Quick Guide
- Women’s Dive Watches in Detail
Our Favorite Women’s Dive Watches: A Quick Guide
We’re highlighting our favorite dive watches for women, detailing their features and specifications so that you can decide on the one that suits you best. Below is a summary of the ones that made it to the top of our list.
TAG Heuer Women’s WBD1414.BA0741
Citizen Women’s Promaster Sea EP6050-17E
Women’s Dive Watches in Detail
#1. Tag Heuer Aquaracer WBD1414.BA0741 Stainless Steel Dress Watch
When you’re purchasing a watch that you’re going to submerge in deep water and wear during your aqua adventures, you might overlook a piece that’s described as a dress watch. After all, that sounds fancy and delicate.
But a dive watch doesn’t have to be bulky or sporty. This one carries all the quality and benefits of the Tag Heuer brand and looks classy whether you’re snorkeling, meeting with colleagues at the office, or heading to happy hour.
Durability and Waterproofing
Even though you might want to protect your investment, you should know that this watch can take a beating. The stainless steel is difficult to scratch or dent. It won’t tarnish, rust, or break even with heavy use.
Moreover, the sapphire crystal that protects the window is the most durable available. It features an anti-reflective surface that lets you see the display even in harsh light. Plus, you won’t get strange reflections that interfere with your dive on a sunny day.
You don’t have to worry about ruining your timepiece while scuba diving or swimming. It offers water resistance to a depth of 1,000 feet.
Display
One of the main concerns that women have, especially when shopping for sports watches, is size. The diameter of the Tag Heuer Aquaracer’s display is 1.06 inches. It’s ideal for people with small wrists and won’t interfere with your hand or wrist movements.
Its small size doesn’t detract from its readability. However, it does mean that the indicators on the dial are small too. It’s not hard to read. However, the calendar, which only contains the numerical date, might be difficult to make out.
When the light is dark outside or submerged under the water, you won’t have trouble seeing the time. The hands and hour markers contain Super Luminova. This luminous coating makes the essential parts of the display glow in the dark.
Movement and Additional Features
All of Tag Heuer’s movements are Swiss quartz. The watch is powered by a long-lasting battery and maintains impeccable accuracy.
Like many dive watches, this timepiece contains a rotating bezel. This is an excellent way to track your time, whether you’re tracking your oxygen levels underwater or simply monitoring your time on land.
There’s no doubt that this is a high-end watch. Therefore, you might wonder if it’s going to stay securely fastened as you go through all of your activities and undertakings. The stainless-steel safety bracelet clasp requires you to push the buttons on the sides to open it. It won’t spring open unexpectedly.
What’s the Tagheuer Aquaracer’s Standout Feature?
The Swiss movement and Tagheuer name are hard to beat.
#2. Citizen Women’s Promaster Sea EP6050-17E
If you’re looking for a dive watch that is rugged and looks sporty, you might want to check out the Citizen Women’s Promaster Sea EP6050-17E. This model features a casual style, but it’s still elegant enough to wear to work.
Durability and Waterproofing
This watch is designed to get wet. The silicone armband doesn’t hold onto water or dirt. It also won’t trap your arm hair. It fits securely and has a wavy design toward the face of the watch to hold it in place. Although the silicone is pliable, it is resistant to breakage. Just be careful that you don’t slice it with a sharp object.
The face of the watch can take a beating too. It’s made of mineral crystal, the most popular material for this part of the watch. It’s scratch-resistant, and it won’t fog up or get cloudy. However, it is slightly less durable than a sapphire crystal.
Still, this watch is excellent for diving. The stainless-steel screwed case back keeps dust out and withstands water pressure without leakage. You can also use it at depths of 660 feet.
Display
This timepiece’s substantial watch face and dark colors make it look tough. With a 33.5-inch case that’s 11.3 millimeters thick, the watch attracts the eye. However, it’s not so heavy that it will interfere with your activities. The crown is located at the 4 o’clock position, perfect for preventing it from digging into your skin when you flex your wrist.
The thick hands and number locations glow with different colors, making it easy to tell time. The watch also has a calendar, but it’s located in an unlikely place. It sits next to the crown, at 4 o’clock.
Movement and Additional Features
Because this watch has the Eco-drive feature, it’s powered by light. You don’t have to worry about exposing it to the sun to charge the battery. Any light charges the battery. When it has been fully charged, the watch can run for six to eight months in complete darkness. If you wear it regularly, you never have to worry about running out of battery power.
What’s the Citizen Women’s Promaster Sea’s Standout Feature?
We love the fact that it uses light to charge the battery.
#3. Momentum Women’s M1 Splash
The Momentum M1 Splash dive watch has many features reminiscent of the Citizen Promaster Sea timepiece. However, it has a slightly larger case and comes in a broader array of colors for the face and the band.
