GOING THE EXTRA FATHOM:

The Rolex Deepsea and 6 Other Extreme Dive Watches


All divers’ watches share certain characteristics that make them divers’ watches: unidirectional rotating bezels, secure screw-down crowns, higher-than-typical water resistance. Some of these divers’ watches, however, go the extra mile (or fathom), with cases that can descend to 3,000 or even 4,000 meters, chronographs operable at incredible depths, or high-tech depth gauge devices built into their mechanical movements. Below, we take a look at the Rolex Deepsea and six other “extreme” dive watches and what sets them apart from the pack.

1. Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea

Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea D-Blue Edition
Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea D-Blue Edition

The Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea has a water-resistance level of 3,900 meters (nearly 13,000 feet), and it is more than 10 percent slimmer than it otherwise would have been thanks to a special case construction developed by Rolex. It consists of three pressure-absorbing elements: a 5.5 mm thick sapphire crystal, a 3.28-mm-thick caseback made of grade 5 titanium, and an inner ring (on which both of them rest) made of Biodur-108 steel. In 2014, Rolex launched the new Rolex Deepsea D-Blue Edition (pictured above), with a proprietary “D-Blue” dial that is dark blue at the top, and then darkens gradually to black at the bottom. At Baselworld 2018, Rolex upgraded the Deepsea further with new case details and a new “Superlative Chronometer” movement; details are here.

2. Breitling Superocean Chronograph M2000

Breitling Superocean Chronograph M2000
Breitling Superocean Chronograph M2000

The Breitling Superocean Chronograph M2000 has a chronograph that can be operated at a depth of 2,000 meters underwater. The watch is the first to feature a patented magnetic push-piece system, in which the chronograph controls are operated via the metal of the case. Along with the screw-locked crown and the 4-mm-thick sapphire crystal, these pushers enable the wearer to use the watch at the extreme depth of 2,000 meters (or 6,600 feet) without the risk of water seeping in. Click here to read our “Watch to Watch” article on the Breitling Superocean Chronograph M2000.

3. Blancpain X Fathoms

Blancpain X Fathoms
Blancpain X Fathoms

The Blancpain X Fathoms watch combines elements of its famous Fifty Fathoms ancestor with a modern mechanical depth gauge. Though “only” water-resistant to 300 meters, Blancpain calls it the most high-performance mechanical diving watch ever made, with several world firsts, including:

– Measures depth up to 90 meters
– Maximum depth reached memory
– Separate indication on the 0-15m scale with an +/- 30 cm precision
– Retrograde 5-minute counter for decompression stops

The 55.65-mm case, made of satin-brushed titanium, is water-resistant to 300 meters. It features a helium decompression valve for saturation diving and the characteristic unidirectional rotating bezel. The strap comprises 14 articulated parts to ensure a perfect fit on the wrist. Click here for more info on the Blancpain X Fathoms.

4. Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQUEST

Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQUEST
Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQUEST

The Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQUEST has a water-resistance of 3,000 meters, achieved by crafting the entire case out of a single block onto which the bezel is directly screwed. The crown seals, generally considered the weak point of a watch in terms of water resistance, have been strengthened to prevent entry of water when in the screwed-in position. The watch also has a nonreflective sapphire crystal with its thickness raised to 5.3 mm and an automatic helium-release valve.

5. Deep Blue Depthmaster 3000M

Deep Blue Depthmaster 3000M
Deep Blue Depthmaster 3000M

The Deep Blue Depthmaster 3000M, as its name suggests, is water-resistant to 3,000 meters. The watch is powered by the Japanese Miyota 9015 automatic movement. The 49-mm stainless steel case features a helium valve with a protective cap. The sapphire bezel is filled with Super-LumiNova and the domed sapphire crystal is 6 mm thick.

6. Hublot Oceanographic 4000

Hublot Oceanographic 4000
Hublot Oceanographic 4000

Requiring 18 months of research, development and testing to complete, the Hublot Oceanographic 4000 was the first divers’ watch able to withstand the pressure exerted at a depth of 4,000 meters, or about 13,120 feet. (Hublot actually tested the seal all the way to 5,000 meters in a Roxer tank.) To ensure the watertightness of the watch and to resist this extreme pressure, the synthetic sapphire crystal is 6.5 mm thick. The screw-down caseback is made of grade 2 titanium. The Oceanographic 4000 has a helium valve, which allows gases that have infiltrated the watch during the descent to safely escape during the ascent. More detail on the Hublot Oceanographic 4000 here.

7. UTS 4000M Professional Diver

UTS 4000M Professional Diver
UTS 4000M Professional Diver

The UTS 4000M Professional Diver, another timepiece water-resistant to 4,000 meters, comes in a 45-mm case crafted from a single block of stainless steel. The 6-mm thick sapphire crystal is glued into the case and is also secured by a stainless steel ring with seven hex screws. To learn more about UTS, and what makes its German-made dive watches unique, click here to read our profile of the company.

