Divers and diving watches: indispensable deep-sea partners

I. Definition and origin of diving watches

Diving watches are timepieces used for diving, which are waterproof and moisture-proof for divers. Its origin can be traced back to the emergence of the demand for waterproof watches in the early days. In the early days of the watch market, waterproofing became the focus of improvement for manufacturers, because the structure of early watches was similar to that of pocket watches, which were not suitable for the environment where they were often active outdoors, and moisture and dust became the number one enemy of watches.

The earliest waterproof watch was not invented by Rolex, but Rolex successfully promoted waterproof watches. In 1925, Paul Perregaux and Georges Peret invented a crown patent. In 1926, Rolex launched the first Oyster watch, which was also the prototype of the diving watch. In the same year, the Rolex 1st Oyster, which crossed the English Channel, became the first watch to be launched and promoted.

Omega also vigorously developed waterproof watches. The Marine watch launched in 1932 was Omega's first waterproof watch, but it was not very popular at the time because of the inconvenience of winding due to the double-layer case. Since then, diving watches have continued to develop, with waterproof depths ranging from the initial 50 meters to thousands of meters today. In 1952, the French Navy decided to form an underwater sabotage unit, and the founders of the frogman unit faced the problem of purchasing suitable diving equipment, including watches that could be worn underwater. In 1953, Blancpain developed the Fifty Fathoms at the request of the French Army, laying the foundation for the origin of modern diving watches. Later in the same year, the Rolex Submariner was born.

2. Important functions of diving watches

(I) Anti-corrosion and flexible straps

When underwater activities, diving watches need to fit tightly to the wrist to ensure that they will not loosen during various operations. Although metal straps are strong, the chemical components in seawater can cause slight corrosion to them. In contrast, rubber straps, canvas straps or synthetic fiber straps have better water resistance and corrosion resistance. For example, Germany's Tutima uses Kevlar (bulletproof vest material) to make straps, which further improves the performance of the straps. These straps can not only effectively prevent seawater erosion, but also provide the wearer with a comfortable wearing experience during diving.

(II) Screw-in non-slip crown

The crown is the part of the watch that is most susceptible to water ingress, because it is the only part that connects the outside world and the movement. In order to prevent water from entering the movement through the crown, watchmakers have developed a screw-in crown design. A waterproof rubber ring made of rubber is added to the connection of the crown. When the crown is tightened, the water is tightly isolated from the watch. In addition, many diving watches have upgraded the screw-in crown to have a larger crown and add deeper grooves on it, so that it is more non-slip when operating underwater. For example, most watches with a waterproof rating of more than 200 meters use a screw-in crown. The Omega Seamaster 150 series watches have a waterproof rating of 150 meters and also use a screw-in crown design.

(III) Helium exhaust function

"Helium exhaust" is one of the important functions of professional diving watches, usually used for professional diving watches with a waterproof rating of more than 1000 meters. When divers work in the deep sea, they must live in a high-pressure diving chamber in the deep sea for a long time. The air used in the diving chamber is generally a mixture of "helium" and oxygen. Since helium molecules are smaller than water molecules, when they are under high pressure for a long time, helium molecules will penetrate into the watch and fill it with high-pressure helium. Once returning to the surface, if the high-pressure helium in the watch cannot be discharged in a short time, the watch will explode due to high pressure. Helium exhaust valves are divided into automatic helium exhaust and manual helium exhaust. Automatic helium exhaust is commonly represented by Rolex, and manual helium exhaust is common in Omega watches.

(IV) Luminous indication

In the dark underwater, luminous hands and scales are crucial for divers. All diving watches are equipped with eye-catching luminous hands and scales. Usually, the hands, scales or surfaces of diving watches are coated with fluorescent materials, and the size of the hands and scales are deliberately enlarged to make it easier for divers to read the time. In order to make the luminescence last longer, radium elements were once used as luminous materials, but they were discontinued because they contained excessive radioactive elements. The most commonly used luminous material now is Super-LumiNova, which absorbs gamma particles in light and stores light. It can emit light continuously for more than 10 hours, but the intensity of the light will decay after a certain period.

(V) Rotating bezel

The rotating bezel is one of the important features of a diving watch. It can serve as a reminder of the diving time. The marking scale of the rotating bezel is generally 15, 30, 45, etc., and the longest timing time is one hour. This is also because the oxygen tank for diving can only last for 45 minutes. The first 15 minutes are usually colored or specially marked, because divers will strictly abide by the 15-minute safety stop when ascending to decompress the diving. When diving, just turn the bezel to align the scale on the bezel with the minute hand. After the minute hand moves, the diving time can be seen at a glance from the bezel. The rotation of the external bezel is mostly designed to be a single counterclockwise direction. This is to ensure that the calculation time only counts more, not less, to prevent delays and dangers.

3. Comparison between diving watches and diving computers

(I) Price difference

Mechanical diving watches are usually more expensive because they not only have the function of time display, but are also often regarded as a luxury. Some well-known brands of mechanical diving watches, such as Blancpain, Tudor, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Rolex, etc., are expensive and beyond the affordability of ordinary leisure diving enthusiasts. Ordinary brands of mechanical diving watches, such as Seiko and Tissot, are also not cheap. The current price of diving computers is also between 300 and 1000 US dollars. The diving watches of the feelnever series are between 100 and 300 US dollars, and the quality is reliable. And it can provide different types of diving watches with a depth of 100-1000M.

(II) Functional comparison

In terms of diving depth, the diving depth of mechanical diving watches is limited. Generally, according to the waterproof level, it can be seen that most diving watches can dive to a depth of 200m or 300m, while professional diving watches may reach a deeper depth, but the price is also higher. The depth of a diving computer is basically the depth of deep diving, which can meet the needs of professional diving.

