Best Dive Watches Under $200 Review

Dive watches are the perfect companion for those who love scuba diving or boating. This type of watch is designed specifically to be submerged underwater. A dive watch also comes with specific features so that it can still provide utility while underwater, such as luminescent hands and hour markers. As such, dive watches are not like your typical watches, but they are versatile enough that you can wear it as a beater watch as well.

In this article, we are focusing specifically on dive watches under $200. For under that price, you can get a watch with 200m of water resistance, excellent lume and legibility while underwater, scratch-resistance, and a unidirectional rotating bezel that can help you keep track of your oxygen levels. Or if you don’t intend on diving at all, these watches will look good on your wrist regardless.

We have already covered the best automatic dive watches under $100, but if you would like to level up and get an even higher quality dive watch with more accurate movements, then this article is a good starting point.

Our Top Picks:

Best Dives Watches Under $200 Recommendations

Disclaimer: At the time of reviewing, these watches were priced at $200 or under. However, prices are constantly in flux and we apologize if some of them have since increased in price.

Orient Ray II

Specs:

• Case Diameter: 41mm
• Case Thickness: 13mm
• Band Width: 22mm
• Water Resistance: 200m/660ft

The Orient Ray II is powered by Orient’s own caliber F6922 movement, which is a highly accurate movement that features handwinding and hacking seconds. With it, your time keeping will be nearly spot-on. This movement is powered by your own arm movement as you go about your day, but you may also wind it manually. When you pull out the crown, the second hand stops moving when you so  it is easier to re-sync.

At under $200, the Ray II has features that you expect in a more expensive watch such as the aforementioned hacking and handwinding, but also a 120-click unidirectional bezel, screw-down crown and caseback, an easy to read, high-contrast dial with its markers and hands filled with lume that is both bright and reliable. With a water resistance rating of 200m, it is more than adequate for most water sports like swimming, snorkeling, and recreational diving.

Lastly, the finish and fit of the Orient Ray II is incredible. It is polished and finely brushed, giving it a luxurious appearance. The bezel and indices are in perfect alignment, with a day and date window at the 3 o’clock position. The watch face is elegant with its embossed logo and stainless steel frame around the date window. The Ray II has a rugged yet classy design that you can wear both casually or in an office setting.

Check out our in-depth review of the Orient Ray II here.

Stauer Evergreen

Specs:

• Case Diameter: 44mm
• Case Thickness: 14mm
• Band Width: 19mm
• Water Resistance: 200m/660ft

If you’re tired of seeing the usual black and dark blue dial and bezel, then here’s a watch that should catch your eye: the Stauer Evergreen. This watch features a vibrant green dial and bezel with a design that is reminiscent of a Rolex homage.

The Stauer Evergreen is stainless steel all-around with its case, bezel, and band. The dial is protected by a hardened mineral crystal, and the bezel is unidirectional with clearly labeled minute markers. This watch is water resistant at 200m thanks to its durable crystal, screw-down crown and caseback.

Looking at the dial, you can see luminescent hour indices and hands, as well as a date window with a magnified cyclops lens. All of this is powered by a Precision 2115 movement

Overall, the Stauer Evergreen is a very solid watch with some minor downsides. First, the bracelet feels cheap, so we recommend replacing it. Next, the lume isn’t so bright underwater, so night diving is out of the question. The bezel will also gain some play after some time.

However, the Stauer Evergreen looks absolutely amazing. We love its bold color scheme and style; it is definitely a watch that will turn heads and lead to spontaneous conversation. Despite looking like it’s worth 5-figures, it is reasonably priced at under $200, and its timekeeping and diving capabilities are solid.

Citizen BN0151-09L Promaster Diver

Specs:

• Case Diameter: 43mm
• Case Thickness: 12mm
• Band Width: 20mm
• Water Resistance: 200m/660ft

Next is the BN0151-09L quartz dive watch from Citizen. This watch is part of Citizen’s Eco-Drive line which basically means that the watch is able to absorb light from natural or artificial sources and convert it into electricity. In other words, this watch charges itself and you never have to worry about it running out of battery.

