The Automatic Dive Watch

The Automatic Dive Watch is unique for its tremendous water resistance and durability. Although commonplace now, when they were first introduced, with the bezel encircling the face they were also considered quite unique in appearance, and many of today's moderns sports watches are indebted to them for their design and styling.

An Automatic Dive Watch is made for underwater divers, usually scuba divers and also sometimes saturation dives. These days they typically have a water resistance of 200-300 meters, a unidirectional bezel ,except those with electronic displays for measuring elapsed time, and a case made from material resistant to the corrosive nature of seawater, such as Titanium, Stainless Steel, and Ceramic.

A genuine Dive watch will need to conform to the ISO 6425 standard. A watch that conforms to this will be clearly marked "Dive" .

The main ISO 6425 standard requirements are:

1.Be water resistant to a minimum of 100m 

2. Have a unidirectional Bezel with 5 minute markings 

3. Be readable in total darkness at 25cm 

4.Show that its running -usually through an illuminous second hand.

5.Be Shock, Magnet and chemical resistant. 

6.Have a strap capable of withstanding 200N of force.