Gear Patrol Studios

Don’t Set Foot Outside Without This Rugged, Versatile Dive Watch

The new MVMT Cali Diver is the best sub $500 dive watch, full stop.

Published September 6, 2023

An adventurous life in today’s quick-paced, interconnected world requires versatility, adaptability and hardiness — features that are each present in spades in the new MVMT Cali Diver.

Offering the ruggedness of a dive watch along with the utility of a traveler’s watch, the Cali Diver is an ideal wrist companion for an adventurer who loves the outdoors and needs to track a second time zone. Housed in a robust, 40mm, shock-resistant and anti-magnetic stainless steel case, it meets ISO 6425 certification for dive watches with 200m of water resistance and is backed MVMT’s waterproof warranty. With such impressive specs, it can easily handle rainy runs, long swims, surf sessions and other aquatic activities such as sailing and boating.

Perfect for the self-sufficient adventurer, the Cali Diver requires no battery changes or other frequent maintenance — its Seiko NH34 automatic movement is powered by the motion of your wrist, turning your body’s own energy into a force that drives the watch’s timekeeping. Flip the Cali Diver over, and a sapphire exhibition caseback allows you to view the inner workings of this intricate engine while it’s in motion.

On the front of the watch, a rotating, unidirectional dive bezel with a coin edge allows for easy grip above or below water, making it a cinch to time dives (or anything else, for that matter). Meanwhile, beneath a hardy sapphire crystal lies a highly legible dial with an outer 24-hour scale. Align the watch’s diamond-tipped fourth GMT hand with this scale using the screw-down crown, and it’s easy to track either a second time when traveling, or the local time where a friend or colleague is living or traveling.

Equipped with Super-LumiNova lume for excellent visibility underwater or in low-light environments, the Cali Diver is one of the most robust timepieces in the sub-$500 category, but its versatile case profile and good looks make it equally appropriate for use in the office or while out on the town. Available in two steel versions (one with an orange bezel and matching accents, and one with a black bezel) as well as a black DLC version with red accents, it comes with both a matching, stainless steel bracelet and a hydrodynamic silicone strap.

Finding a timepiece that combines the best elements of dive and travel watches used to be a difficult proposition — but not anymore. With the MVMT Cali Diver strapped securely to your wrist, you’ll find yourself poised to take on all of life’s adventures.

Don’t leave home without it.