How To Use a Dive Watch

Let’s take a surrealist plunge into how to use a dive watch.

Recently, I was wondering why it is that dive watches have come to be so much more than just…well…dive watches! And then I thought about it a little more.

Dive watches are more dependable and more durable than the average daily wristwatch. Although useful for a specific application, they’re great for wearing every day of the week.  

But an official dive watch must complete a series of checks first. The watch must adhere to the requirements outlined by the ISO 6425 standard and pass a series of tests. 

Diver’s watches must reach a certain level of water resistance and possess certain design features. These include a unidirectional rotating bezel and a legible dial for use in total darkness.

Of course, one of the key reasons why dive watches are such a popular choice is due to their distinctive style. In an industry where watch dials can be hard to tell apart, dive watches have an instantly identifiable look.  

On paper, their bold bezels, chunky cases, and distinctive dial features don’t tango with every outfit. Fifty years ago, you wouldn’t be seen dead wearing a dive watch alongside a suit! In today’s world, however, everything from gym attire to semi-formal suits goes!

Maybe that’s why everyone is wearing a dive watch these days. OK, so maybe not everyone. But if you’re reading this article, you must be thinking of buying one yourself. If you are, or if you already have one, here’s how to use it!  

How To Effectively Utilize a Dive Watch

If you want to know how to use a dive watch, you’re probably a diver, a keen snorkeler, or maybe an underwater cave explorer. 

Or maybe you’re none of these. Perhaps you just want to know how to actually use that thing you’ve been wearing for three years that just looks cool! So, here goes.

Blancpain designed the rotating bezel back in the 1950s. It came long before the digital dive computers of today. Back in the days of early scuba diving, a dive watch was a foolproof way to measure elapsed time.

Today, we still use its reliable, water-resistant construction to back up the electronic digital dive computer and all its wizardry.  

Put simply, a dive watch measures elapsed time when you align the bezel with the minute hand. Doing so enables you to monitor how long you have been underwater. 

A common misconception about using dive watches is that the bezel monitors the remaining air in the tank. But that’s not true. 

The rate at which a diver uses the air in his tank depends on several factors. Factors like how much the diver exerts himself underwater and how he breathes.  

And what if you don’t dive at all? Well, that’s not all that uncommon. In fact, it’s not often that people invest in a dive watch for the sole purpose of diving with it. Although always a great underwater tool, these purpose-built watches are now luxury icons, too.

Most watches never go beyond the deep end of the pool, which makes mastering how to use them less of a priority. Still, it’s good to know how, even if you’re just showing off in front of your watch-nerd friends.  

The Appeal of the Dive Watch Rotating Bezel

The appeal of the dive watch’s rotating bezel lies in a blend of sturdy, durable materials and remarkable water resistance. Although these features are necessary for use underwater, they also constitute a great daily beater. These watches, especially from the luxury sector, serve as accessories for formal or casual attire, too. 

In addition to the masculine tool-watch look of the dive watch, the unidirectional rotating also serves as a general timing device. We can use it in plenty of situations in day-to-day life. Use it to time anything, whether that be boiling an egg or keeping track of your laundry!

If, however, you do intend to use your watch for diving, the bezel is a functional feature. 

Years and years of dive watch heritage is a testament to how these watches perform underwater. This genre of luxury timepiece is just as popular today as it was decades ago. Quite clearly, it proves it has a place in the modern world.  

How To Use a Dive Watch Bezel

The unidirectional rotating bezel on a dive watch is one of the most rudimentary and straightforward time-measuring methods.  

The feature is suitable for basic, shallow, single gas dives only and as a backup for timekeeping during complex scuba dives.  

Firstly, it’s worth noting that not all dive watches work the same. Some models have an internally rotating bezel that you can activate via a crown. 

Digital dive watches, however, perform the elapsed time function with a stopwatch feature. They may also feature a depth gauge and logging features.  

One of the key aspects of the unidirectional rotating bezel is its safety in critical conditions. It prevents the risk of accidentally extending dive time underwater, and knocking the bezel when diving can be disastrous, even deadly. It works by rotating only in the counter-clockwise direction. 

Thus, if it gets accidentally knocked, it can only overestimate the time you’re underwater.  

So, how to use a dive watch bezel, you ask? Well, it’s quite straightforward.  

Before your initial descent, you’ll want to turn the bezel so that its 12 o’clock location aligns with the central minute hand. As the minute hand continues its way around the dial, it will simultaneously read off a new time on the bezel. That’s the time from which you descended.

If the minute hand points to 35 minutes on the bezel, it means you’ve been diving for 35 minutes in total. The very simple design and execution of the diver bezel eradicate the need to do any mental arithmetic while underwater. 

To be fair, there’s plenty of other stuff to be thinking about during a dive!  

How Does a Dive Watch Work?

Although it’s a robust and reliable tool for underwater, a dive watch is also multifunctional. First and foremost, its design must be water-resistant. It must protect the internal parts of the watch, including the movement itself.

A dive watch also works by aiding legibility in deep, dark underwater environments.  

Whether wearing your watch for underwater exploration or as a statement piece, it promises a strict set of values. Dive watches are robust, precise, functional, and stylish. They feature legible dials with luminous material that aids readability underwater.  

Most feature robust sapphire crystal glass fronts to protect the dial from pressure, denting, moisture, heat, and light damage. Some also come with a helium escape valve that reduces gas build-up inside a watch. They also uphold water-resistant capabilities with their robust screw-down crowns.

With so many useful features, it’s not hard to see why dive watches take up such a large segment of the industry.

Conclusion

It’s not recommended that you use a dive watch as a replacement for a dive computer. But its aquatic aspirations are rarely used to their full potential anyway.  

Many watch enthusiasts wear dive watches for their aesthetical appeal as well as their robust, functional capabilities. 

Above all, dive watches, particularly vintage models and retro-inspired designs, are highly collectible. Some of the most iconic wristwatches of all time were diving watches.  

So, now that you know how to use a dive watch, you may be ready to invest in one. And, if you’re not planning to wear it underwater, be sure to use the bezel for measuring other timings. The dive watch has many uses aside from helping you SCUBA.

How do you wear yours? We’d love to know. Drop us a comment below!