Why dive watches need to be tough

[csaltphoto]

I started diving after the era of the dive watch. Dive computers were pretty well established but expensive. My first computer was about the cheapest I could find and I only used it for a year or so before moving on to something more sophisticated that could calculate decompression and deeper dives.

So here is that first dive computer. This one probably has only a couple of hundred dives at best. It was expensive for a 20 something so I tried as best I could to take care of it. But here is what it looks like after maybe 200 hours of use. Diving is really hard on stuff.

I wear my submariner diving but usually under my wetsuit sleeve. And not on shore dives with rocks and coral. But back in the day this is what you could expect your dive watch to have to put up with since it was the only instrument that was keeping you safe.

[kieselguhr]

My first wrist dive computer/ watch was a brand new at the time Suunto Zoop. It died on my second dive. That was the dive I did my open water skills too. Suunto offered to replace it but I opted to add cash for the D4 instead. That survived many dives up until advanced open water. Replaced it again with another Suunto D4i. It’s my current dive watch. Hopefully it will last me till I get rescue diver.

The 1601 Datejust pictured with the whale shark in the collage is 20 years older than I am, is not considered a dive watch by the watch community, has gone with me on hundreds of dives since I started, and thus far has survived 2 modern dive computers.



Funny. I wear mechanicals as a novelty only. I don’t even use them to time anything. Just for my own amusement.

[Lol-x]

Originally Posted by kieselguhr

The 1601 Datejust pictured with the whale shark in the collage is 20 years older than I am, is not considered a dive watch by the watch community, has gone with me on hundreds of dives since I started, and thus far has survived 2 modern dive computers.

Funny. I wear mechanicals as a novelty only. I don’t even use them to time anything. Just for my own amusement.

A 1601 DateJust is really more of a dress watch but it is so robust it can handle almost anything you can throw at it, as you say. But I can't understand why you only wear mechanicals as a novelty only, it seems inconsistent with your experience given in relation to your 1601?

[kieselguhr]

Originally Posted by Lol-x

A 1601 DateJust is really more of a dress watch but it is so robust it can handle almost anything you can throw at it, as you say. But I can't understand why you only wear mechanicals as a novelty only, it seems inconsistent with your experience given in relation to your 1601?

Sadly, I must admit that I find it a lot easier to just rely on the computer to calculate algorithms and diving limits

While I’m down there I tend to focus on other things like safety, situational awareness, and proximity to my dive buddy, while still enjoying the experience and sneaking in a wrist shot or two It’s kinda hard to throw math into the mix.

Although it’s mostly a novelty, it’s still comforting to know that the Rolex will likely be a viable option should I be unlucky enough that both my primary and backup dive computers both go kaput.

[Doc Savage]

Originally Posted by kieselguhr

My first wrist dive computer/ watch was a brand new at the time Suunto Zoop. It died on my second dive. That was the dive I did my open water skills too. Suunto offered to replace it but I opted to add cash for the D4 instead. That survived many dives up until advanced open water. Replaced it again with another Suunto D4i. It’s my current dive watch. Hopefully it will last me till I get rescue diver.

The 1601 Datejust pictured with the whale shark in the collage is 20 years older than I am, is not considered a dive watch by the watch community, has gone with me on hundreds of dives since I started, and thus far has survived 2 modern dive computers.



Funny. I wear mechanicals as a novelty only. I don’t even use them to time anything. Just for my own amusement.

Very cool, Nick!

[htc8p]

I rely mainly on dive computers like suunto stingray very cool. It makes diving safer and easier. Having a dive watch while diving is just for personal pleasure


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[garyk]

We bought a house a few years back and so we unfortunately have a pool. I dive into this pool occasionally with my JC DSSD on for fun...