The Best Dive Watches of Watches & Wonders 2024 and The Geneva Week

Despite not being the most spotted watch genre during the Geneva Watch Week – there was a clear focus on smaller, more elegant and colourful timepieces this year – the dive watch remains one of the most important categories, with fierce competition between big manufactures and smaller independent brands. A key element of all watch collections, something that most watch brands know, we’ve nevertheless seen solid new models, as well as truly unexpected aquatic timepieces… Here are the five most notable new dive watches we saw during Watches and Wonders 2024 and fringe shows held during Geneva Watch Week. 

The Compact Doxa SUB 200T Collection

An emblematic design made smaller, with only a few compromises on key diving features and an extra dose of fun and colours… This is how we could summarize the new Doxa SUB 200T Collection, a smaller take on the classic design of the brand. Now measuring 39mm in diameter, we’re talking about a compact watch (41.50mm in length) with all the classic attributes of its bigger brother, the SUB 300 – only the WR has been reduced to a still decent 200m. What’s new too is the choice of seven different colours, including the new Sea Emerald Green and flat or brushed dials. It comes with a solid SW200 inside and on an FKM rubber strap or BoR bracelet… and for a fair price of just over 1,500 euros.

Quick Facts: 39mm x 10.7mm steel case – sapphire crystal, steel unidirectional bezel – screwed crown and back – 200m water-resistant – 7 dial colours available, flat or brushed – automatic Sellita SW200-1, 4Hz frequency, 38h power reserve – FKM rubber strap or BoR bracelet – now available – from EUR 1,550

The unexpected Rolex Deepsea 136668LB in full gold

Who needs a solid yellow gold deep diver capable of descending to depths of almost 4km and weighing close to 320 grams? No one! And this is why Rolex can do it. The new Rolex Deepsea 136668LB is the statement piece no one expected to see, and this is the sign that Rolex has changed. It’s bold, provocative and rather useless from a diver’s perspective. But this doesn’t mean Rolex hasn’t applied its entire savoir-faire here. Despite being a true gold ingot for the wrist, the Deepsea yellow gold is a masterpiece of Swiss engineering with a titanium back and HEV, a newly developed Ring Lock System in blue ceramic to match the bezel and dial and exactly the same specifications as the classic steel model. P.S. Don’t call it the Sea-Dweller Deepsea anymore, it’s Deepsea-only now!

Quick Facts: 44mm x 17.7mm 18k yellow gold case – sapphire crystal, unidirectional blue ceramic bezel – screwed crown and titanium back – helium valve – blue ceramic compression ring – 3,900m water-resistant – blue dial with gold hands and markers – calibre 3235, in-house, Superlative Chronometer, 4Hz frequency, 70h power reserve – 18k yellow gold Oyster bracelet, folding clasp with Glidelock extension – reference 136668LB – EUR 53,700

The Complex Singer DiveTrack

This is a dive watch like no other… And a truly complex one (with a price tag to match). Singer, usually devoted to racing chronographs, introduces its vision of a diving chronograph. But going beyond just timing your diving sessions, the Singer Divetrack is a watch to time the life of a diver, including surface intervals and periods during which you should rest on dry land and avoid flying (fully explained in this article). The dial, framed by a rotating bezel, is entirely devoted to your diving adventures, so much so that the classic time is relegated to the periphery of the dial, displayed by rotating drums… Inside is one of the most innovative and captivating chronograph movements around, the complex AgenGraphe. Necessary…? Maybe not, but surely one of the boldest and coolest dive watches of the year. If you can afford it and have the audacity to dive with it.

Quick Facts: 49mm x 19.67mm grade 5 titanium case – sapphire crystal front, back and side, unidirectional ceramized aluminium bezel – helium valve – screwed crown and back – 300m water-resistant – matte black dial with 24h central chronograph, time displayed on the periphery – AgenGraphe 24-h automatic chronograph, 3Hz frequency, 72h power reserve – black rubber strap with folding buckle – limited quantity of 25 pieces in 2024 – CHF 85,000 (excl. taxes)

The Compelling Tudor Black Bay in Black

The exact opposite of the gold Deepsea, but still done by the same group, the new monochrome Tudor Black Bay is the epitome of the classic dive watch… to the point that it seems to be the closest thing you could find from a 5-digit Submariner. Focused, superbly crafted, fully equipped and brilliantly classic, it’s the dive watch that you’ll enjoy now and for the coming 20 years. Following the burgundy version of last year, it comes with identical upgrades: a slimmer case, new bezel profile, new crown, bracelet or straps with micro-adjustment, lightly brushed dial and mostly, a Master Chronometer movement inside. And with prices starting from EUR 4,260, it’ll be hard to find something as compelling as this watch on the current market.

Quick Facts: 41mm x 13.6mm steel case – sapphire crystal, black aluminium unidirectional bezel – screwed crown and back – 200m water-resistant – lightly brushed black dial, silver applied makers and hands – calibre MT5602-U automatic Master Chronometer-certified, 4Hz frequency, 70h power reserve – Oyster steel bracelet, or 5-link steel bracelet or black rubber strap, all with folding clasp and micro-adjustment – reference M7941A1A0NU – from EUR 4,260

The Bold Zenith Defy Extreme Diver

Usually more associated with chronographs and pilot watches, dive watches have long been part of Zenith’s collection. One of the most important to date was part of the Defy range, the 600m reference A3648 released in 1969. This year, not only has the Le Locle-based brand launched a faithful re-edition of this vintage model but it has also presented a modern interpretation with the big, bold and capable Defy Extreme Diver. A fully equipped titanium watch with a strong personality, it measures 42.5mm and features a solid ceramic bezel, an octagonal case with sharp lines, a HEV on the left side and a 600m water-resistance. Inside is a no-chrono version of the El Primero, making it one of the rare high-frequency dive watches on the market. And to make it better, the Defy Extreme Diver comes with three interchangeable strap/bracelet options (titanium, rubber and textile). A high-end proposition with serious credentials.

Quick Facts: 42.5mm x 15.5mm grade 5 titanium case – sapphire crystal front and back, ceramic unidirectional bezel – screwed crown and back – helium valve – 600m water-resistant – blue or black sunray-brushed dial with starry sky pattern, orange ring – El Primero 3620SC automatic, 5Hz frequency, 60h power reserve – rubber strap + titanium bracelet + fabric strap included, with quick-change system – EUR 11,800