Best value 1000m dive watches

[ODP]

Having just put in an order for an Apeks 1000m quartz diver (got to be the ultimate beater?) I was wondering what other budget and high water resistance (500m plus) watches are out there.
The Apeks seems well regarded and is avaliable under other brand names, they also do a 500m version but without the helium release valve.
I can’t think of any other diver that offers so much for so little and that is considered a credible dive watch?
(They come in now at around the £150 mark)

[snowman]

HEVs must be the most over-hyped gadget on a watch.

Aside from a few professional saturation divers, no one would ever need to let Helium escape from their watch.

You can argue extreme WR is unnecessary, but it's a bonus on top of the WR you require, but an HEV for most people is just an unnecessary hole in the case!

M

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[ODP]

HEVs must be the most over-hyped gadget on a watch.

Aside from a few professional saturation divers, no one would ever need to let Helium escape from their watch.

You can argue extreme WR is unnecessary, but it's a bonus on top of the WR you require, but an HEV for most people is just an unnecessary hole in the case!

M

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Absolutely, I certainly have no need for a HEV or a 1000m depth rating.
The point of the thread was to see if there were other watches at the Apeks price point that are equally well specified and regarded.

[snowman]

I think the Apex watches are pretty unbeatable for spec at the price.

I've seen some Mares branded watches with similar specs, but they may be essentially the same, as you say.

M

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[earlofsodbury]

I own - and really like - a Tauchmeister-branded 1000m watch (out of the same factory as the Apeks stuff), and it's great, but my MWC "Depthmaster" is a massively better watch in every way - Seiko automatic movement, AR-coated sapphire crystal, ceramic bezel inlay, flush-mounted automatic HEV, screwed lug rods, Tritium gas tubes instead of lume, and much higher quality fit and finish everywhere. Admittedly it's a little over double the price of the Tauchmeister, but it's easily worth it. I found the customer service from MWC was excellent, too - I wanted a replacement bezel after *I* damaged it - they sent me a complete replacement watch, FOC! Superb service at any level, never mind for what was a sub-£400 watch at the time.

[RAJEN]

I own - and really like - a Tauchmeister-branded 1000m watch (out of the same factory as the Apeks stuff), and it's great, but my MWC "Depthmaster" is a massively better watch in every way - Seiko automatic movement, AR-coated sapphire crystal, ceramic bezel inlay, flush-mounted automatic HEV, screwed lug rods, Tritium gas tubes instead of lume, and much higher quality fit and finish everywhere. Admittedly it's a little over double the price of the Tauchmeister, but it's easily worth it. I found the customer service from MWC was excellent, too - I wanted a replacement bezel after *I* damaged it - they sent me a complete replacement watch, FOC! Superb service at any level, never mind for what was a sub-£400 watch at the time.

Yup, seems a far better watch.
Those Tauchmeister variants with puny crowns don’t float my boat at all.

[Dougal]

It’s a tangent, I know, but is Christopher Ward the only one to offer 1,000m certified chronometers with an exhibition caseback (C60 Elite 1000)?

[mk1974]

Yup, seems a far better watch.
Those Tauchmeister variants with puny crowns don’t float my boat at all.

Yes the crown is definitely off putting,I’d still like to see one in the flesh


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[MrGrumpy]

I'm not sure how any 1000m Dive watch can be 'good value', when the technology is utterly pointless! There may be cheaper or more expensive versions, but any watch with 200m or even 100m WR will meet any need a normal human has!

[jwg663]

The other common 'name' in the 1000m world is Ratio, but it's just another rebadged version of the Apeks etc..

If you can hold your nose, Invicta do a large range of 1000m rated watches. Lots available for under 200 simoleons. Check eBay.

There's an example of the MWC mentioned above on eBay UK at the moment.

[RobDad]

I'm not sure how any 1000m Dive watch can be 'good value', when the technology is utterly pointless! There may be cheaper or more expensive versions, but any watch with 200m or even 100m WR will meet any need a normal human has!

That’s an excellent point. However, there are a lot of ‘luxury Swiss brands’ out there who will tell you how it’s almost impossible to produce a watch ‘strong enough to withstand the immense pressures at the deepest part of the ocean, unless fashioned from a block of unobtanium by highly trained technicians’ etc etc - when quite clearly modern manufacturing techniques and technology means a Chinese factory can bang them out for a couple of hundred quid and still make a profit!! - I’m sure they’re not all tested by famous film directors in submarines - but the ability to produce and sell this kind of thing for less than an entry level vanilla Seiko diver is pretty impressive!


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[MrGrumpy]

However, there are a lot of ‘luxury Swiss brands’ out there who will tell you how it’s almost impossible to produce a watch ‘strong enough to withstand the immense pressures at the deepest part of the ocean, unless fashioned from a block of unobtanium by highly trained technicians’ etc etc - when quite clearly modern manufacturing techniques and technology means a Chinese factory can bang them out for a couple of hundred quid and still make a profit!! -

You are so right - It was reported on this forum a while back that fashion Brand storm sold a WR1000m watch for £80! And it survived a 100bar pressure test!

[RyanB]

Not in stock now but I'd thought similar things about this https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.php?t=479551 1,000m for £76!

The autos are tempting for £108... https://www.creationwatches.com/prod...tch-17915.html

Certainly shows that high depth ratings aren't necessarily as expensive to achieve as the bigger makers like to imply.

R

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[earlofsodbury]

Those Tauchmeister variants with puny crowns don’t float my boat at all.

I had a 52mm diameter automatic Tauchmeiste, and on that the crown looked a mite absurd and was annoying to use regularly, never mind the fact the watch was massive and very heavy. Sold for a pittance to a friend who is built to a similar scale as the watch and replaced with a yellow-dialled 44mm quartz version which works better in every way. I think they're good value for money, but clearly not to all tastes, and you can get much the same watch for even less.

[M1011]

I managed to buy one of these new for $85 USD (so about £60?) in mid-2019. 1000m quartz 'Ratio', via Creation Watches. Bit of a bargain on sale. I added the bracelet separately, it came on rubber.



I also picked up this Geckota from a Watch Gecko sale in late 2019, 500m with a automatic Seiko movement for £125.



Moved both of these on ages ago, but bargains are out there!

[Qatar-wol]

It’s a tangent, I know, but is Christopher Ward the only one to offer 1,000m certified chronometers with an exhibition caseback (C60 Elite 1000)?

I've probably been snitty about CWard watches in the past, but I really like the milling on that case back. Looks really good. The movement is nothing to look at, sadly, but something about those six deep holes speaks to me deeply!