Here’s the thing about luxury dive watches – they don’t necessarily have to be worn solely for underwater exploration. In fact, most dive watches are not purchased for that reason alone. Many dive watch fanatics invest in these rugged tool watches because of their iconic look. Yes - water resistance is certainly a functional feature of any watch, but luxury dive watches are much more about their toughness and their masculinity than they are their water resistance.

On that note, do you really want to spend 10,000 dollars plus on a watch that you won’t necessarily be wearing for the specific purpose of diving anyway? Fortunately, the dive watch industry is bursting to the brim with affordable dive watches manufactured by some of the world’s most renowned and respected watch brands. For example, Sinn is a manufacturer that has been specialising in producing watches for professional use using submarine steel. Tudor is well-known for its Submariner and its Black Bay watch series – both of which borrow materials and manufacturing methods from its much wider-known sibling brand, Rolex. If you’re looking for a dive watch under $5000 you can’t go far wrong with this list of top 10 luxury dive watches – all of which come in at the $5000 price bracket or below. In the guide we feature prestigious watch manufacturers like Breitling, TAG Heuer and Longines, not to mention aviation watch expert, Bell & Ross who has also specialised in watches for diving. Let’s take a dip…

First released in 2007, the Longines Legend Diver watch has been around for over a decade. Its mix of robust materials and a legible dial are qualities that are much loved within the brand’s Heritage watch collection. The Longines Legend Diver (LLD) pays tribute to a particular reference from the 1960s – a period where dive watches were vastly evolving. If you want your dive watch to cost less than $5000 and suffice for more than one use alone, the Longines Legend Diver is a perfect choice for you. Whilst its 300-meter water-resistant stainless steel case is great for wearing underwater, it will also double-up as a dress watch with vintage aesthetics that nod to a mid-century classic. Relatively unchanged, it features a black dial, luminous stick indexes and minute markers, a unidirectional rotating bezel that can be accessed from outside the watch, and a retro-inspired mesh-style Milanese stainless steel bracelet with a folding clasp.

With its all-steel case construction, the TAG Heuer Aquaracer 300M Chronograph is a multi-faceted watch that can, of course, be submerged under depths of 300-meter water. It can also double up as a sporty stopwatch timer and looks incredibly sophisticated thanks to its stainless steel bracelet. The deep blue tones of this Aquaracer watch’s dial are perfectly matched by the chiselled blue unidirectional rotating bezel with an ion plating. Super-LumiNova-coated hands and indexes around the hour track provide clear access to timekeeping credentials in the dark, plus with a 1/10th of a second sub-counter at 6 o’clock and a 30-minute counter at 9 o’clock, stopwatch timings are made incredibly easy to facilitate under the fingers, with push-pieces at 2 and 4 o’clock on the case. The TAG Heuer Aquaracer 300M Chronograph watch is powered by a Swiss-made quartz movement for uncompromised accuracy.

Equipped with a Rolex-style helium escape valve on the side of the case at 9 o’clock, the Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver watch certainly means business. Its robust steel casing is water-resistant to 600 meters – an impressive rating for a dive watch under $5000. The Pontos S Diver watch is powered either by the ML112 or the ML115 movement depending on which model you opt for. It also comes in a steel or black PVD-coated steel option. The helium escape valve readjusts the pressure within the internal environment of the case, providing a stable environment for the automatic movement to perform within. The Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver watch has an inner bidirectional rotating bezel that can be operated via the crown on the outside of the case. This safety feature makes it impossible to knock the bezel whilst wearing heavy diving gear. Other features include a screw-down crown, an anti-glare sapphire crystal glass front and a supple rubber strap for drying easily once out of the water.

The Alpina Seastrong watch was first designed back in 1969. Every watch from the brand’s current dive watch collection boasts a strong technical feel. This model is a two-part case crafted from a mix of recycled PA 6 (70%) and glass fibre (30%). Its black PVD-coated stainless steel bezel is also unidirectional to prevent the bezel from accidentally extending dive time. Instead, the bezel can only ever reduce dive time – a fundamental diver safety feature found in many luxury dive watches. The Alpina Seastrong watch is a great option when it comes to searching for the best dive watches under $5000. Its 300-meter water-resistant design features a black dial with blue minute markers that match a striking blue and black textile strap for a sporty and distinct finish on the wrist.

