In an era littered with diver watches with price tags ranging from affordable to expensive and luxurious, there’s a small but special area where microbrand diver’s watches are the star.
A microbrand is a niche brand available only in specific locations.
They produce only a limited number of products, adding to the exclusivity and rarity of their offers.
Since they’re not mass-produced, they’re often sold at a higher price compared to other products.
Microbrand dive watches typically have very high water resistance ratings that surpass even those found in luxury timepieces.
Whether you’re a diving professional or simply a collector of unique watches not many know of, these timepieces will surely get you drooling.
Best Microbrand Diver Watches
For those looking for alternative diving timepieces, here’s a list of microbrand dive watches that will blow your mind.
Deep Blue Master 1000 Automatic Diver Watch
The 44mm Master 1000 has a stainless steel case, a screw-down case back, a sapphire crystal, a 120-click unidirectional rotating bezel, a date window, a silicone strap, luminescent hands and markers, a manual screw-down helium escape valve, and a TMI caliber NH35 automatic movement.
Pros:
- Hand-winding and seconds hacking allowed
- It has a nice, sporty finish
- Chunky hands and markers make reading time very easy
- Power reserve of up to 41 hours
- Water resistant up to 300m
Cons:
- Lume brightness isn’t that strong
- They’re massive and thick
- Helium escape valve can be too tight to twist
Dan Henry 1970 Automatic Diver Watch
The 40mm Dan Henry 1970 has a case made of stainless steel, a double-domed, a rubber strap, anti-reflective mineral crystal, a screw-back case with an embossed print, a date window, an inner rotating bezel, luminescent hands and markers, and a 24-jewel caliber NH35 automatic movement.
Pros:
- Orange tinge and color contrast of the hands and the dial present a very legible watch face
- Clear date aperture
- Vintage look is very appealing
- Very affordable price for a microbrand diver’s watch
- Power reserve of up to 41 hours
- Water resistant up to 200m
Cons:
- Lume doesn’t last long
- Weak lume brightness
- Crystal might easily crack
Scurfa Diver One M.S.17 Limited Edition
The 40mm M.S.17 has a stainless steel case, a NATO strap, a 120-click unidirectional rotating bezel with a luminous pip at the 12 o’clock position, luminescent hands and markers, a domed, anti-reflective sapphire crystal, a date aperture, and a Ronda 515SM quartz movement.
Pros:
- Durable and stylish, making it a fantastic tool watch
- Very legible watch face
- Generous lume application
- Comfortable strap
- Water resistant up to 300m
Cons:
- Limited edition timepiece that’s hard to find
- Limited design variants
- Lume doesn’t last long
Vertigo Diver One V2
The 42mm Diver One has a stainless steel case, a sapphire crystal, a 120-click unidirectional rotating bezel with a luminous pip at the 12 o’clock position, a butterfly clasp, a stainless steel bracelet, a date window, large, luminescent hands and hour markers, and an NH35 automatic movement.
Pros:
- Deep blue dial color creates an appealing vintage look
- Legible watch face
- Solid bezel and crown with no play
- Water resistant up to 300m
Cons:
- Lume doesn’t last long
- A little heavy to wear
- Clasp is a bit tricky to operate
Spinnaker Fleuss SP-5055
Spinnakers Fleuss diver collection encompasses a vintage look for the avid watch enthusiast to enjoy.
43mm in case diameter with a rigid stainless steel construction and powered by a Seiko TMI NH35 movement.
It has a sapphire anti-scratch crystal and features a beautiful open case back.
Pros
- Amazing value for money for such a solid watch
- Comes with genuine leather straps for all sized wrists
- Adjustable Bezal
- Strong Lume
- Water resistant to 50 meters
- 40 hour power reserve
- 2 year warranty
Armida A1 42mm Brass Diver Watch
The 42mm Armida A1 has a great looking brass case, a domed genuine sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, a closed case back made of stainless steel, a rubber strap, a 120-click unidirectional rotating bezel, lumed bezel, hands, and hour markers, and an NH35 automatic movement.
Pros:
- Lume lasts long
- Legible watch face
- Chunky hands and markers for better time reading
- Power reserve of up to 40 hours
- Water resistant up to 300m
Cons:
- Large crown might not be to the taste of some users
- Brass deteriorates in color faster than watches made from other materials
- No date window
Squale 50 Atmos
The 42mm Squale 50 Atmos has a polished stainless steel case, a 60-click unidirectional rotating bezel with a luminous pip at the 12 o’clock position, a screw-down case back, a sapphire crystal, a rubber strap, a date aperture, luminous hands and markers, and an ETA 2824-2 automatic self-winding movement.
Pros:
- Affordable microbrand dive watch
- Sleek and comfortable to wear
- Easy to understand watch dial
- Water resistant up to 500m
Cons:
- Pip on the bezel doesn’t glow because of the shielding
- Cheap buckle quality
- Orange color of the hour hand may not be that appealing to some users
Helson Shark Diver
The 40mm Shark Diver has a brass case, an anti-reflective sapphire crystal, a titanium case back, a 120-click unidirectional rotating bezel, luminescent hands and markers, and a Miyota 9015 automatic movement.
Pros:
- Solid bezel with no play
- Great lume brightness
- Power reserve of up to 42 hours
- Water resistant up to 500m
Cons:
- No helium escape valve
- It’s quite heavy to wear
- Brass color will deteriorate faster when exposed to sweat and saltwater
H2O Helberg CH1
The 42mm Helberg CH1 has a stainless steel case, a spherical sapphire crystal, a 120-click bezel with a circular luminous pip at the 12 o’clock position, a glossy black dial, sword hands, circular hour markers, luminous hands and markers, and an ETA caliber 2824 self-winding mechanical movement.