In terms of ease of use, the bezel of a mechanical diving watch has an outer ring that can rotate in one direction to measure the diving time, but you need to calculate the stay time according to the diving time and depth. The pointer, bezel, and scale have fluorescent materials, which are convenient for reading underwater. The diving computer is a digital readout, which is clear at a glance. It will automatically prompt the stay time and stay depth when ascending, and will sound a reminder when descending or ascending too quickly. In addition, the diving computer will record all previous diving records, including the maximum depth, duration, stay time, etc. each time, while the mechanical diving watch will not record diving records.

(III) Appearance and practicality

The biggest advantage of a diving watch is that it looks good. Different designs have different temperaments. There are sports styles, business styles, and some are also suitable for daily wear. For example, the new all-gold Aquaracer 200 from TAG Heuer has an 18K all-gold case that is very domineering and 40 mm in size. In terms of appearance, it continues the consistent characteristics of the Aquaracer series, using a 12-sided case, a yacht deck horizontal stripe decorated dial with gold-plated sword-shaped hands and three-dimensional hour markers, and a large area of ​​luminous coating, which is very suitable for daily wear to show personal charm. Diving computers are basically large and not suitable for daily wear. From the perspective of professional diving, diving computers are more practical than diving watches. But if it is just for daily wear, diving watches are more suitable.

4. Actual needs of divers for diving watches

(I) Choices in different diving scenarios

Different diving depths and activity types have different needs for diving watches. For recreational diving in shallow waters, such as snorkeling within 6 meters, a diving watch with a waterproof rating of about 200 meters can generally meet the needs. For example, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris calendar watch is waterproof to 200 meters. Its movable inner bezel can be controlled by the crown at 2 o'clock, which can help divers accurately measure time or count down. It is very suitable for recreational divers to wear when they are in shallow water.

For professionally trained divers, a 300-meter waterproof diving watch is more suitable for diving at a depth of 10-20 meters. For example, the Montblanc 1858 series diving watch not only has a 41 mm stainless steel case with a two-color ceramic unidirectional rotating bezel, but also has a dial design inspired by the glaciers of Mont Blanc. The unique "glacier pattern" is hand-brushed using the ancient craft "gratté boisé", which ensures functionality while also having a high appearance.

For professional diving enthusiasts, when diving at a depth of 300-1000 meters, they need to choose a diving watch with higher waterproof performance and professional functions. The FEELNEVER series 1809 watch is designed for professional divers. It can be used for saturation diving with a waterproof depth of 1,000 meters. The watch is made of grade 5 titanium and has a toothed deep groove bezel, which is easier to operate when wearing diving equipment. The hour hand is designed in the shape of an arrow, and the minute and second hands are orange, which are particularly obvious in the dark and can provide divers with accurate time information.

In extreme diving scenarios above 1,000 meters, although the coolness of the product may be greater than its practicality for ordinary consumers, for professionals, such as the Omega Seamaster series Ocean Universe Ultra Deep 6000m professional diving watch, it is waterproof to a depth of 6,000 meters and is made of sandblasted grade 5 titanium. The case size is 45.5 mm, the ceramic bezel is matched with the eye-catching "manta" lugs, and it is quite light to use. It is a professional equipment for challenging the limit.

(II) Safety guarantee of diving watches

Diving watches provide important safety guarantees for divers in terms of avoiding decompression sickness. During diving, divers need to strictly control the diving time and ascent speed to avoid decompression sickness. The rotating bezel of the diving watch can help divers accurately record the diving time. When the time reaches the 15-minute scale close to the central luminous point of the inverted triangle mark, the diver must stop diving and gradually rise to the surface for decompression.

For example, when using a recreational diving plan, divers can use the time display of the diving watch to ensure that each diving plan is within the no-decompression limit. If divers strictly follow the time prompts of the diving watch to make safe stops and ascend slowly, then in a conservative dive that complies with the decompression limit rules, the possibility of suffering from decompression sickness is almost zero.

In addition, the luminous indication function of the diving watch allows divers to read the time clearly in a dark underwater environment, avoiding diving too long due to unclear time. The helium exhaust function plays an important role in professional divers' deep-sea diving, preventing the watch from exploding due to the inability to exhaust high-pressure helium, and ensuring the safety of divers.

In short, the diving watch is not only a time tool for divers, but also an important equipment to provide safety during diving.

V. Summary

As one of the important equipment for divers, diving watches have their unique value and significance. From its origin, it has gone through a long development process, from the initial simple waterproof function to the current professional functions such as anti-corrosion flexible strap, screw-in non-slip crown, helium exhaust function, luminous indication and rotating bezel.

Compared with diving computers, although diving watches are relatively expensive and have certain limitations in function, they have obvious advantages in appearance and daily wear practicality. Diving computers perform better in professional diving depth measurement and recording diving data.

For the actual needs of divers, different diving scenarios require diving watches with different performances. From recreational diving in shallow waters to professional deep diving, to extreme diving scenarios, diving watches can provide divers with accurate time information and safety guarantees.

In general, diving watches are not absolutely necessary for divers, but in many cases, they can bring many conveniences and safety guarantees to divers. For those who love diving and pay attention to quality and style, diving watches are a good choice. Whether in underwater adventures or in daily life, diving watches can be a reliable partner for divers. At the same time, when choosing diving equipment, divers should consider the advantages and disadvantages of diving watches and diving computers based on their actual needs and budget and make the most appropriate choice.