This article was originally published in 2013 and has been updated with new information and photos.

Save

Save

Save

Save

No Responses to “The Rolex Deepsea and 6 Other Extreme Dive Watches”

Show all responses
  1. Randy Rogers

    Proof positive TAG-Heuer is missing the boat in this category, they would be wise to re-invest in the Aquagraph, an iconic piece that was ahead of it’s time and has the Brands DNA dating back to the Classic 2000 Capstan Bezel, w/Calendar, or just as before, but regardless of Racing, TAG-Heuer is ceding territory to others by default.

    Reply
  2. Aussie Steve

    The Sinn UX is probably the ultimate, luxury, tool watch in the world today. Thanks to the over-engineered, oil-filled, German technology from Sinn, the UX can go to ANY depth (the movement is limited to 5,000m, but the case will survive any depth on earth!); the oil-filled case also means that you always know if the watch has lost its water-resistance (unlike other watches where you never quite know), Submarine steel with hardened, un-losable bezel; perfect, unrivalled clarity of the dial – even under water – at any angle; 7 year battery life; Shockproof; Anti-magnetic; Sapphire crystal, Super-accurate, thermo-compensated ETA quartz movement; service costs similar to (or cheaper than) mechanical watches, etc., etc.
    Then there’s the price – a genuine BARGAIN for the features (please don’t let the quartz ‘blind’ you to it’s awesomeness!). Compare the price for the UX with the Rolex!
    And, amazingly, it’s only 13mm thick, so it fits under a cuff as well [compare that to the watches in this list!)
    For the money, there’s nothing better IMHO.
    :)

    Reply
  3. What do you think of the Breitling Avenger II Seawolf? I got mine pre-owned and love it; it’s survived countless showers and saturated dog baths. :)

    Reply
  4. Leonard

    Hello…..

    I am wondering why the “Seiko MarineMaster” 1000M was not included in your article because there is a video on You-Tube that shows how it went down to 4299M before it stopped.
    Type in ….”Seiko 1000M Depth Test”…. and check it out yourself.
    As a watch collector myself.. I think that Seiko Marinemaster makes the best diver’s watches in the world in which they should have been included in your article.
    Leonard

    Reply
    • David Carroll

      I absolutely agree! The fact that not a single Seiko made the list yet Deep Blue did? DEEP BLUE?

      Reply
  5. The Sinn UX can go deeper, is more legible underwater and is more accurate than any of these rich kids desk divers.

    Reply
  6. Jens Köppe

    I Love the Hublot Oceanographic 4000. Very durable watch for all kinds of extrem sports

    Reply
  7. Just found out that the Borealis Seafarer II is rated to 4000m. Talk about an affordable beater, under $500.00 4.5mm domed sapphire w/AR, a helium escape valve, RC Tritec bgw9 lume w/ lumed sapphire bezel insert, and reliable viton and tefzel gaskets. This deserves to be included in any dive watch round-up, as well as the Deep Blue 1 to 3 K meter watches.

    Reply
  8. Steve

    Not on this list is the affordable Oris Aquis depth gage
    Watch. Great diving watch and nice looking as well!

    Reply
  9. William DeVault

    You left one off the Charmex 20,000 ft record holder
    seems like all you talk about is the top tier watches
    SAD!!!!!!

    Reply
  10. All great watches and many more could have been included. Perhaps my Tudor Hydro 1200m? Cheers

    Reply
  11. BigJoe

    You left out several deep diving watches, including the Roven Dino Marianas with a depth rating of over 5 MILES! The most water resistant watch I know of in the world.

    Reply
  12. Enrique

    Nobody go more than 150 feet underwater if had a PADI or NAUI training. The shower was the most popular place to use your dive watches. I think is a great mistake buy and pay thousends of dollars to use in a pool or the shower. 200 mt-666 ft underwater pressure is sufficient.

    Reply
  13. John Johnson

    All great watches but think twice about the Deep Blue. My wife bought me their “Top of the range” watch in December 2013 and gave it to me as a very special Christmas present. It is based on the Valjoux 7754 movement and is an absolutely beautiful watch. It is probably my most prised possesion depite the fact I own several fine watches. Unfortunately it was broken the following February (1 year ago to the day) it was returned to Deep Blue and it still hasn’t been returned. My wife is extremely upset. Beautiful watches but appauling Customer Service! Despite the emails and phone calls from England to New York I doubt I will ever see it again. Shame on Deep Blue!

    Reply
    • Berton Kanne

      I have heard about quality control and customer service issues from Deep Blue. I think their watches are stunning. Too bad!

