Best Dive Watches Under $500

Luminox 3001 Quartz Navy Seal Dive Watch

The Luminox company created the Navy Seal Dive Watch at the request of U.S. Navy SEAL teams for use on their night missions. Popular for its unique illumination system, the watch is made of durable, yet inexpensive materials helping to make it affordable. It features a carbon-reinforced polyurethane case, Swiss quartz movement, a mineral glass crystal, and a protected crown. The scratch resistant sapphire crystal has an anti-reflective coating.

The case is topped with a rotating 1-way diver bezel with white 5-minute Arabic numeral markers accenting the black face dial. The baton-style hands are large and easy to see. A date function is set at 3 o’clock. The self-powered illumination system lights up hands and dial markers that glow 100 times brighter than most luminous watches and will last at least 25 years. The tiny micro gas lights are embedded in the hands and hour indicators and on the turning ring. They need no external light source and you don’t have to push a button to light the dial.

The Luminox Navy Seal has 660ft / 200 meter water resistance and is suitable for recreational diving. The plastic watchband is easy to change if you wish to make a fashion statement on land.

Tissot Seastar 1000 Automatic Men's Watch

With Powermatic 80.111 movement, the Tissot Seastar 1000 has an attractive look featuring a blue dial and uni-directional rotating bezel with a blue top ring. Crown guards secure the screw-down crown with the Tissot T in the middle. Both the solid 43-mm case and bracelet-style band are stainless steel and the case back is transparent. The sapphire crystal is scratch-resistant.

The Swiss-made Tissot has 1000ft / 300 meter water resistance and the analog dial has luminescent hands and dot markers. Minute markers are on the outer ring. Functions include hour, minute, and seconds with a date display at 6 o’clock. The 23-jewel automatic movement Tissot has an 80 hour power reserve.

The Tissot Seastar 1000 automatic dive watch is a handsome-looking men’s watch and bears a slight resemblance to the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. The band has an expansion link to fit over wetsuits making it a good choice for water sports.

Seiko SKX007J1 Diver's Watch

The Japanese Seiko SKX007J1 is probably one of the most popular automatic dive watches under $500 along with its brother the SKX009 Pepsi. It features 21 jewels with automatic self-winding movement. A black dial and lume hands and markers give it a classic Seiko look. The case material is stainless steel and the band is black rubber with a tang buckle clasp. It has a uni-directional rotating bezel that has good alignment with the dial markings.

With a Hardnex mineral crystal, the Seiko SKX007 200 meters(660 feet) water resistance. The analog day function display at the 3 o’clock position is Arabic English with a Japanese option. The case size is 43 mm and 45 including the screw-down crown.

The Seiko SKX007J1 is suitable for recreational diving. As a fashion watch, it looks great with everything from shorts to business attire.

Seiko Prospex SRPC 91 SAVE THE OCEAN

The Seiko Prospex SRPC 91 is a special edition conveying the message of saving our oceans. The texture of the blue dial resembles ocean waves. The 45 mm case is made of stainless steel and the black silicone band with buckle clasp wears comfortably. The 24-jewel Japanese automatic dive watch with mechanical movement has a feature that allows you to wind the mainspring for a nostalgic feel. And there is a screw-down crown, of course.

The Prospex SRPC 91 has Seiko’s Lumibrite hands and hour markers and a day/date display at the 3 o’clock position. The dial cover is Hardex crystal and the blue stainless steel bezel is uni-directional. With a power reserve of around 41 hours, it has 200 meters of water resistance and meets ISO standards for scuba diving.

You can read our full review of the Save the Ocean here.

Seiko SSC017 Prospex Dive Watch

The solar-powered Japanese quartz movement Seiko SSC017 Prospex features 3 chronograph subdials in 1/5 increments to track seconds, minutes, and hours. It has a 43-mm stainless steel case and bracelet-style stainless steel band with a fold-over clasp and double push safety button.

The black dial has a Hardex crystal cover and luminous hands and markers with analog display. The black stainless steel unidirectional bezel runs smoothly. A date window displays the day of the month. Fully charge it in the sun for six months of run time with no worries about batteries.

The Seiko SSC017 has 200 meters of water resistance, suitable for semi-professional marine activity and surface water sports, and is handsome to wear to the office. It’s one of those dive watches you might be lusting after for years to come!