Durability and Waterproofing
The name of this watch says a lot. The timepiece is made for swimming, diving, and playing in the rain.
With an Italian-made natural rubber band, this watch is resilient. It resists dirt and moisture. Plus, it’s comfortable and won’t stretch out. As an added surprise, it has a subtle vanilla scent.
You don’t have to worry about being too rough on this watch. The sapphire crystal is impervious to scratches. Even the stainless-steel case is resistant to scratches.
Divers can wear the watch to depths of 660 feet. For extra water resistance, the crown screws into its socket. This provides a secure seal against moisture.
Display
Even though it’s on the larger side, the Splash has a sophisticated design, with a bright white dial and understated details. It makes an ideal watch for men who want something smaller than they can typically find in their category.
The bezel, which is made of polished stainless steel, has an understated band of color that corresponds with the band. Combined with the Lume dial, which glows for two to four hours on a full charge, the coloring enhances the visibility of your timepiece. Only the display glows in the dark. The hands are tough to make out in dim light, but the ample case size helps you read the time.
Movement and Additional Features
The Japanese quartz movement provides flawless accuracy. It is assembled by hand and tested for quality in North America. However, you’ll have to replace the silver oxide battery every three to five years.
What’s the Momentum Splash’s Standout Feature?
The vibrant colors of the band and bezel inserts make a statement.
#4. Seiko SKX013K2 Black Dial Automatic Divers Midsize Watch
This is a man’s watch, but it’s sized for a smaller wrist. Plus, it has many great features for divers, blending its strong features with plenty of class.
Durability and Waterproofing
The case and band of this watch are made from stainless steel. It doesn’t look like something that would withstand intense activity, but it does. The stainless steel doesn’t scratch. The foldover deployment band has a safety lock that prevents the watch from slipping off during rough play. You can also choose a rubber band if you want the watch to match your wetsuit.
This watch has a screw-down crown for extra waterproofing capabilities like the Momentum. The back screws on for a water-tight fit. It also offers water resistance to a depth of 660 feet.
Display
This dial features white markers on a black background. The LumiBrite pigment on the hands and markers makes it easy to tell the time in the dark. It’s also some of the strongest Lume out there, with ten times the glow time than typical Lume.
One feature that differentiates this watch from others is that it displays the day and date on the calendar. In addition, the crown is at 4 o’clock, which is a surprising comfort feature.
Movement and Additional Features
This watch has automatic Japanese movement that lasts for 40 hours if you’re not wearing the watch. It charges up as you wear it.
What’s the Seiko SKX013K2’s Standout Feature?
The LumiBrite dial makes it easy to read at any depth.
Women’s Dive Watches FAQs
Now that you have an idea about some of the best dive watches, you may have questions about these timepieces in general.
How is a Women’s Dive Watch Different Than a Man’s?
Men’s watches are typically bolder designs and have a giant face. However, that’s not always the way. Once you know the watch size that fits you best, you can shop by size. Women’s watches are typically smaller than 38 millimeters.
What Makes a Dive Watch Waterproof?
A dive watch must not only be waterproof but also handle the water pressure at depths of about 100 feet. Most waterproof timepieces have screw-on backs and crowns, with thicker cases and crystals than regular watches. Dive watches also have bands that won’t absorb moisture, which means that they’re also great to wear during workouts.
The International Standards Organization, or ISO, requires dive watches to be waterproof to 328 feet. But recreational divers are only allowed to submerge themselves to a maximum depth of 130 feet. The increased depths are for technical divers. An official dive watch must be certified by the ISO standard 6425. However, many uncertified dive watches have features and waterproofing qualities that make them ideal for diving.
Can You Read a Dive Watch Underwater?
Look for a dive watch with luminous pigment on the hands and markers. This glows in the dark after it has been charged in the light, helping you see in the dimness under the water. The crystal should also be anti-fog so that you don’t have to wipe it off to read the time when you’re in and out of the water.
Why Are Some Dive Watches so Expensive Compared to Others?
With any watch, you’re paying for the name, quality, and craftsmanship. That doesn’t mean that you can’t find a great dive watch at a low price. However, it does suggest that you can rely on high-end, well-known brands to stand up to their reputation. More expensive watches may have additional features for divers, such as helium valves and better visibility.
What’s the Best Dive Watch For Me?
All watches in this article will stand up to recreational diving, swimming, and snorkeling. Because they’re waterproof, you don’t have to worry about ruining them in the shower or a particularly sweaty workout.
Although the Tag Heuer Aquaracer is our top pick, the other options are ideal if you’re on a budget. Each timepiece has its benefits. Plus, aesthetics have a lot to do with it, and that’s a very personal choice. Ultimately, you should select the watch that you feel most comfortable and confident wearing. All of these dive watches are practical.