      Reply
  14. The BALL is in a class of its own and banf4buck is the pick here! A mate got one as a wedding engagement present and if he does ill dig it back up and ware it. Its too go not to be seen or worn.

    For almost anyone else a 300m watch is more than enough IMO

    Reply
    • Johnny Mac

      +1. I’m a huge fan of Ball’s quality/features/price, currently owning 7 models, including a NEDU blue, that’s rated to 600m.

      Reply
      • Same eher…own many Ball watches, and the bang for the buck is amazing.

        Reply
  15. Liquid fill a QUARTZ/SOLAR movement case and it would have near infinite depth rating and no need for HELIUM with fluorocarbon clear filler. Ive seen some done & they look amazing! The dials FLOAT on the face of the watch!

    Reply
  16. Bert Kanne

    The UTS would be my choice since it has incredible machined details and most people usually think Rolex or Breitling.

    Reply
  17. The UTS 4000M doesn’t need a helium escape valve because its case is milled from a block of 316L steel and the 6mm+ crystal is glued into place then secured by a steel ring bolted to the case. Case openings are secured with double Viton seals. If helium doesn’t get in, you don’t need to allow for its escape.

    Reply
    • Sorry, I don’t agree. At the time of writing this I am in a saturation system with 5 other divers. Contrary to popular belief, Helium molecules will get into everything. Regardless of what has been inbuilt as a deterant. Most of the guys in here are wearing the Rolex Deepsea(blues) I favour the Breitling Superocean(44).
      I have seen many a unhappy diver at the end of a 28 day saturation who thinks that simply unscrewing the crown of his time piece will stop the sapphire crystal from popping out.
      It always makes me laugh when I see business men or other professionals trying to explain the working attributes of any watch that has a helium escape valve. Every single man that works as a sat diver that is wearing a watch of this caliber are very attached to the history and reliability of there friends on there wrist. The two other guys in my team both have a beautiful collection of Submariners, Sea Dwellers, Panerai’s, as do I. These are items that we couldn’t do without in our field of work. Also remember that to work in Saturation doesn’t always involve great depths. I have done some shallow sats of just over – 25 meters, which in the scheme of things doesn’t sound deep. But at the same time the helium is getting in everywhere. I have worked on jobs all over he world at great depths and always look forward to articles from this site. Thanks for the great work. It makes living and working in these conditions a lot more enjoyable because I can get reviews on the next pieces In my wish list.
      Next time u see a guy at a airport who is wearing jeans, t.shirt, tattoos, stubble and sporting a rolex that doesn’t look like he can afford ,and his two buddies are wearing he same………they are probably sat divers:-)

      Reply
      • Great response. Thank you. As someone who is genuinely relying on these watches as professional equipment, are there other brands you would trust aside from the Rolex and the Breitling? How about the Ball? What about the Sinn UX (liquid filled) or any of the others in the Sinn line? Very interested to know your take on some of the lesser known brands. I share your concerns about UTS’s claim that they don’t need a He escape valve because their construction is so precise. If there is a seam, He will get in! If you aren’t working in a saturation habitat, I suppose it doesn’t matter, but most of these matches are excessive for anyone but you. If you couldn’t have the Rolex or the Breitling, what would it be?

        Reply
      • What do you think about the Breitling Avenger II Seawolf? I love mine and am curious what you and your colleagues think about it.

        Reply
  18. Why did the Omega PloProf 1200m not make it on the list? It is an awesome professional dive watch.

    Reply
  19. Richard

    Mark, a very nice list and nice variety. I enjoyed this article a great deal. Thanks for the varied price points as the watches should be measured by their work and their merit. Thank you for that. Love that Blancpain.

    Reply
  20. virtanen

    “The (Hublot) Oceanographic 4000 has a helium valve, which allows gases that have infiltrated the watch during the descent to safely escape during the ascent.”

    This misunderstanding needs to be corrected right away:
    Helium gets into the case while (professional or failed) diver goes to the pressure chamber. The valve is needed when the pressure gets down and the diver gets out of the chamber. The pressurized helium may break the watch glass. This can be avoided like IWC has done (they glue the glass to the case). The case withstands (200 bars water and) 10 bars of pressure outwards from the case and the helium gets slowly out through O-rings (crown, caseback…) without breaking the watch.

    At the moment (simulated) WR of depths is made by a COMEX diver in a pressure (hyperbaric) chamber. They reached 701 m and the test took 43 days to complete. Read some more about COMEX and Theodoros (Theo) Mavrostomos from:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolex_Sea_Dweller
    and
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturation_diving

    Reply
  21. sharon

    The best watch is swiss military cx 20,000 f check it and see

    Reply
  22. Jason

    Correction: The Breitling Avenger Seawolf Chrono, ca. 2011. Rated to 1000m and has the same magnetic push-piece system. As I understand it, this was the first to use magnetic push-pieces. Purchased mine in Feb., 2011.

