The Best Dive Watches Under $5,000

$5,000. A lotta money. For $5k, your watch better tell the time real good.

Well, the good news is that it almost certainly will. $5,000 is well into entry-level luxury territory — and by that admittedly arbitrary term, we mean that you can absolutely buy a great watch from a blue chip Swiss, German, Japanese or American brand that will last you a lifetime. In fact, it’ll probably last well beyond your lifetime, and your kids and grandkids will be enjoying it many decades hence.

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Though you’re not quite in Rolex Submariner or Omega Seamaster Diver 300 territory yet (at least on a bracelet — you can get the latter on rubber for under $5k!), there are plenty of other options from big names that come in below the $5,000 mark that deserve your attention. All these watches have premium and necessary features such as screw-down crowns, sapphire crystals, unidirectional rotating dive bezels and powerful lume. Better yet, each comes with a great warranty.

So without further ado, here are some of the best divers under $5k. Happy diving!

Sinn EZM3 3

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You’re getting so much watch when you buy a Sinn that it makes you look around, wondering if you’re doing something illegal. The EZM 3 is perhaps the German company’s most badass watch: a specialized diver configured with the crown on the left so as not to dig into the wrist or foul equipment, it features an antimagnetic case, an inert gas-filled cavity with a dehumidifier capsule to prevent fogging and “special micro-lubricating techniques allows for operation down to -45 degrees centigrade.” Oh, and it also tells the time.

Diameter: 41mm

Movement: ETA 2824-2 automatic

Water Resistance: 500m

Price: $2,280

TAG Heuer Aquaracer

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If you’re looking for something that’s gonna catch people’s eye, look no further — the oversized case (43mm) and striking blue sunray dial on this Aquaracer should do the trick nicely. Outfitted with TAG’s Sellita/ETA-based Calibre 5 movement with 38 hours of power reserve, it features genuine good looks and a wildly cool matching bezel with “tortoise shell” effect. And with 300m of water resistance, it’s more than adequate for all your diving needs.

Diameter: 43mm

Movement: TAG Heuer Calibre 5 automatic

Water Resistance: 300m

Price: $2,700

Longines Legend Diver Bronze

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Longines sells a hell of a watch for the money. In this case, you’re getting a bronze-cased version of their famous vintage reissue, which they’ve dubbed the Legend Diver. This 42mm watch encompasses a dual-crown design (one to set the time, the other to control the inner bezel), a funky green dial, an automatic Swiss movement and two straps (one leather, and one NATO). If you like your dive watches full-retro, then it pays to look into the Longines catalog.

Diameter: 42mm

Movement: Longines L888 automatic (ETA base)

Water Resistance: 300m

Price: $3,000

Breitling Superocean Automatic 42

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If classic dive watch styling is more your thing, than you could do much worse than the Breitling Superocean Series. This 42mm version is kitted out with an automatic, chronometer-certified movement, an impressive 500m of water resistance, and matching steel bracelet. Its oversized Arabic indices doused in Super-LumiNova should be hard to miss underwater, and you also get a handy date complication at 3 o’clock. In short, if you’re a fan of the Submariner but don’t want to spend that kind of money, you should definitely look here.

Diameter: 42mm

Movement: Breitling cal. 17 automatic

Water Resistance: 500m

Price: $3,950

Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver Black Matte

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If you dig Bell & Ross’s aviation-themed, instrument panel aesthetic but want it in a diver package, well, you’re in luck — it certainly exists, and in multiple iterations. One of the coolest of these is the Black Matte model, which makes use of a ceramic case, black dial and matching black bezel for a cool, tactical effect that wouldn’t look out of place on an aircraft carrier. 42mm in diameter and outfitted with a Swiss automatic movement, this is the perfect diver for someone interested in a military vibe.

Diameter: 42mm

Movement: Bell & Ross BR-CAL.302 automatic (Sellita base)

Water Resistance: 300m

Price: $3,990

Oris Carl Brashear Caliber 401 Limited Edition

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This special limited edition is part of a collection honoring diving legend Carl Brashear, the first African American man to graduate from the U.S. Navy Diving & Salvage School in 1954. It features a 40mm bronze case and is the first Oris diver to house an in-house movement, the Caliber 401, which has an impressive 5-day power reserve, antimagnetic properties and and a small seconds display at six o’clock. Shipping on a strap from Erika’s Originals that mimics old Marine Nationale fabric models, it’s a striking, value-packed watch that honors the legacy of a trailblazer.

Diameter: 40mm

Movement: Oris Caliber 401 automatic

Water Resistance: 100m

Price: $4,200

Tudor Pelagos

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Few modern watches exhibit more serious diver cred than Tudor’s Pelagos. Though it makes use of the brand’s famous “snowflake” handset, this thing is otherwise fully in the 21st century: it’s got a titanium/steel case, one of the best dive bracelets on the market, an in-house, chronometer-certified Tudor movement with 70 hours of power reserve, 500m of water resistance, a helium escape valve…need we go on? Oh, and it also comes in black, and even a lefty configuration.

Diameter: 42mm

Movement: Tudor cal. MT5612 automatic

Water Resistance: 500m

Price: $4,575

Doxa Sub 300 Carbon Aqua Lung US Divers Sharkhunter

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A special edition, all-black Sub 300 made in partnership with Aqualung, this is easily one of the coolest dive watches on the market right now, full stop. It features a 42.5mm carbon case, a COSC-certified version of the Swiss automatic ETA 2824-2 movement, a matching black rubber strap and Doxa’s famous decompression bezel in black, white and yellow. And 300m of water resistance ensures you can go as deep as you like.

Diameter: 42.5mm

Movement: ETA 2824-2 automatic (COSC-certified)

Water Resistance: 300m

Price: $4,790

Omega Seamaster Diver 300

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I mean, what else could you possibly want for under $5,000? You’re getting an in-house, co-axial, master chronometer-certified movement from one of the best watchmakers in the world, plus a helium escape valve, a domed, sapphire crystal with antireflective treatment on both sides, a gorgeous wave dial with date complication at six o’clock, and a comfortable rubber strap. So long as you can pull off a 42mm case, this is an easy recommendation.

Diameter: 42mm

Movement: Omega cal. 8800 automatic

Water Resistance: 300m

Price: $4,900

Bremont S501/BR

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Named in honor of the iconic British aircraft manufacturer of the WWII-era Spitfire, the Supermarine is Bremont’s first and most well known diver. With its offset crown, Swiss automatic movement and matching bracelet, it’s certainly a handsome, useful watch, but the true interest lies in its construction: the 43mm Trip-Tick, three-part case is designed by Bremont and makes for easier service in the event that only one part of the case needs attention or replacing.

Diameter: 43mm

Movement: Bremont cal. BE-92AE automatic (ETA base)

Water Resistance: 300m

Price: $4,995

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