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How to choose a diving wrist-watch - usefull hints

Sunday, October 01, 2006 | Posted to Diving and UW activities

In this article we discuss constructional features of diving watches. There are numerous choices of diving watches but not all of them meet requirements of pro scuba diver. What details we should pay attention while carefully choosing diving wrist-watch?

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It a matter of fact, that nowadays there are no scuba diver diving without quartz-crystal computer clock. Taking real diving wrist-watch as a secondary control system can not only instill confidence but become a lifesaving gear – in case of electronic equipment malfunction.

So which criteria need to be taken into consideration regarding to real, functional and reliable diving chronometer? What functions they must have to serve best to diving duties?

Criteria

For the first, contrary to diving computer, they must to be mechanical. Today manufacturers understand clearly that firmly and hermetically sealed body is a must for good working watches. Watch body must be made of massive high-quality steel or pure titanium or should be monoshelled i.e. to have one body covering like TAG Heuer watches.

Generally, watch also may have screwing cover with full threading and circular section thickening ring. Obviously, clock winder should also screw onto. It must be big and rough enough so a diver can use it even in neoprene gloves. For hammering and shock resistance, it should have considered side protection. For such reasons, some manufacturers have moved clock winder from vulnerable place opposite to digit “3”. For example, this construction feature found on Citizen, Ikepod and Sinn models. Also is very useful to have watch crystal made of antireflective sapphire material which can’t be scratch by riffs or hulls of sunk ship.

Having all this features such wrist-watches can easily provide watertightness up to 10 atmospheres i.e. 330 feet and most of professional scuba diving watches can sustain much harder pressures - with some models of TAG Heuer and Sector watches you can dive as deep as 3280 feet (if you dare)! Sunlight cannot reach such depth, so your diving watch need to have big and bright self-glowing markers so you can accurately control time even in very low illumination. Display should have markers placed with 5-minutes range and must be clearly seen from 10 inches underwater. Same requirements belong to hands and digits.

In ocean depths we need to know not just the absolute daytime but especially how much relative time passed from start of diving. For this reason, professional diving wrist-watches must have rotating bezel with engraved dive time markers, for safe timing and other limited events. We advise to look for a watch model where bezel is rotating only counter-clockwise not unidirectional. In case of mistaken rotating diving time will be minimized, not maximized, avoiding possibility of dive overtiming and endanger diver life.

Every diving watches must be individually tested and 100% satisfy quality standards. Test them comprehensively for:

• dial readability
• antimagnetic behaviour
• shock resistance
• reliability of bracelet, clasp and rim.

Summary

They also should to be unaffected by salt water and temperature drop difference. With all this conditions watch must work excellent. Yes, it makes them harder to manufacture but human life is invaluable!

© Copyright 2006, Underwater World Journal