The 17 Best Dive Watches Under $500

Dive watches continue to reign as one of the most popular timepiece styles out there, and the sheer breadth of choices in that genre — in the areas of size, design, colorway, and especially pricing — can be intimidating to the new watch enthusiast who might be just on the verge of taking the plunge (you should pardon the expression) into purchasing their first dive watch. Here we've gathered a dozen of our favorites with the budget-conscious consumer in mind: everything on this list can be had for $500 or under. (In a few cases, even though the MSRP comes in higher, you can acquire them below the $500 threshold directly from our online store; just follow the shopping links.)

Casio Duro

Price: $74.95, Case Size: 48.5mm x 44.2mm, Case Height: 12.1mm, Crystal: Mineral, Water Resistance: 200 meters, Movement: Quartz Analog

Outside of its mega-popular G-Shock series (see directly below), It’s tempting to pigeonhole Casio as a maker of solely digital watches, but the brand also offers a handful of analog timepieces at similarly mass-market prices. Consider the Casio Duro, the Japanese manufacturer’s series of round-cased, analog-dial dive watches. At this very pedestrian price range, it is difficult to find a diver that offers what the Duro offers: a well-finished steel case, rotating dive-scale bezel with aluminum insert, 200-meter water resistance, and sunburst dial with lume-coated hands and indexes. The screw-down caseback sports an image of a Marlin, which also happens to be the watch’s nickname. The quartz movement’s battery has a three-year life and the rubber strap is soft and flexible.

G-Shock DW9052-1B

Price: $69.95, Reference: DW9052-1B, Case Size: 48.5mm x 43, Case Height: 14.7mm, Crystal: Mineral, Water Resistance: 200 meters, Movement: Quartz Digital

Since its landmark release in 1983, the Casio G-Shock has represented perhaps the watch world’s purest expression of high technology blended with trendsetting style at a price accessible to just about everyone. G-Shocks have long been go-to gear for military and law enforcement operators, and the DW9052-1B is a large reason why. It’s not only tough, multifunctional, and dirt-cheap; it has for many years been standard issue at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center in Panama City Beach, Florida, assigned to divers along with their fins, masks, and knives. Built to be virtually indestructible, the watch’s array of military-grade functionalities include a backlight, 200 meters of water resistance, a 1/100-second stopwatch, alarms, a full auto calendar, and both 12-and 24-hour timekeeping.

Vostok Amphibia

Price: $124.95, Case Size: 41mm, Thickness: 15mm, Lug-to-Lug: 49mm, Crystal: Acrylic, Water Resistance: 200m, Movement: Automatic Vostok Caliber 2415

The Russian-made, bargain-priced Vostok Amphibia rose to somewhat unexpected fame among dive-watch enthusiasts after it was worn by Bill Murray in the 2004 film The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. The titular character was an oceanographer in the mold of Jacques Cousteau, who famously wore iconic divers like the Rolex Submariner and Blancpain Fifty Fathoms; Murray’s fictional Zissou, a sort of washed-up version of Cousteau, opts instead for a more obscure, and significantly cheaper, timepiece. Russia is not renowned for horological heritage, but many of its Soviet-era dive watches, particularly the Amphibia, have acquired a cult following: enthusiasts love their bayonet-style casebacks, with threaded locking rings that push tightly into extra-large rubber gasket as the water pressure increases, and the thick acrylic crystals that flex under high pressure. In both aesthetics and engineering, the Amphibia is stark, simple, and classically Soviet, right down to the Russian-made movement.

Scurfa Diver One

Price: $250, Case Size: 40mm, Thickness: 14.4mm, Lug-to-Lug: 47.7mm, Lug Width: 20mm Water Resistance: 500m, Crystal: Sapphire, Movement: Quartz Ronda 715SM

In 2014, commercial saturation diver Paul Scurfield, frustrated by the inability of existing, so-called “professional” dive watches to hold up to the hard usage they faced in his profession, founded his own watch brand. A longtime watch enthusiast in addition to being a seasoned diver, Scurfield focused on creating a range of watches for divers that were not only tougher and more reliable than those produced by well-known luxury brands but also priced within reason for diving professionals. The Diver One Titanium (pictured) will fit the bill for many, boasting a rare 500-meter water resistance, a helium release valve for use in a diving bell, a sapphire crystal and a high degree of luminous material on the dial for legibility in the depths. A Swiss-made quartz Ronda caliber beats inside the 40mm case (which is also available in steel for $30 less).

Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive Diver 200m

Price: $280, Case Size: 44mm, Thickness: 11.6mm, Lug Width: 20mm, Crystal: Mineral, Water Resistance: 200m, Movement: Citizen Eco-Drive E168 

Citizen unveiled its Promaster line of professional-grade sports watches in 1989 and its Promaster Diver models — equipped with the Japanese brand’s proprietary Eco-Drive technology, which uses light to perpetually charge the movement — have proven to be among the most popular of Citizen’s vast portfolio of timepieces. The 44mm steel case features a 60-click rotating bezel made of aluminum (here in maritime blue) and a screw-down crown positioned at 4 o’clock. The blue dial sports wide hands and large applied hour markers, all bearing generous amounts of lume for underwater visibility, and a date window at 4 o’clock. The prominent minute hand with its orange detailing adds another layer of contrast, and hence legibility, to the dial. The Eco-Drive movement offers six months of power on a full charge and boasts an accuracy of +/- 15 seconds per month.

Seiko 5 Sports SRPD51

Price: $295, Case Size: 42.5mm, Thickness: 13mm, Lug Width: 22mm, Lug-to-Lug: 46mm, Crystal: Hardlex, Water Resistance: 100 m, Movement: Automatic Seiko 4R36

Seiko retired its much-beloved SKX lineup of dive watches in 2019, concurrently with the launch of the updated Seiko 5 range. The SRPD51 retains much of the spirit as well as the design language of the discontinued SKX007, one of fandom’s favorite entry-level mechanical dive watches, albeit with scaled-back specs to accommodate the price point. The blue dial of this model harmonizes with the blue aluminum ring of the unidirectional diver’s bezel. The blue/blue combo is something new that wasn’t offered in SXX models; also new are the applied hour markers and logo, replacing the painted ones of these watches’ predecessors, and the clear caseback that displays the automatic Caliber 4R36.

Citizen Promaster Dive Orca

Price: $323, Case Size: 46mm, Thickness: 14.6mm, Lug-to-Lug: 50.5mm, Crystal: Mineral, Water Resistance: 200m, Movement: Citizen Eco-Drive Caliber E168

With a massive 46mm steel case, whose bulging contours were inspired by a killer whale, and a unidirectional ratcheting bezel with a coin edge and deep notches for gloved fingers, this version of the Promaster is built for serious deep-sea exploits. The dial’s stylized curving indexes also evoke the silhouette of the eponymous sea mammal while the distinctive hands are coated with Super-LumiNova. Inside the thick, antimagnetic case, which resists water pressures down to an ISO-compliant 200 meters thanks to its sturdy build and screw-down crown, is a Citizen Eco-Drive caliber, which will run for 180 months on a single charge from any light while also boasting a +/-15-second monthly accuracy. An image of a swimming orca graces the solid steel caseback, and a raised ridge in the center of the black rubber strap evokes the whale’s dorsal fin.

Orient Kamasu Blue Dial

Price: $335, Case Size: 41.8mm, Thickness: 12.8mm, Lug Width: 22mm, Crystal: Sapphire, Water Resistance: 200m, Movement: Automatic Caliber F6922

One of Japan’s best kept secrets, though one increasingly raising its profile throughout the rest of the world thanks to its robust quality-to-price ratio, Orient makes a slew of affordably priced dive watches that balance sporty stylishness with functionality. One of the standouts is the Kamasu, regarded by fans of the brand as the upgraded successor to the Ray II and Mako II models that preceded it to the market. The steel case offers a professional-grade 200 meters of water resistance, the ratcheting coin-edge bezel has 120 distinct clicks and an aluminum dive-scale insert, and the crystal is made of sapphire. The dial under the crystal has luminous-coated hands and indexes and a day-date window. The automatic caliber inside is made in Japan and includes a hacking seconds function. 

