7 of the best deep dive watches that are a must for your next trip to the Mariana Trench

Buffy Acacia

There are those who say a dive watch never needs more than 200 metres of water resistance, because that’s enough to cover the overwhelmingly vast majority of dives. To them I ask, where is your imagination? Does human achievement not excite you? We might not all end up holidaying at the bottom of the ocean, but that doesn’t make it any less cool when feats of engineering can defeat the incredible pressure of an entire sea crushing down on you.

Rolex upped the ante in the deep sea arms race in late 2022 with its first production titanium watch, the insane Deepsea Challenge Sea-Dweller, boasting a water resistance rating of 11,000 metres. There have been others that breached the bounds of rational thought, like the bonkers Swiss Military CX 20,000, a 6,000-metre beast with a ludicrous 28.5mm case height, and of course the prototypes that were never offered commercially like the 15,000-metre Omega Planet Ocean Ultra Deep Professional, which can theoretically go deeper underwater than any known place on earth. For this guide, though, we’ll focus on the ones that actually have a chance of making it onto your wrist.

Sinn UX EZM 2B Hydro – 5,000 metres

Sinn has long been known for its clean, Teutonic design language and high degree of functionality, and its entry into the ultra-deep category is no exception. The UX EZM 2B Hydro does things a little differently than some of its peers, however. First off, Sinn has gone with a temperature-stabilised, 7 jewel ETA 955.652 quartz movement, which allows the watch to operate in temperatures ranging from -20 to +60 degrees Celsius. Additionally, the entire case interior (including the movement) is oil-filled, which not only increases water-resistance by many degrees, it improves legibility to the point where the dial can be read at almost any angle. Like many Sinn models, the watch is constructed of hardened German submarine stainless steel. All this allows the UX EZM 2B Hydro a rating of a staggering 5,000 metres, made all the more remarkable with a case height of just 13.3mm. If you’re a left-hander, try the Sinn EZM 3 instead — it made our list of the best left-handed watches. However, keep in mind that it is rated for “only” 500 metres. Price: US$3,150

UTS 4000M – 4,000 metres

German engineering at its finest, the UTS 4000M is a true tool watch, rated for 4,000 metres of pressure. Although it sounds funny to call a luxury wristwatch great value, the 4000M is, considering that every one of these limited-edition timepieces are hand-assembled in Munich by UTS founder Nicolaus Spinner. The 45mm case is machined from a single block of stainless steel, and case height is reasonable (at 17.5mm) for such a capable watch. Surprisingly, there’s no helium escape valve, instead, the 6mm sapphire crystal is secured with both an adhesive and a large steel ring affixed with hex screws. The movement is the venerable ETA 2824-2, good for +/-4 seconds per day, and the second crown locks the bezel via a ceramic ball bearing mechanism. If you appreciate a low-production, hand built timepiece, the UTS 4000M is a solid choice, literally. Price: €5,500 (~US$6,000)

Oris Aquis Pro 4000M – 4,000 meters

Oris receives a lot of love for its dive watches, especially the Divers Sixty-Five range that’s based on the casual skin divers of the 1960s. However, the Aquis catalogue takes itself a bit more seriously. The Pro 4000M isn’t just the brand’s deepest-diving watch though, because it’s also one of the most fun designs. A lot of watches meant for saturation diving are gloomy and stoic, but the wriggly wave dial of the Aquis Pro 4000M looks like it could be from a cartoon. The titanium case is 49.5mm in diameter but feels much lighter than it should, and the patented Rotation Safety System prevents the bezel from being turned unintentionally. Proving Oris’ pride, it’s loaded with the in-house Calibre 400 and a 10-year warranty. Price: US$6,600

Pita Oceana Titanium – 5,000 meters

Pita Barcelona is a small, family-run business creating incredible feats of watchmaking in the heart of Spain’s most beautiful city. The Oceana Titanium achieves its 5,000m water resistance rating by eliminating the crown, and using magnetic gears to set and wind the mechanical movement. Without a crown or a caseback, the major points of weakness for water ingress have been removed entirely. The 41mm case diameter is also surprisingly modest, with a 52mm lug-to-lug length and a total thickness of 18mm. Its barebones dial is decorated with a central blue, yellow, and red pinwheel to ensure the watch is running underwater, and the watch’s production is limited to just 15 pieces per year. Price: €6,400 (~US$7,050)

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep 6000M – 6,000 metres

As a civilian version of the prototype Ultra Deep Professional (rated to 15,000 metres) that travelled to the bottom of the Mariana Trench in 2019 with explorer Victor Vescovo, the Planet Ocean Ultra Deep is rated to a still-bonkers 6,000 metres. The 45.5mm case diameter and 18.1mm height are mitigated by the relative light weight of the titanium case, keeping to just 123 grams. The movement is Omega’s Calibre 8912, which is METAS-certified as a Master Chronometer. Depending on the model, you can even get a cool little Easter egg in the lume.Price: starting from US$12,300

Rolex Deepsea Sea-Dweller – 3,900 metres

Since its release in 2008, the Rolex Deepsea Sea-Dweller has been the big stick in Rolex’s arsenal of Professional watches. Big but wearable, the Deepsea measures 44mm in diameter, with a case height of 17.7mm, including the massive, 5.5mm domed sapphire crystal. Rolex’s proprietary Ring Lock System and a helium escape valve work to keep water resistance to a rated 3,900 metres, which, for future reference, would crush a human, but still – it’s nice to know. Like all of Rolex’s steel watches, the Deepsea is constructed of 904L Oystersteel for better corrosion resistance from seawater, and now features the 3235 movement, accurate to +/-2 seconds per day. Price: US$13,250

Rolex Deepsea Challenge Sea-Dweller – 11,000 metres

It feels unfair that Rolex gets two watches on this list back-to-back, but the Challenge Sea-Dweller deserves its own separate mention. It was the first production Rolex built from titanium, and a necessity for a watch of this size to be practical. 50mm in diameter, 61mm lug-to-lug, and a 23mm height is a serious chunk of metal, but absolutely wearable for its intended purpose. Apart from its greater size, the Challenge is easily recognisable as an evolution from the Deepsea. All the classic Rolex Sea-Dweller design cues are there, just amplified. The overall case shape, the no-date black dial, the Cerachrom bezel, it’s all instantly familiar. The Rolex manufacture 3230 is chronometer-rated to +/-2 seconds per day, with a 70 hour power reserve, so performance is reassuringly on par with any other Rolex. Price: US$26,000

Time+Tide Timeless Pick: Rolex Deep Sea Special – 11,000m

Oh no, now Rolex get’s three in a row? Well, without the Deep Sea Special, there likely wouldn’t even be a list of the deepest divers. Aside from being one of the funniest watches to view from a side profile, the Rolex Deep Sea Special was a pioneer in water resistance. Strapped to the outside of a submarine, the Deep Sea Special was tested at a depth of 3,150m successfully in 1953. In 1956, another made it down to 3,700m. Finally, it travelled to the bottom of Challenger Deep at 10,916m. The game of reaching the deepest points of the ocean was pretty much over before it even began, and yet, it’s still impressive to see brands stretching their limits of waterproofing. One extraordinary example sold at a Christie’s auction in 2021 for more than US$2M.