Pros:
- One-of-a-kind design you won’t see in any other brand
- Anti-magnetic rating of 70.000A/m
- Power reserve of up to 42 hours
- Water resistant up to 6,000m
Cons:
- It’s thick and humongous
- It’s a bit heavy to wear, especially for prolonged periods of time
- Domed crystal distorts the dial readings
Vintage VDB 2014
The mm Vintage VDB 2014 has a stainless steel case, a dodecagon-shaped bezel with a luminous pip at the 12 o’clock position, a domed sapphire crystal, an orange-colored seconds hand, luminous hands and markers, a silicone strap, and an ETA Bombproof movement.
Pros:
- Great lume brightness
- Very legible watch face
- Water resistant up to 500m
Cons:
- It’s chunky and heavy
- Silicone strap might be uncomfortable to wear
- Limited pieces available in a year
Aegir Instruments CD-2 701M
The 42mm CD-2 from Aegir Instruments features a stainless steel case and bezel with a brushed finish, a rubber strap, a domed scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, a date window, an exhibition case back, luminous hands and markers, and a Soprod A10 Swiss automatic movement.
It’s the only microbrand dive watch without a timing bezel.
Pros:
- Very legible watch face, thanks to the large hands and solid dial color
- Its design and feel enables it to be used as a dress watch
- Great lume brightness
- Water resistant up to 701m
Cons:
- Lugs have double-sided screws which are prone to over-tightening
- It’s pricey for a diver’s watch
- Limited production which makes this a hard find
Aquadive Bathyscaphe 300
The 47mm Bathyscaphe 300 has a stainless steel case, a screw-down case back, a 60-click unidirectional rotating bezel, an ISOfrane strap, a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, a date window, an automatic helium release valve, luminous hands and markers, and an ETA 2824-2 self-winding automatic movement.
Pros:
- Legible watch face
- Good lume brightness
- Solid, durable build that’s scratch-resistant and shock-resistant
- Water resistant up to 5,000m
Cons:
- Limited to 500 pieces produced
- Date can be hard to see at times
- Crown protrudes a bit too much
Pita Barcelona Oceana
The most recognizable difference on this microbrand diver’s watch is that it doesn’t have a crown or a case back.
The 43mm Oceana is a large chunk of a timepiece with a stainless steel case, a 120-click rotating bezel, a star-shaped seconds hand that acts as a chromatic depth meter, luminescent hands, and an ETA 2678 movement.
It’s a made-to-order watch with a few customizable parts.
Pros:
- Available in platinum, titanium, and gold cases
- Solid, durable build that can withstand extreme water pressure
- Bezel has no play
- Power reserve of up to 42 hours
- Water resistant up to 5,000m
Cons:
- It’s really thick
- It’s heavy to wear
- Limited edition only with close to 80 pieces produced per year
Germano & Walter T-500
The 47mm T-500 from Germano & Walter has a stainless steel case, an acrylic glass crystal, a screw-in crown, a screw-down case back, luminescent hands and markers, and an ETA caliber 2472 automatic movement.
The bidirectional bezel ring can be turned and locked using the additional crown located at the 4 o’clock position.
Pros:
- Legible watch face
- It has anti-magnetic properties
- Comes with a nice package with tools and an additional strap
- Water resistant up to 500m
Cons:
- No date window
- Crowns are a little large
- Expensive for its basic features
UTS 4000M Professional Diver
The 45mm UTS 4,000M has a high-grade stainless steel case, a bidirectional rotating bezel, a 6mm sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, a rubber strap, screw-down crowns, a date aperture, luminous hands and markers, and an ETA 2824 automatic movement.
Pros:
- Nice lume effect and brightness
- Durable build and thick sapphire crystal prevents the watch from breaking down even when subjected to immense water pressure
- Water resistant up to 4,000m
Cons:
- Date aperture is too small
- They’re hard to find
- They’re thick, massive, and heavy
Tempus Computare Shark Watcher and Sea Shepherd
The 47mm Shark Watcher has a stainless steel case covered in black DLC, an anti-reflective sapphire crystal, a day-date aperture, a NATO strap, a rotating bezel with lume, three chronograph subdials with 12-hour, 30-minute, and 60-second scales, luminescent hands and markers, and an ETA Valjoux 7750 movement.
Pros:
- Great lume brightness
- Several features in one microbrand diver watch
- Water resistant up to 200m
Cons:
- Large crowns
- Too masculine for some users
- Subdial readings can be hard to see
SuisseMecanica SM8
The 43mm SM8 has a satin-brushed stainless steel case, an anti-reflective sapphire crystal, two inner rotating bezels, a sliding crown protector, a date aperture, luminous hands and markers, a dual time function, an exhibition case back, and a Calibre SM1-2222 movement.
Pros:
- Case is also available in gold and titanium
- Precise timekeeping feature
- Excellent craftsmanship seen on every part of the watch
- Power reserve of up to 50 hours
- Water resistant up to 200m
Cons:
- Production is limited to 50 pieces only a year
- Small date aperture
- They’re large and thick
Conclusion
Microbrand dive watches might be not as well-known as luxury timepieces but they boast equal – maybe even higher – quality and water resistance ratings.
These diver watches are specifically made for underwater use which is why they have special designs, with some having different kinds of materials used in their parts and casings.
Their styles might be too niche and not that appealing to the general public but diving enthusiasts will surely love them.
If you’re looking for a serious diving watch not made by prominent and luxurious brands, consider the ones we’ve listed above.
Take a look again at these microbrand diver watches and you’ll surely find something that will fit your taste.
