Casting a net for the 5 best dive watches of 2022

Fergus Nash

With the overwhelming popularity of integrated-bracelet sports watches in the last two years, it could be said that the era of dive-watch supremacy is petering out. This could prove a good thing for the dive-watch enthusiast, however, as the market will hopefully see less saturation of endless small variations and more of a focus on unique divers that earn their place within our collections. Let’s have a dig through the releases of 2022 and highlight the 5 best examples of modern dive watches.

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 6000M Ultra Deep

What better definition of a dive watch can there be than a watch capable of reaching the deepest depths? In 2019, the Omega Ultra Deep was taken to the bottom of the Mariana Trench at a total depth of 10,935m. Three years later in 2022, that mind-boggling diver has now been adapted into a genuinely wearable wristwatch with a depth rating of 6000m. It may be true that even saturation divers rarely venture beyond a depth of 300m, but the pursuit of excellence to the point of absurdity is really what all mechanical watchmaking is really about. Available in titanium with fixed manta-ray lugs or in the proprietary  new material O-MEGASTEEL, this 45.5mm wide and 18.1mm tall behemoth can be worn with pride in a variety of attractive gradient colours.

TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver

TAG Heuer had strayed from the path of a truly professional dive watch some time ago, but 2022 saw a return to form in their various Watches & Wonders releases. The Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver is an absolute spec monster, conforming to all ISO certifications for a saturation diver and not compromising on aesthetics either. With a 46mm diameter and the dodecagonal bezel, the dark titanium case is full of chunky characteristics at every angle. It’s movement is also manufactured exclusively for TAG Heuer by Kenissi, providing a 70-hour power reserve and COSC certification for reliable accuracy. Other features include a helium-escape valve, an enclosed crown guard design, and on-the-fly adjustment on the bracelet clasp.

Longines Ultra-Chron Diver

This year has witnessed the revival of some very experimental watches from the 1960s and ’70s that may have previously been considered too strange to reissue, however the Longes Ultra-Chron is the perfect amount of weird without being inaccessible. Aside from the 300m water-resistance rating from the vintage-style cushion case, the domed sapphire bezel insert creating immense depth, and the gorgeous matte dial texture, the 2022 Ultra-Chron Diver truly does justice to its name. The movement is the new calibre L836.6, a COSC-certified chronometer with a high beat rate of 36,000 vibrations per hour, a silicon balance spring, antimagnetic escape wheel, and a 52-hour power reserve. Being one of the first Swiss companies to embrace vintage reissues in 2007, Longines continue to prove themselves to be among the best.

DOXA Army Watches of Switzerland Edition

Although the DOXA Army is now available in regular production, the initial limited edition of this storied legend created a lot of buzz. Limited to just 100 pieces, the black PVD of the original 1970s Army dive watch was recreated in a matte black ceramic, imparting much more of a luxurious quality than PVD that scratches incredibly easily. The dial layout is a truly captivating work of contrast, with parchment-toned highlights and deep blacks to help pop out the burnt orange hand set. Inside, DOXA kept it simple with a Sellita SW200-1 with COSC certification for accuracy, reliability, and affordable servicing. After years of teasing and other brand’s homages, the Army is finally back in DOXA’s hands.

Tudor Pelagos 39

It should come as no surprise that the Tudor Pelagos made it onto this list, as upon release it was instantly heralded by publications, YouTubers and collectors alike as “the perfect dive watch”. The original Pelagos had quite a beefy look, with recessed hour markers and even a left-handed version available, while the Pelagos 39 has simplified matters without losing any of the original’s stoic charm. The squared-off markers and snowflake hands are self-assured, while the titanium case and bracelet embrace their glowering grey colour with an all-brushed finish. The in-house calibre MT5400 is COSC-certified, as you’d expect from a Tudor, and the pop of red in the Pelagos text just rounds out the whole watch with style.