Depending on where you live or what season it is, for instance if it is constantly cloudy or raining, or if you are wearing a long-sleeve jacket that covers up the watch, then you may have to make a small effort to expose the watch to some light so it can recharge.

Being a quartz watch, the BN0151-09L is extremely accurate with its timekeeping. You rarely need to manually re-sync this watch.

In addition to its Eco-drive technology and quartz movement, it has all of the features you’d expect from a dive watch: unidirectional bezel, screw-down crown and caseback, lume filled markers and hands, and so on.

There are two versions of this watch that you can get. The BN0151-09L has a blue dial and even its lume is a blue color, whereas the BN0150L-28E is the version with the black dial. Both variations have a very circular shape, reminiscent of the ‘tuna can’ style of diver, with only a few protrusions in the form of the crown, crown guards, and lugs.

When you purchase any watch from Citizen’s Eco-drive line of watches you can be confident in knowing that your watch uses great technology (Eco-drive), has an attractive design, has an accurate quartz movement, and has unbeatable value for its price.

Seiko 5 Diver Sports

Specs:

• Case Diameter: 44mm
• Case Thickness: 12mm
• Band Width: 20mm
• Water Resistance: 100m/330ft

You may be familiar with Seiko’s Monster line of watches, and the Seiko 5 sports can be considered a “mini-monster.” The Seiko 5 has similar styling and build quality with absolutely terrific lume. It uses the same movement as the ones found in the 2nd gen series of Seiko’s Monster line, all of which are ISO certified with 200m of depth resistance.

Unfortunately, the Seiko 5 is not a true dive watch. This watch only has a 100m water resistance rating, and does not have a screw-down crown or crown guards. However, what you do get instead is a sleek exhibition case back that lets you see the shiny 4R36 movement in action. Also, the Seiko 5 is roughly half the cost as its 2nd/3rd gen Monster counterparts.

With the 4R36 movement you get hacking and hand-winding functionality, both of which are necessary features if you like to ensure that your watch is keeping time accurately. Even if the average person may not use them, they are nice to have if they ever decide to play around with it.

Furthermore, the Seiko 5 is not just a clone of the Seiko’s Monster watches. Each variant has a unique, stylistic element and a different color scheme. There are similarities between them, however little details like a distinctive set of dial markers and bezel designs help them stand out.

What isn’t so obvious in photos or videos you see online are the gold borders around the lumed markers. They are highly reflective and reflect the light in a striking manner that is simply breathtaking.

The bezel of this specific variant is made of stainless steel and has a surface treatment that makes it look like it is cut from a precious gemstone, given its onyx hue. What’s more, the color shifts depending on the angle you view it at, and at times it can look jet black.

All in all, the Seiko 5 is a sporty dive-inspired watch that is quite the looker. It knows what it’s trying to be, and that’s why it doesn’t even have a screw-down crown or crown guards. Instead, it bares all with its exhibition caseback that shows its complicated 4R36 movement in action. If you are in for a stylish timepiece then this is the one.

Wenger Sea Force 3H

Specs:

• Case Diameter: 43mm
• Case Thickness: 12mm
• Band Width: 21mm
• Water Resistance: 200m/660ft

The Wenger Sea Force 3H is a Swiss quartz watch that comes in many black and chrome variations, but the one that really stands out is the one with the blue dial. It is simply the perfect shade of blue. Most dive watches have a royal, bright blue dial and bezel, but this one is a lighter shade of aqua blue that looks amazing under any light.

Furthermore, the dial is clean with some horizontal line textures and hands with a simple pointed tip. The markers, hands, and bezel pip are filled with lume. The Sea Force 3H has a coated sapphire crystal that provides superior scratch-resistance compared to mineral or Hardlex crystals.

