This Affordable Dive Watch Looks Way Too Good for the Money

It is one of the few high-performance ceramic dive watches under $2,000.

close up on the crown and bezel on a Bamford d-300 dive watch

By Brad Lanphear

Published February 3, 2025

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Updated February 3, 2025

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Ceramic is the favorite new material in the world of dive watches, but it typically comes at a steep cost.

British microbrand Bamford has introduced a new dive watch line called the D-300. It boasts a fully ceramic case and bezel with a titanium core, case back and crown. While most watches that use those materials retail for $5,000 and up, this one dives well below that mark.

The dial, crown and case of a blue dive watch — Bamford’s D-300 has a ceramic case and bezel with a titanium core and crown, the strap is injection molded rubber.

George Bamford, founder and head designer of his eponymous watch company, previously worked with forged carbon for the B347 chronograph.

With the D-300, however, he wanted to utilize the properties of ceramic to make a dive watch that looked, felt and functioned in a way that traditional materials didn’t allow.

Utilizing the material

Ceramic is a natural fit for dive watches because it is lighter and less reactive than steel but much more durable than plastic. It is a blend of the best properties of each material.

A dive watch on a scuba diver's wrist — The D-300 is built for true underwater action.

Bamford, the man, paid particular attention to the bezel when designing the D-300. It has an intricate three-dimensional design that could only otherwise be achieved with plastic or a polymer, which would obviously be less functional.

a dive watch in a decorative orange case — The Bamford D-300 comes with a decorative case based on diving canisters.

Three parallel grooves run along the bezel’s center, dashed along the fifteen-minute marker. Raised markings run every fifteen minutes, alternating between dashes and numerals, with a triangle at twelve o’clock. Each marking is coated with Super-LumiNova, which can also be found on the dial’s hands and indices.

Under the hood

The case will look familiar to fans of Bamford’s GMT line, as it is identical. So will the movement: the ETA 2824-2.

First released in 1971, the ETA 2824 is one of the most used movements in history. Start-ups and vaunted luxury brands alike have made good use of this easy plug-and-play movement with three hands and a date complication.

a dive watch on a man's wrist — The Bamford D-300 runs on an ETA 2824 automatic movement.

It is the definition of a “workhorse movement” that combines longevity with easy maintenance. So many have been produced that replacement parts are readily available and cheap to acquire, and any watchmaker worth your money can service it.

In an effort to maximize production, Bamford is also using the Sellita SW200-1 movement, which is basically a clone of the ETA 2824, created after ETA’s patent expired. It will function exactly the same, so don’t be alarmed if you purchase one and discover a different movement.

Availability and pricing

Despite the superb specs of the D-300, and because of them, the $1,900 price tag is the most impressive thing about Bamford’s new dive watch. This places it at the upper edge of the “affordable” category, where few true ceramic dive watches have been before.

It comes in four color options: navy blue with yellow details, white with black details, black with light blue details, and olive green with bright orange details.