What is a dive watch?

A watch made for diving: water resistant to at least 100 m, with a unidirectional bezel to time a dive, a screw-down crown and luminous markings you can read in the dark. The international standard for dive watches is ISO 6425.

How do you use a dive watch bezel?

Before you go under, turn the bezel until its zero marker sits over the minute hand. During the dive, read your elapsed time where the minute hand points on the bezel scale.

Can you wear a dive watch with a suit?

Yes, if the case is slim enough to slide under a cuff. A 38 or 39 mm diver such as the Aquamar, the Antarctic Diver or the Depthmaster works well on a steel bracelet or a leather strap.

Nov 12, 2026

Swiss Dive Watches: What Makes a Dive Watch, from the Depthmaster to Today

Dive watch guide · 5 min read

A dive watch is a water resistant watch with a unidirectional timing bezel, a screw-down crown and luminous markings you can read in the dark. Nivada Grenchen has made Swiss dive watches since the 1960s, from the Depthmaster, rated to 1,000 m, to the Depthomatic and its built-in depth gauge. Today it makes three dive families: the Depthmaster, the Aquamar and the Antarctic Diver.

In short

A real dive watch: water resistance for diving, a unidirectional bezel, a screw-down crown and strong lume.
Nivada Grenchen history: the Depthmaster (1965) and the Depthomatic, with a depth gauge around the crystal.
Today: Depthmaster 1,000 m, Aquamar 200 m and Antarctic Diver 200 m, all with the Swiss Soprod P024.

In this guide

What makes a dive watch
How to use a dive watch bezel
Nivada Grenchen dive watches of the 1960s
Nivada Grenchen dive watches today
Which one should you choose?

What makes a dive watch

Water resistance alone does not make a dive watch. The international dive watch standard, ISO 6425, asks for at least 100 m of water resistance and a way to time a dive, among other tests. In practice, look for:

Water resistanceAt least 100 m (10 ATM) to be called a dive watch. 200 m and more gives a margin for real diving.

A unidirectional bezelIt turns one way only, so a knock can only make your dive time look longer, never shorter.

A screw-down crownIt seals the case against water. Screw it down fully before you swim.

Legibility in the darkLuminous hands and markers, readable underwater and at night.

A helium escape valveOnly needed for saturation diving, where helium enters the case. The Depthmaster has one.

A sapphire crystalScratch-resistant, and double-domed on the Aquamar and Antarctic Diver.

Nivada Grenchen Antarctic Diver 38 mm worn on the wrist while diving — The Antarctic Diver, water resistant to 200 m.

How to use a dive watch bezel

Before you go under, turn the bezel until its zero marker sits over the minute hand.
Read your elapsed time where the minute hand points on the bezel scale.
The bezel turns only one way, so if it moves by accident, it shows more time, not less.

Nivada Grenchen dive watches of the 1960s

Nivada Grenchen launched the Depthmaster in 1965, rated to 1,000 m. Its U.S. advertising said it was “depth-tested to 3000 feet”, with a heavy-gauge stainless steel case, a stronger seepage-proof crown, extra caseback threads, a self-winding movement and a large rotating ring to show elapsed underwater time.

Vintage advertisement for the Nivada Grenchen Depthmaster, depth-tested to 3000 feet, by Croton Watch Co. — A 1960s U.S. advertisement for the Depthmaster.

Nivada also made the Depthomatic, advertised as the only watch with a built-in depth gauge. The gauge was built around the crystal and worked by water pressure, with the depth shown on a scale on the outside bezel. The British advertisement, from the time of the 1966 BS-AC Diving Officers' Conference, says it was pressure-tested at 660 feet. The late 1960s also produced a lesser-known diver of the Antarctic family, which inspired today's Aquamar.

Vintage British advertisement for the Nivada Depthomatic dive watch with built-in depth gauge — A 1966 British advertisement for the Nivada Depthomatic.

Nivada Grenchen dive watches today

Depthmaster

Case: 39 mm cushion steel or bronze, 13 mm thick
Water resistance: 100 ATM / 1,000 m, helium valve
Bezel: Unidirectional

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Aquamar

Case: 38 mm steel, 12.9 mm thick
Water resistance: 20 ATM / 200 m
Bezel: Black ceramic, bidirectional

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Antarctic Diver

Case: 38 mm steel
Water resistance: 200 m, screw-down crown
Dial: Black matte, with or without date

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All three use the Swiss Soprod P024 automatic, with a 38-hour power reserve, under a sapphire crystal.

Nivada Grenchen Art Deco Depthmaster among bubbles under water — The Art Deco Depthmaster, water resistant to 1,000 m.

The Depthmaster continues the 1965 diver, with a 39 mm cushion case, an automatic helium escape valve and the Art Deco “Pac-Man” numerals, plus a 42 mm version and bronze editions. The Aquamar has a matte sandwich dial with two-tone Super-LumiNova and a black ceramic bezel. The Antarctic Diver keeps the clean symmetry of the 1960s diver, on a bracelet or Tropic rubber strap. Compare them in our Dive Watch Essentials 2026.

Which one should you choose?

You dive deep or want the highest ratingThe Depthmaster, at 1,000 m with a helium valve.

You want colour and a ceramic bezelThe Aquamar, at 200 m.

You want a clean everyday diverThe Antarctic Diver, at 200 m.

Good to know: the Aquamar's ceramic bezel turns both ways, while the Depthmaster's turns only one way, the standard for dive timing. To compare case sizes, read our guide to 38 and 39 mm dive watches.

Browse the collections:

Swiss dive watches Depthmaster Aquamar Antarctic Diver