Seiko Prospex PADI SNE435P1 Solar Dive Watch

Seiko partnered with PADI, an international diving organization to create the attractive Prospex PADI SNE435P1 Dive Watch. The blue dial with analog display features Lumbrite hands and markers with red accents on the face and crown to reflect the PADI colors. The 43.5-mm case and band are stainless steel, and the band has a push-button safety lock feature.

The Japanese quartz movement is solar-powered. The PADI charges in less than a minute and is readable in the dark for up to 8 hours. A Hardex mineral crystal covers the dial and the date display at the 3 o’clock position is magnified. The stainless steel bezel is one-way directional.

The Seiko PADI is submergible with up to 200 meter water resistance. It has sporty good looks and is suitable for diving and water surface sports.

Victorinox Swiss Army I.N.O.X. Pro Diver Watch

With dependable Swiss Army quality, the Victorinox I.N.O.X. Pro Diver Watch is often more than $500 but can be found for less. The comfortable-wearing diver watch features a 45-mm stainless steel case, scratch resistant sapphire crystal, and a rubber strap with etched lines for a chain link appearance.

The Swiss-made Victorinox has a one-way directional bezel, count-up scale, and analog quartz movement. The attractive royal blue dial features bright hands and markers with the Swiss cross engraved at 12 o’clock. Other features include a sweeping red minute hand, military time display, end of life indicator, and a date display between 4 and 5 o’clock.

The I.N.O.X. is one of the best in the professional diving watch range. It’s anti-magnetic, ISO 6425 certified, and submersible up to 200 meters (650 feet). Explore the ocean with confidence.

Glycine Combat sub 48 GL0095

The smart-looking Glycine Combat sub 48 is a Swiss-made automatic dive watch. The classic black dial features analog display, Arabic numerals, seconds markers with a second hand, and a mineral crystal. A date window is located at the 3 o’clock position. The bezel is fixed and the crown is push-pull.

The stainless steel case has a dimension of 48 mm. Get the Glycine sub 48 with a bracelet-style stainless steel band or choose from several other band colors and styles. Not all styles are under $500 but many are. Submergible to 200 meters (660 feet), the watch is suitable for diving and water sports and makes a strong Rolex-style statement at the office.

You can read our detailed Glycine Combat Sub review here.

Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster Diver BN0151-09L

One of the most affordable top-quality dive watches under $500, the Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster uses their eco-drive technology. It is essentially a battery that stores power produced by light, natural or artificial – yes, solar energy in essence. This gives the analog display hands and markings on the black dial a blue luminescent tinge. The hour markers are circles with squares at the quarter hours. The hour hand is outlined in red. The dial window is mineral crystal and a date window is located between 3 an 4 o’clock.

The Citizen Eco-drive Promaster case is 44 mm and the band is sturdy plastic with a tang buckle clasp. The unidirectional bezel is made of aluminum. Water-resistant to 200 meters (660 feet), the Citizen Promaster is suitable for diving and is a chic-looking watch for everyday wear.

Overall, it is one of the best dive watches for the price.

Casio Men's MDV 106-IAN Duro Dive Watch

The super-popular Casio Duro MDV 106-IAN is the most affordable dive watch in our collection. The black stainless steel 44-mm case and black resin band give it a classic look for everyday wear, and the anti-reverse bezel adds diver-inspiring flair.

With accurate Japanese quartz movement, the Casio Duro has analog display with a mineral crystal dial cover. The hour markers and hands are luminous and a sweeping seconds hand is tinged with red. A date window is located at the 3 o’clock position. The Casio is water-resistant to 200 meters (660 feet) and is a dependable, low-cost dive watch.

Of course, there are other Casio G-Shock dive watches under $500, but this watch is the best dive watch that is not in that collection.

Orient Mako II

I couldn’t end this list of dive watches under $500 without mentioning the Orient Mako II. Of course, there is also the Orient Ray II, which is very similar, but let’s focus on just one model.

Orient is a sub-brand of Seiko, so you know you are getting quality right off the bat. It comes with an automatic movement with 40 hours power reserve.

The style of the watch is very much Submariner, but don’t let that put you off – it is homaged by many for a reason. It is the cleanest, simplest and most effective design.

The Orient Mako II is also very affordable, even though it comes with 200m water resistance, a 120 click uni-directional bezel and an all steel look.