You can view the page at http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/content/930-dive-watch-dead.html
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
I got a Rolex Sea Dweller (with helium relief valve) in 1973 because I was doing a lot of saturation diving. The reality is I never wore it in the water on a working dive in sat or surface supplied. Dive supervisors took care of that. I wore it in the chamber, but a non-waterproof Timex would have done as well. I did use it for a while on Scuba dives but soon replaced it with a cheap waterproof digital with a stop watch function.
The vast majority of recreational divers are fine without a dive watch. Serious decompression dives call for a backup computer but a watch is of little value without the depth gauge and tables to go with it. The fact is a backup computer is no bigger than an analog depth gauge, if you can still find one.
I don't think dive watches are "dead" as far watches go but they probably are for the most part in diving.
I don't think I have ever seen anybody using a Rolex or similar diving, I know I sure haven't. I think you'd either have to have money to burn or be insane to take something that expensive on a recreational dive.
Like Akimbo said, that's just the timing device, you still need two other things - depth gauge and tables of some sort. Computers do a much better job in a single unit.
But big expensive dive watches do look cool and have a 007 style diver mystique for sure.
...And maybe help assert ones financial status?
Where do you dive that you see this?Rolexes are the real deal, and should be worn diving. I've seen a guy diving with a $10,000 Rolex Daytona, and a few wearing submariners / seadwellers.
I'm convinced there are two type of Rolex (Sub / sea dweller) owners: those that buy it because it's a tough watch with a real diving pedigree, and those that buy it to show off. If I ever buy one, it'll be for the former reasons. And I'll dive with it.
Wow, I'll have to keep a better eye out. The only Rolex's I've seen worn was by a guy who owns a whole string of body shops and another guy who is a big real estate tycoon in Sacramento and owns a yacht that I happen to work on.Cozumel, Bonaire, etc. As a watch guy, you tend to notice that a lot of people own Rolexes. Plumbers, bike mechanics, ex-military, etc.