An October selection built for every use

Bringing together five dive watches inevitably means making choices. This month, the editorial team wanted to cover the full range of practice: the beach watch, the recreational diving watch, the one that meets a strict standard, and the one its brand intends for operational use. Water resistance ranges from 100 to 500 metres, and the cases move from steel to ceramic and titanium. Current news also plays a part: two models were unveiled between late September and October 2026, including a limited edition sold out the very day it launched, according to the press.

Bamford London D-300, the house's first diver

Known first for customising existing watches, Bamford spent more than two years on its first watch designed specifically for diving. Unveiled in late January 2025 in four colours, the D-300 is featured here in matte green with orange accents. Its cushion case, inspired by the brand's GMT models, combines lightweight ceramic with a titanium core: 42 mm in diameter, 48 mm lug to lug, 13 mm thick and 300 metres of water resistance. A unidirectional bezel with 120 clicks, an oversized titanium crown, sapphire crystal and a date-free dial complete the package. It arrives in a cylindrical orange case that evokes a life ring.

Paulin Mara for Hodinkee, the return of the true gilt dial

Founded in Glasgow in 2013 by three sisters, Paulin shares its workshops with anOrdain, its sister brand dedicated to enamel. Named after a word meaning ‘sea’ in Scottish Gaelic, this reference marks the house's entry into diving watches. This edition offers true gilt achieved through electroplating at a German partner: on gold-plated brass, the inscriptions are masked, then a galvanic bath blackens everything else. Most manufacturers had abandoned this process by the mid-1960s in favour of cheaper white pad printing. As on pre-1969 dive watches, the depth scale shows metres first. Limited to 250 pieces, it reportedly sold out entirely on 19 October.

Certina DS Super PH500M VDST, an heir to Tektite I

Its lineage is the strongest of the group. The current model draws on a 1968 Certina, and it was a DS-2 Super PH500M that four Tektite I scientists wore in 1969 for two months underwater, before giving it top marks. The 2020 special edition came from a collaboration with the VDST, the German organisation dedicated to sport diving, founded in 1954 and with 83,701 members at the time. Its experienced divers requested the orange dial, and members can obtain two NATO straps, including an extra-long one that fits over a drysuit.

Redux & Co. HONNR A-9, the hybrid from the cockpit

This is the acknowledged outsider of the selection. Through its dial, the HONNR A-9 looks skyward: its design echoes the instrument panels of American military aircraft from the Second World War. Yet through its unidirectional 120-click bezel, screw-down crown and 20 ATM, or 200 metres, it belongs to the diving world, hence its place among Redux's pilot-diver hybrids. The name also comes from aviation: HONNR designates an air navigation point near Washington, pronounced ‘honor’. The case, caseback and bezel are in grade 5 titanium, in a compact 37 x 45 mm format, 12.75 mm thick, the smallest diameter of the group. Offered in raw titanium or DLC, it comes on a ballistic nylon G10 strap.

Ianos Amfivios, the dive watch of the Greek combat swimmers

In the summer of 2025, Ianos delivered 300 titanium watches to O.Y.K. combat swimmers, the Greek unit specialising in offensive underwater operations for the Navy. Presented by Prime Minister Mitsotakis, this OYK marks the first Greek-designed watch adopted by armed forces; it has never been offered for sale. Unveiled on 28 September 2026, the Amfivios is its civilian version: same case, same bezel, same construction, but without the insignia or blue dial. The strap channel runs through the caseback, with fixed bars: total height reaches 14.68 mm, but only 11.45 mm is measured from the top of the crystal to that channel. The Sellita SW360-1 places the date at 12 o'clock and the small seconds at 6 o'clock. After 100 numbered pieces reserved for customers, production continues without being a limited series.

Which dive watch to choose from the October selection?

For the beach and swimming, the Paulin Mara for Hodinkee is the most accessible at €870: 316L steel, 39.7 mm, automatic Miyota 9039 and 100 metres, a recreational skin diver. The Redux, priced at €910, combines grade 5 titanium, a Miyota 9015 or 90S5 and 200 metres, for everyday wear and travel. The Bamford, at €2,100, combines ceramic with a titanium core, an ETA 2824-2 or Sellita SW200 depending on supply, and 300 metres, between recreational diving and daily use. For sport diving, the Certina at €1,055 is the only one certified to ISO 6425:2018 and the most water-resistant at 500 metres; its 316L steel case houses a Powermatic 80.611 with a Nivachron hairspring and 80 hours of power reserve. Finally, the Ianos, around €2,170, brings together 41 mm grade 2 titanium, a Sellita SW360-1 and 300 metres, for a use the brand says matches professional operational demands.

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Editor: Éric Barse

Journalist, entrepreneur, and founder of the websites www.cafe-racer-only.com and www.scooter-3-roues.com, Eric Barse divides his time between his passions: motorcycles, travel, and watches. A graduate of the Saint-Cyr military academy and the 2nd RPIMA (Parachute Regiment) before pursuing a career in communications and digital media, he has a true passion for authentic watches that have accompanied his two-wheeled adventures for many years, from the Indian Ocean to Africa and Latin America!