Seiko Prospex SRPE99 PADI

Price: $413, Case Size: 45mm, Thickness: 13.2mm, Lug-to-Lug: 47.7mm, Lug Width: 22mm Water Resistance: 200m, Crystal: Hardlex, Movement: Automatic Seiko 4R35

This jumbo-sized, colorful divers’ watch was developed in partnership with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), with whom Seiko has been working since 2016. The glossy blue dive-scale bezel, with the first 20 minutes of the scale highlighted in contrasting red, has a robust non-slip grip design with fluted riders, and snaps into place in half-minute intervals. The turtle-style case in stainless steel measures a substantial 45mm in diameter. The blue dial’s bold hands and indexes are coated with the Japanese maker’s Lumibrite material for deep-water legibility and covered by a Hardlex crystal. A day and date display appears on the dial at 3 o’clock. Shielded inside from water pressures down to 200 meters is the in-house automatic 4R35 movement, which holds a 40+-hour power reserve when fully wound.

Citizen Promaster Diver “Fugu” Automatic

Price: $412 - $476, Case Size: 44mm, Thickness: 12.8mm, Lug-to-Lug: 50mm, Crystal: Sapphire, Water Resistance: 200m, Movement: Automatic Miyota 8204

Deriving its nickname from the Japanese word for a puffer fish — a reference to the distinctively grooved shape of the rotating divers’ bezel — the “Fugu” model from Citizen’s diverse Promaster Diver family originally debuted in 1989 and was revived for modern audiences in 2018. The hefty 44mm steel case, here with a deep green dial and bezel, features a textured screw-down at the unusual position of 8 o’clock, which prevents it from poking into the small of a diver’s wrist. The hands and hour indexes on the dial are thick and brightly lumed for underwater legibility; at 3 o’clock, the hour marker gives way to a day-date window with an eye-catching bicolor design (red print for the day, black for the date). Behind a caseback engraved with an illustration of a puffer fish is the automatic movement, the Japanese Miyota 8204.

Seiko Prospex Sea SNJ025 “Arnie”

Price: $420, Case Size: 47.8mm, Thickness: 13.8mm, Lug-to-Lug: 50.5mm, Lug Width: 22mm, Crystal: Hardlex, Water Resistance: 200m, Movement: Solar Caliber H851

The bulky, analog-digital Seiko watch that Hollywood action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger strapped on his wrist in testosterone-driven blockbusters Commando and Predator — Reference H558-5000, nicknamed the “Arnie” — has recently been resurrected within Seiko’s sporty, performance-focused Prospex collection, retaining the bulky "tuna can" case of the original (emblematic of many Seiko divers since the 1960s) while replacing its standard quartz movement with a modern, solar-powered version. The Prospex’s steel case is even larger than the original's, which measured just under 46mm (Arnold would likely approve), and boasts an ISO-certified 200 meters of water resistance. Its array of functions, displayed on the digital screen at 12 o’clock, include a 1/100-second chronograph, daily alarms, a full calendar, and an LED illuminating light function that adds even more clarity to the dial’s already impressive array of luminous-coated elements.

Zelos Hammerhead V3 300M

Price: $449, Case Size: 44mm, Thickness: 13mm, Lug-to-Lug: 48mm, Lug Width: 22mm, Crystal: Sapphire, Water Resistance: 300m, Movement: Quartz ETA G10.212

The blocky, angular steel case of the Hammerhead, produced by Singapore-based microbrand Zelos, calls to mind the powerful shark from which it derives its name. The case’s array of delicate curves and facets, enhanced with contrasting finishes, make the watch an intriguing value proposition, and its relatively modest thickness of 13mm makes it comfortable to wear on most wrists despite the intimidating diameter. Zelos (the name comes from the Greek deity of zeal and passion) offers a variety of eye-catching gradient colorways on the dials, including the maritime blue pictured here. The signed, fluted crown screws into the case at the unorthodox position of 4 o’clock, helping to secure the lofty 300-meter water resistance, and the integrated link bracelet attaches to the wrist with a push-button safety clasp, another bonus at this accessible price point.

Tissot Seastar 1000 40mm

Price: $450, Case Diameter: 40mm, Thickness: 10mm, Crystal: Sapphire, Water Resistance: 300 meters, Movement: Quartz ETA F06.412

Tissot's Seastar family of dive watches debuted in the 1960s and underwent a crowd-pleasing revamp in recent years, which expanded the collection to a plethora of sizes and colorways as well as a choice of movements: either Powermatic 80 self-winding mechanical or a Swiss-made quartz caliber, as one finds in this very budget-friendly version of the Seastar 1000 featured here. The collection gets its numerical suffix from its depth rating — 1,000 feet, aka the more commonly used 300 meters, half that of its bigger, more robust and water-resistant sibling, the Seastar 2000. The screw-down crown and caseback of the steel models help secure this impressive water resistance. The dial’s big, geometric hour indexes and wide sword hands are soaked in luminous material for underwater legibility, and the rotating dive-scale bezel has a mineral glass insert. The steel bracelet is easily switchable with a rubber strap.

