Affordable dive watch, easy to read? Vintage a plus!

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The watch in my profile pic is almost the largest dive watch I've seen. The face alone is almost 2.5 inches across. It was a present the same birthday I got my reading glasses. It has the advantage that it easily readable in the dark without my glasses :)

It's the original Invicta Russian Diver. Models vary WIDELY - there have been quartz, automatic and fully manual versions. There are some with glass, and some with sapphire/mineral crystals. Costs can be < $100 or over $400. They also vary widely in depth ratings. Looks like they don't make this original one anymore, and most of the current ones are a little "busy" on the face and harder to read. Some are a good value, others are "Shopping Channel fancy", so shop carefully if you look at Invictas.

My next fav and easy to read watches are the Prospex and other simple face Seikos. I have two, they aren't huge, but they're large enough. One is quartz, the other solar. The quartz one is from 1985 and still keeps time to within seconds per month (exceeds its specs, compared to a GPS clock). In other words, I'm a Seiko fan

The larger Seikos can run up to 48mm (1.88 in), but can be spendy.

After that, Casio Eco-drives, seem to be quite popular. Some of those have GPS time setting at a "reasonable" price. I don't know if they make a really big watch. I have a few friends who swear by them.

Avoid the big NIXON and similar "big" style watches, those (and similar) seem currently popular with some of the surf crowd around here but I've never seen one that was depth rated.

I think as long as you stay away from the "black on gray GPS+3 time zones+2 stop watches+depth gauge+moon phase+..." faces you'll be OK :)

Also, I would personally never dive with a watch that costs more than my dive vacation!

So the 1000m Seiko Prospex Titanium Tuna is not gonna happen.

Good luck; I'm curious as to what you choose.
 
I love my Seiko Big Orange Monster. I have two of them. Number 1 was the watch I wore on my last deployment in Afghanistan. With the metal strap it also presents a nice professional appearance for work. I also have the first Seiko I bought in 1980 when I got certified. It still keeps time but the rubber band is long gone.
 
Casio G shock for about $50..my first one lasted 20 years..replaced the bezel housing 2x and the strap 3x...but at least you could get these parts cheap. 5 yrs into my second G Shock, now with the "blue light"
 
I've got a Praetorian.....Night Patrol I think it is? Tritium on everything, easy to read, depth-rated, fairly inexpensive. It's not vintage and it doesn't have a depth gauge. A G-Shock is more functional, but less classy. I can wear the Praetorian with a suit if I wanted.

German brand, but I'm pretty sure it's just a parts watch, so probably Chinese. I had a Bombfrog (another German watch), but made the mistake of wearing it rigging one day and it got caught, popped the pin, and fell 60ft to the concrete deck and was toast. It was another simple, tritium, depth-rated watch. Again, no depth gauge, but as a bottom timer it was as rock solid as the Praetorian has proven to be.
 
Casio MDV106- large analog face, rotating one way bezel clicks into place, 200 m depth rating. About $45. retail. It's a great dive watch and a steal.


UOTE="aquacat8, post: 7929373, member: 109546"]If you were just going to dive tables and a watch for recreational depths, which watch would you use? I can't read my timex digital watch underwater anymore, and I just saw a cheap analog looking Casio with a rotating bezel and I thought that might work, but the bezel didn't "click" into position and I thought it might get knocked out of position. I know you guys know how to do it old school... any recommendations?[/QUOTE]
 
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