If there is one dive watch that should never be overlooked, it’s the Oris Aquis watch. For its price point, it provides a tough and legible underwater tool that also doubles up as a smarter companion for more formal occasions. Oris has worked incredibly hard to produce quality affordable dive watches like the Aquis. For under $5000 you can own the Oris Aquis Depth Gauge – a 45mm tool watch that features vivid yellow accents for enhanced readability underwater and an innovative milled channel around the outer edges of the sapphire crystal glass front. This system based on the Boyle-Mariotte Law forces water out through a hole to reduce or increase the air in the channel, accurately recording water depth. The watch features a ceramic top scale ring with a 60-minute scale and is powered by the Oris 733 mechanical movement based on a Sellita movement. It comes complete on a robust stainless steel bracelet with a diver extension facility for attaching over heavy diving gear. 

The Tudor Pelagos is a rugged and reliable tool. It joins our list of top ten luxury dive watches under $5000 thanks to its lightweight titanium case structure, equipped with a water resistance of 500 meters. Complete with a helium escape valve and a stainless steel bracelet with a practical adjustable clasp that requires no tools, the design of the Pelagos is all about convenience, comfort and reliability underwater. A chronometer-certified Tudor in-house made automatic movement named the MT5612 powers the Tudor Pelagos watch, promising a very useful 70-hour power reserve. Dial-wise, the layout and design of the display is ultra-legible with luminous-coated appliques and a style based heavily on the famous Rolex Submariner. This is, quite simply, the more affordable Rolex Submariner watch option for those looking to own the same look but on a budget.

The most iconic watch by Omega is undoubtedly the Speedmaster Moonwatch but a close second is the Seamaster. In particular, the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M watch ticks all the boxes when it comes to quality, highly reliable dive watches. Some of its features include a robust 300-meter water-resistant steel case with a screw-down crown and caseback, a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass front with anti-glare properties, luminous hour markers and hands, and a rugged stainless steel bracelet. The dive watch, which retails just under $5000 on the pre-owned market, features a helium escape valve and is powered by one of Omega’s Co-Axial Calibres – the 8800 Master Chronometer self-winding automatic movement, equipped with a 55-hour power reserve.

For its 42mm size, the Breitling Superocean Automatic 42 watch is considerably compact on the wrist. Its stainless steel case is water-resistant to 500 meters and, thanks to its blue dial and matching blue bezel. Is sure to add a classic look to smarter attire too. The luxury dive watch is kitted out with a chronometer-certified movement named the Breitling 17 and features oversized Arabic numeral hour markers at 12, 6 and 9 o’clock, together with a white date window at 3 o’clock. The hands and hour markers are treated with Super-LumiNova material that glows richly in daring underwater depths. Hard to miss in water and on dry land, the Breitling Superocean Automatic 42 watch is a dive tool with a distinct and eye-catching profile.

When you buy a Sinn watch, you know you’re getting quality for the price. This dive watch under $5000 features a strong stainless steel case integrated with 500-meter water resistance. The 41mm model is the German watch manufacturer’s specialised diver watch with a clever crown design situated on the left-hand side of the case to avoid it digging into the wrist whilst exploring deep underwater depths. As with all the watches featured in this guide to the best dive watches under $5000, the Sinn EXM3 3 watch features luminous accents on the dial but also features Sinn’s innovative gas-filled cavity with a dehumidifier capsule to prevent the effects of fogging. The brand’s micro-lubricating technique also enables the watch to function at -45 degrees centigrade.

Last but not least, we couldn’t’ mention some of the best affordable dive watches without including Bell & Ross, who has developed the BR 03 92 Diver watch with a striking matte black dial and a robust steel casing. The 42mm all-black watch is crated from black ceramic and takes inspiration from an instrument panel aesthetic. It’s the ultimate package for legibility, underwater functionality and military-inspired looks. Powered by the BR-CAL.302, the engine is based on a Sellita movement and sits inside a 300-meter water-resistant housing. Perfect for dive watch collectors who prefer their dive watches with distinct military styling, the Bell & Ross BR 03 92 Dive watch is the ultimate statement piece for wearing underwater or shoreside.