Luminox Original Navy SEAL

Price: $475, Case Size: 43mm, Thickness: 13mm, Lug Width: 21mm Water Resistance: 200m, Crystal: Hardened Mineral, Movement: Swiss Quartz

Luminox takes its name from a portmanteau of two Latin words, “Lumi” for light and “Nox” for night, an indicator of the Swiss brand’s commitment from the get-go to “offer cutting-edge luminescence and readability in its line of high-performance sports watches.” In 1992, Luminox debuted its Navy SEAL watch in partnership with that elite U.S. military group and has been producing versions of it ever since. The Swiss-made watch has a 43mm case and rotating bezel made of Luminox’s proprietary Carbonox material, a lightweight yet durable carbon alloy; a double-security-gasket crown protection system; and a dial whose hands and indexes feature microtubes of bright-glowing, long-lasting tritium for maximum legibility in the darkest conditions. The dial is of hardened mineral glass, the movement inside is Swiss quartz, and the strap is made of genuine black rubber.

Nodus Retrospect III

Price: $475, Case Size: 42mm, Thickness: 13mm, Lug-to-Lug: 48mm, Lug Width: 22mm Water Resistance: 200m, Crystal: Sapphire, Movement: Automatic Seiko TMI NH35

Los Angeles-based Nodus takes its name from the Latin word describing the intersection of pathways, which signifies the microbrand’s mission of merging the two worlds of vintage and modern design. The first watch launched by the SoCal-based brand was the Trieste in 2017, a robust, retro-designed divers’ watch, which was discontinued after its initial run but continues to inspire successor models, like the Retrospect III dive watch, which takes its stylistic cues from early diving watches of the 1950s. Its inwardly sloping divers’ bezel draws the eye into the retro-look dial (here in a sharp salmon color) and helps protect the dive-scale insert made of matte black DLC steel. The watch has a double-domed sapphire crystal, a screw-down crown, an automatic Seiko movement with a 41-hour power reserve, and a three-link bracelet with Nodus' proprietary extension clasp.

Tissot Seastar 1000 Chronograph

Price: $495, Case Size: 45.5mm, Thickness: 12.82mm, Lug-to-Lug: 50mm, Lug Width: 22mm, Water Resistance: 300m, Crystal: Sapphire, Movement: Quartz Ronda 715SM

Tissot’s flagship divers’ watch, the Seastar 2000 Powermatic 80, acquired a stopwatch-equipped sibling in 2022, the Seastar 1000 Chronograph, which as its numerical name implies is half as water-resistant as the Seastar 2000 (300 meters rather than 600). Also differentiating the watch from its three-hand predecessor, which has an automatic movement, the Chronograph carries an ETA-built quartz caliber inside its substantial 45.5mm stainless steel case, accounting for its impressive affordability. The movement, behind a solid screw-down caseback, allows for 1/10-second chronograph measurements and “ADD/SPLIT” functionality, and the unidirectional rotating dive-scale bezel, with an aluminum ring, surrounds a three-register dial offered in an array of brightly colored gradient colorways.

Lorier Neptune Series IV

Price: $500, Case Diameter: 39mm, Thickness: 10.3mm, Lug-to-Lug: 46mm, Crystal: Acrylic, Water Resistance: 200m, Movement: Auto Miyota 90S5

Founded by the husband-wife team of Lorenzo and Lauren Ortega and based in New York City, Lorier has found a successful niche with its affordable, vintage-inspired sports watches. One of their recent standouts is the fourth-generation (aka Series IV) version of its classically understated diver, the Lorier Neptune, which comes in at a wearable 39mm in stainless steel and houses a Japanese-made automatic caliber by Miyota. The broad, arrow-tipped hour hand is easily differentiated from the thinner, sword-shaped minute hand, and the hours are boldly marked by dots and triangular wedges with a generous coating of Super-LumiNova. The luminous substance also appears on the acrylic rotating bezel, ensuring its dive scale is easily legible in the dark and in the depths.