    Cheers!

    Reply
  23. Robinoz

    It’s interesting that we love diving watches and the depths to which they will go, but very few of us (I guess) ever go diving, certainly not to the depths to which the watches survive. It would be nice to hear what professional, deep sea divers are using.

    Reply
    • Richard

      Well I know National Geographic divers use Deep Blue. Check out the web site for the story and video. I personally love the list put together here.

      Reply
    • Hi,

      Stumbled across this forum…

      I’m a commercial/deep Sea diver, and own a Rolex SeaDweller Deep Sea. Awesome watch, but do I take it on site…. Not yet. Usually I use a Seiko 200m ‘Monster’, good watch, and no problem if it gets smashed or falls into the abyss, however the bezel has a habit of seizing occasionally.

      As a rule, Our dive times are monitored by our supervisors, which makes wearing a watch at work a little redundant (most of the time), and they can get in the way.

      The depths these watches are rated to well exceeds what most commercial divers will reach using common, current techniques (including saturation dives). They are, in my opinion, feats of engineering, items of beauty, and a measure of badassness at the bar and/or office watercooler.

      As for those confused about the need for a helium (He) Valve/release. These are only needed for saturation diving.

      Basically when in saturation you breathe a mixture of Oxygen/Nitrogen/Helium, also known as Trimix.

      As i understand it, Helium is a very small and light molecule, this molecule has the ability to seep into the watch while under pressure (in the chamber), which is fine, until you start to ascend. At this point the trapped helium that has seeped into the watch will begin to expand, if trapped it will cause damage (such as crystals popping off). The he valves allow this expanding helium to bleed out of the watch without causing any problems.

      Watches that ‘do not require’ a helium escape valve tend to be made out of solid chunks of metal, with less parts ie less gaps for the helium to get into, and are over engineered, apparently stopping the helium to manage to penetrate the watch. I personally do not know too much about these watches. Never used one.

      Actually looking for a cheap beater that still has the He release valve…

      Hope that helps a little

      Reply
  24. Gadgety

    So the Hublot Oceanographic 4000 has a helium valve, and goes to 4,000 meters. The UTS 4000M Professional Diver also goes to 4,000 meters, but doesn’t have the helium valve. Howcome?

    Reply
  25. Pretty great post. I just stumbled upon your weblog and wanted to say that I have truly enjoyed browsing your weblog posts. In any case I’ll be subscribing in your feed and I am hoping you write once more very soon!

    Reply
  26. Jonathan W. Fink

    I’m not sure what to make this group. Breitling versus Blancpain, okay so far, versus Deep Blue- huh? I understand including Deep Beep Blue if you include other watches at every price point in between it and the Blancpain. Where are Seiko, Citizen, Doxa, and Tag Heuer? What about the Longines Hydroconquest (my dress diver)? Others include the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean and the Rolex Sea Dweller. Put all these watches in a comparison and you would have a truly wild test.

    Reply
    • Bob's Watches

      The new Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea has a nice design and is a good choice.

      Reply
  27. Great watches guys but for around $2500
    you can get a Sinn UX Hydro. 5000m for the movement
    12000m for the case. Made with submarine steel and lighter.

    Reply
  28. Matthew

    I own a UTS 4000M and can vouch for its awesomeness. There really is nothing else like it. A fantastic watch totally handmade and limited to 200 only.

    Reply
    • James Burlington

      I totally agree. I have the 1000m GMT: UTS watches are the best watches on the market today!

      Reply
  29. Marcus redman

    I prefer the Rolex deep sea dweller a stylish watch with plenty of weight
    I wear mine with a suite or jeans and jumper and it still looks good

    Reply
  30. MrTissot

    What about the Breitling Avenger Seawolf which can go 3000m? That’s 1000m deeper than the Breitling Superocean M2000? But seriously, any watch that can truly go down to these depths should really be equipped with Tritum Tubes IMHO. So my vote goes to the Ball DeepQuest.

    Reply
    • Fathoms looks the best in my opinion. There are a few good ones missing, but overall a great collection.

      Reply
  31. Nice and interesting article, thanks,
    I’m missing some brands that could have a place of honor in the list,
    such as Doxa and Aquadive…
    Would be very helpful if you put the criteria that guided you to choose the list
    just to be more transparent and reliable.
    Regards,

    Reply
  32. Debashish

    These watches are fine, but I think you missed out on Rolex Deepsea as it is also water-resistant to 3,900 meters.

    Reply
    • Think your information on the deepsea is a bit old considering their 2012 model is rated to 12,000 Metres.

      Reply
      • Stewart, the Rolex Deepsea Challenge is an experimental watch. That could be why the author didn’t include it.

        Reply
Leave a Reply