How to tell if a watch is truly a diver's watch

[hwttdz]

How can one tell if a watch has been tested according to ISO 6425 (dive spec) vs ISO 2281 (recreational spec). According to wikipedia the word divers denotes dive spec, and water resistant denotes recreational spec. However many watches omit any words from the dial and just state a depth, and some watches which are dive spec use the words water resistant, at least in the website descriptions, such as the omega 2231.50.00. I would have expected that if a watch was certified the manufacturer would see fit to brag about passing standards. So my questions are, is a list of tested watches maintained? is there something else that I should be looking for when looking at watches?

[diver88]

I always considered any dive watch "dive worthy" if it were rated at least 200m , nothing less. buy good quality, and have it tested before getting it wet, always worked for me.

diver88

[hwttdz]

But the thing is there are two different 200 m specifications (200m 2281 and 200m 6425), so how do you tell which one it is? Do you think both are fine for diving? Where do you have a watch tested?

[ulackfocus]

I guess you have to take a deep breath, jump off the boat and swim directly down. If you expire before the watch does it's probably a well made piece. Sorry, I can't resist a good set-up.

I would worry about ratings because there seems to be loopholes. The manufacturers know that it would be a rare case for somebody to actually take a watch over 600 feet deep. If there is a definitive answer I'd like to know also.

[hwttdz]

Can someone glance at the back of the case of a nicer diving watch and see if it says diver or diver's next to the depth. Possibly the back of the case is the true measure. I can confirm on lesser watches they say water resistant, which I take to imply 2281.

[diver88]

none of my "nicer" dive watches say anything on the back.
my Seiko SKX-175K1 say's "Scuba Diver's". but again, if a dive watch say's it's good to 200M and it's of reasonable quality, I figure it's OK.

I have my local watchmaker do a pressure/water test on mine when I'm about to be gone on a scuba trip for a period of time or once a year for the ones I don't use as much.

diver88

[scottw44]

I think this is one of those questions with a million answers. There are many independent tests out there that one can consult for actual results.

Also, certain watches are known entities with years of proven results.

I wouldn't "dive in" to an unknown entity if I were to be counting on my watch at depth.

I'd also want at least 330 meters at a minimum for diving as the watch will be exposed to pressure in the water, and thus max out at a lower depth. Think of the force a watch is exposed to in diving.

Lastly, not all watches adhere to standard markings...here is the back of a Rolex SD for example:


Here is an older Blancpain FF case back:


Case Back of John's Sea Master:

[hwttdz]

Although I'm sure there are many independent tests, it's always hard to know what exactly they're testing and what their motivations might be to skew results. The reason that I asked about the tests that I did is because they are internationally recognized tests, the guidelines are defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The diver specifications were only set in 1993 so no pre 1993 watches could have been tested for specifications at the time of manufacture. But clearly you show some post 1993 watches which show no such markings. So I guess it's back to researching each watch on an individual basis, which isn't such a bad thing in any case. Thank you for your help.

[diver88]

I think this is one of those questions with a million answers.
I'd also want at least 330 meters at a minimum for diving as the watch will be exposed to pressure in the water, and thus max out at a lower depth. Think of the force a watch is exposed to in diving

you kinda lost me Scott, can you explain please....

the one I have on right now says 1220m I think, but I guess the type of diving might be an important part of this question. the type of scuba diving that most folks would do could be described loosely as "recreational diving" and as a rule suggests about 130 feet maximum depth, thats why a watch with a rating of at least 660 feet is usually considered a full out "diver watch" and is warranted against water intrusion by the manufacturer since it would be highly unlikely that a recreational diver could ever wave their arms around enough to equal the necessary pressure equivalent greater than 660 feet to create a seal failure at depth.
going deeper would most likely create a "decompression diver" situation and possibly the need for a He valve, so we should ask whether the new diver watch might see recreational or more technical diving activities..

on a side note, the course director that did several of my certifications never has worn a watch that ever had a rating better that 100m and for years wore a 50m plastic Casio digital watch and never experienced a failure in thousands of dives.. and besides, these days a dive watch is usually a backup to a computer and remember, you should never dive alone...so

diver88

[bullosa]

I agree with Diver88. Unless you are a deep sea salvage diver, it is unlikely that you will dive beyond 150ft below. A 200m DIN ISO rated diver watch suffice for most cases. If you dive, have your watch tested every year to be on the safe side.

Cheers!