That’s not all that is durable about this watch. The stainless steel case of the Wenger Sea Force 3H seems to be much more sturdy than other watches in a similar price category. Even though they may also have a stainless steel case, this one seems to be made from an even harder steel that doesn’t get nicked or scratched as easily.

As expected from any respectable dive watch, the Sea Force 3H has a unidirectional bezel and a screw-down crown, and screw-down case back, hence how it has 200m of water resistance. The crown has concentric grooves and looks nice by itself. However, the grooves are more of a stylistic benefit, as they don’t do much for grip when trying to loosen or tighten the crown.

Additionally, this watch has many strap options available so you can get the perfect one that looks nice and fits your wrist. It’s clear, however, that certain options are more popular, such as the black silicone rubber or steel bracelet, so those might be pricier. The included band is made of thicker rubber, very flexible, and fits larger wrists.

Overall, the Wenger Sea Force 3H is sharp-looking, reasonably-priced, and Swiss made. It comes with all of the things you want a dive watch to have: sapphire crystal, screw-down crown, screw-down caseback, excellent quartz movement, and a nice looking dial. Furthermore, the watch is just beautiful and is available at a low price; you should just buy it, no questions asked.

Invicta Men’s 10640

Specs:

• Case Diameter: 47mm
• Case Thickness: 18mm
• Band Width: 20mm
• Water Resistance: 300m/984ft

Invicta is well-known for providing budget homage dive watches that look like they should be worth ten times the price than they actually cost. For this reason, you either love them or hate them; love them for their low prices, or hatefully call them cheap knock-offs. Whatever you may think about them, Invicta’s 10640 dive watch is a watch to look out for.

One of the main selling points for this watch is its pearlescent quality when the sunlight reflects off of it due to the vibrant lume they used on the dial. Normally, lume is only applied on the hands and the markers. For the 10640, the entire dial is covered in lume and lights up majestically. It lasts such a long time, it will literally glow all night.

The bright glow of this watch is truly a sight to behold, and you will be getting stares and compliments whenever you wear it out. In fact, its brightness may even go so far as to be a downside; if you are wearing it while sleeping in your tent on a camping trip, it will feel like you are sleeping with a night light.

Despite calling itself a “Grand Diver”, this watch is part of Invicta’s Pro Diver line. It comes with a Seiko automatic movement, the NH35A, which is very accurate and dependable with a 40 hour power reserve.

The 10640 is probably the most durable watch you can get at a price under $200. Despite not having a sapphire crystal, this thing is built like a tank. The stainless steel case and bracelet feel like they are indestructible. You can put the glass through hell and back and it will come back with nary a scratch. Whether it is camping trips, excursions to the beach, or any other rough physical activity, this watch can endure it all.

Out of all of the watches in this list, this one has the deepest water resistant rating at 300m/984ft. It has a screw-down crown, unidirectional rotating bezel, and a display case back so you can see the movement in action.

We have a few minor complaints about this watch. First – and this is a general complaint for all Invicta watches – it says “Invicta” in way too many places. Invicta sure do love the sound of their name. Invicta should probably get rid of some of their text saying “Invicta.” Invicta, Invicta, Invicta. See how annoying that’s getting? That should give you an idea.

Next, this watch sits high on the wrist due to how the end links attach to the lugs. Also, the display caseback adds 5mm of thickness alone. It’s quite a bulky watch. Finally, it lacks the polish that a Seiko would have. There are rough spots and imperfections in the steel around the edge of the case. It’s tough to see unless you remove the bracelet, but it’s there.

Overall, the Invicta 10640 is a truly unique timepiece that provides great value for what it offers. With a dial that is fully covered in lume and can glow all night, you will be able to reliably use it no matter the environment. It is also seriously durable, with a 300m/984ft depth rating, so you can basically take it everywhere you want without worry. This watch wears big and performs reliably; you can’t go wrong with the Invicta 10640.

For more reviews of Invicta Pro Diver collection dive watches, we recommend you read our comprehensive review.

Casio MDV106-1AV

Specs:

• Case Diameter: 44mm
• Case Thickness: 12mm
• Band Width: 20mm
• Water Resistance: 200m/660ft

Many of the watches in this selection provide great value for the money, but none of them punch above their weight quite like the Casio MDV106-1AV. When shopping for dive and dive-inspired watches, you could easily spend several hundreds, upwards of thousands of dollars. Somehow, Casio have managed to pack all of the same features found in those more expensive watches along with a quartz movement, all in one stylish watch, and at a price point well under $100.

The Casio MDV106-1AV is reminiscent of the myriad expensive watches from famous brands like Seiko on up, at a fraction of the price, and it comes from a legendary watch manufacturer as well. For basically a pittance you get a stylish, sporty, and durable stainless steel sports watch for everyday use.

This watch has a nifty marlin logo on it and it claims to be water resistant down to depths of 200m/660ft. And to all the people who want to call its bluff, the MDV106-1AV also has a screw-down crown with crown guards, screw-down caseback, and a unidirectional rotating bezel. The rotating bezel clicks and locks in place and everything. You may need some silicone to loosen up the bezel the first time, but otherwise it works fantastically. For a price of around $50, you are getting a true dive watch.

Looking at its dial, you can see a very visible date window at the 3 o’clock position. The hour and minute hands feature an arrow and spear white and silver design, with a white-tipped spear for the second hand. There are no numbers to be found on the face, only white rectangles at the 3, 6, and 9 o’clock position, and white circles elsewhere. For 12 o’clock, you get the typical diver’s double squared-off delta.

The markers and hands are filled with lume to help with diving at night or in dark environments. The luminosity is quite good; it lasts about 4 hours when it is fully charged up. The hands light up brighter than the markers. Unfortunately, the small hands make them hard to see as the lume starts to fade.

Going over to the band, it is completely serviceable and there is nothing wrong with the included band. However, you can swap it out easily and since you’ve already saved so much money by buying this watch, you can pony up a few extra dollars for a better band.

Obviously, there are better watches for the money. However, if we are talking strictly about which watch provides the best value for the money, the Casio MDV106-1AV may literally be the best one. Watch snobs may sneer at this affordable entry-level model, but even they have to admit this is one to look out for.

You can check out our in-depth review of the Casio Duro MDV106-1AV by clicking here.

How to Select a Dive Watch Under $200 – Buying Guide

Just because a watch is within your budget doesn’t mean it’s worth buying. Not all watches are made equal, and even in the under-$200 price range, there are significant differences between each watch. Thus, there are some additional considerations you need to make before selecting a watch.

The watches that we reviewed in this article have been selected based on the criteria that we will be going over below. If you do not like what we have selected and want to do your own independent research, then this is where you can learn how to sort the wheat from the chaff. If a dive watch, after considering these factors, still seems like a solid buy, then by all means get that watch.

Maximum Depth & Water Resistance

Since you are shopping for a dive watch, the first thing you should consider is its maximum depth/water resistance rating. You should find it printed near the bottom of the dial, usually above the 6 o’clock marker. This rating is how far underwater the watch can withstand the water pressure without any water ingress.

A basic dive watch should have a depth rating of at least 100m/330ft. This is adequate for activities near the surface of the water, such as swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, and shallow freediving. A depth rating of 200m/660ft is suitable for recreational scuba diving. It is generally recommended to stay well below the depth rating, particularly if the watch is not ISO 6425 certified.

What is ISO 6425 certification?

One sneaky thing that some sellers do is list their watch with a decent depth rating, such as 200m, but then throw in a “not suitable for scuba diving” somewhere in their product description. We find this behavior very unethical, because they clearly have marketed their product as a dive watch and even bothered to label it as 200m water resistant, only to contradict themselves later on.

To avoid this, you should look for a product that has been ISO 6425 certified. What this means is that the watch has passed the strict criteria set forth by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for water resistance in a dive watch. A watch that is ISO 6425 certified is truly a dive watch, and all others are in name only.

If a dive watch is ISO certified, then you can be confident that when it says it has 100m/330ft or 200m/660ft of water resistance, that it truly meets those numbers. (Note: in order to be ISO certified, technically a watch has to resist over 25% of the rated pressure, so a 200m dive watch has been tested at depths of 250m). How’s that for a guarantee?

Size

When it comes to the size of the dive watch, there are a few factors to keep in mind: case diameter, lug-to-lug distance, and bezel size. The case diameter is the measurement that is most readily available while shopping for a new watch.

Watch sizing can be a complicated topic due to the wide variety of shapes and sizes that humans come in. As such, there are no rules written in stone. Sometimes you wear a watch that looks good and feels good, even if it might be “too big” or “too small” for your wrist size. With that said, it is better to at least be aware of the “rules” and break them knowingly, than to be completely ignorant of them.

Case Diameter

The case diameter is the measurement of the distance from one edge of the bezel, past the dial, to the other edge. It should not be confused with the lug-to-lug distance.

Unsurprisingly, watches marketed towards women are quite small, whereas men’s watches are much bigger. For instance, a woman’s dive watch may have a case diameter of only 24mm. Obviously a smaller watch is a better fit for a small wrist, but just make sure you are still able to tell the time on the watch! This is especially true if you plan on diving; you need to make sure the hands and hour markers are still visible in low-light environments.

The vast majority of dive watches are designed for men and they tend to have a case diameter of 36-46mm. Some extra large ones can go past 50mm. If you have small wrists, you should consider getting a dive watch under 40mm. Generally, men with smaller wrists (6-7”) wouldn’t wear a dive watch bigger than 42mm. On the other hand, case diameters of 45mm+ is better suited for 8” or larger wrists.

Bezel Size

How thick the bezel is relative to the overall case diameter can affect how big or small a watch looks. For instance, a watch with a thick bezel (and therefore a smaller dial) will look smaller than a watch with a thin bezel and bigger dial, even if both case diameters are the same.

Lug-to-Lug Distance

Possibly even more important than the case diameter in determining how big a dive watch looks when worn is the lug-to-lug distance. The lug-to-lug distance is the measurement of the length from the tip of the top lugs to the tip of the bottom lugs. This number will be bigger than the case diameter.

The lugs are the pieces of metal that stick out from the top and bottom of the watch and they are where you attach the strap/bracelet to. Some watches have extremely long lugs, and this causes them to overhang the wrist and look large even if the case diameter is small.

Lug Shape

The shape of the lug affects the lug-to-lug distance. Some are pointy and stick straight out, and this shape is better for people with thick, flat-topped wrists. Other lugs have a significant sloped curve, intended to contour to the natural shape of the wrist, and these are perfect for sitting snugly on curved wrists. If the lug shape doesn’t suit your wrist, then it can cause the watch to look disproportionate..

Style

When it comes to style, we enter into the realm of fashion and what’s in vogue changes from day to day. Of course, you can just not care what others think and get a watch that looks good to you. Generally speaking, dive watches are tool watches and therefore they are designed to look and be sturdy.

Many people buy dive watches hoping to wear it like a dress watch and to be honest, some dive watches are visually appealing enough to pull it off. However, don’t be surprised if the watch is slightly bulkier or heavier than what you would normally wear.

Want a dive watch under $200 that looks like a Rolex Submariner? Watches that have obviously taken inspiration from the classics are known as homage watches, and at this price point, this is the closest you can get to the real thing.

Usability

Do you actually plan on diving with your dive watch? No, we aren’t judging you, so don’t be ashamed if the answer is honestly “No.” Many people who buy dive watches have never been on a dive and never plan on going on one either. If that’s the case, then whether a watch is ISO certified or not becomes less of a priority.

If you plan on diving with your watch, then we highly recommend looking for one with a water resistance rating of at least 200m. You should also make sure that the bezel is unidirectional, that the watch has a screw-down crown with crown guards, and that the lume is bright enough to see in the dark.

Whether you plan on diving or not, the accuracy of the watch is important and therefore you should pay attention to what kind of movement it has. Quartz movements are the most accurate, whereas automatic movements are less so, but serviceable. You may need to manually reset the time every few days, or once a week, to ensure that the time isn’t off by more than a minute.

Reliability

Everybody wants their purchase to last forever, however when it comes to buying a budget watch, you often get what you pay for. Pay attention to the materials used. Since your budget is under $200, then there will be some areas where compromises have to be made in order to keep the costs low. Ideally, you want a watch that is mostly made of stainless steel with a sapphire crystal.

The most common areas where entry-level watches compromise on are the crystal, lume, and bracelet. Most watches at this price point will only have a mineral crystal, but a select few may have a more durable sapphire crystal. Mineral crystals will get scratched more easily, and generally will not have an anti-reflective coating.

How easily you can see your watch while underwater or at night depends on how much lume there is and its quality. In budget watches, the lume will often not be very bright nor last a long time, so it is basically not very usable in the dark.

Next, the strap/bracelet is another area where the quality is often low. If there are spaces between the links, for example, then the bracelet will jiggle and feel cheap. You may also feel your skin or hair getting pinched between the links which makes it very unpleasant to wear.

Frequently Asked Questions

How deep can I dive with a dive watch?

A dive watch should have a depth rating of at least 100m. Unless the watch is ISO certified, we would only use a 100m watch for snorkeling, swimming, or other water activities near the surface. If you plan on freediving, you can specifically get a freediving watch instead of a dive watch.

If you actually plan on diving, we recommend a diver that is rated for at least 200m and is ISO certified. ISO certified watches have been rated to resist water pressures at 25% over its claimed capacity, so you can be sure that there will be no water ingress at depth. If the watch is not ISO certified then you dive with it at your own risk.

How big of a difference is there between a budget and high-end dive watch?

There is a big difference between a budget dive watch and a high end one. However, is there really a big enough difference to justify spending 10, 20, sometimes even 50x the price difference? If you are on a tight budget, the answer is a resounding NO. This is definitely not one of those cases where spending more money for a high-end product is a better use of your money.

The reason for that is for many decades dive watches were a luxury product that were worn exclusively by the affluent. To this day, people still wear them to express a high social status. Think Omega Seamaster and Rolex Submariner, the kinds of watches James Bond would wear. When you pay for a high-end watch you are not paying for the functionality, but for the status and the iconic look.

Thus, when you compare a $1,000 watch to a $10,000 one, in terms of functionality, there is not that much of a difference. There are even dive watches under $200 that can punch above their weight and hold their own against significantly more expensive watches.

What you can expect from a high-end watch is: better materials, superior craftsmanship, a significantly higher depth rating (say, 1000m), more accurate movement, and of course, the looks of envy you will get from other people.

We mentioned above in the Reliability section the areas where budget watches often compromise on to keep costs low, which are its crystal, lume, and bracelet. However, they are serviceable enough for an entry-level watch and just might be the stepping stone you need before you decide to invest in something more expensive down the line.

How do I take care of my dive watch?

Knowing that your dive watch is ISO certified and that it can withstand the water pressure at depths of 200m or more, you may feel that your dive watch is indestructible. Unfortunately, that’s not true. For example, even though a dive watch is waterproof, you should not be showering with it. The humidity, high heat, and soap can damage the watch even if there is no water ingress.

Furthermore, you should occasionally wipe your dive watch down using a soft microfiber cloth or use a soft-bristled toothbrush to scrub off any dirt. Avoid using any chemicals because they can corrode the watch’s case.

Follow the maintenance instructions as described in the included manual that came with your watch. It may recommend sending the watch in to get serviced once every one to three years. When a watch gets serviced, the technician will test that it is still water resistant at the rated depth and that all the components are in perfect working order. Of course, you must do your part to ensure that your dive watch lasts as long as possible as well.

Last update on 2024-04-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API