Three Affordable Diver Style Watches

Every man has an inner James Bond. That James Bond is evoked every time a man takes a glance at the dial of a dive or dive-style watch. While we all can't afford a Rolex Submariner on a NATO strap, there are plenty of other dive style watches that do fit our budgets. 

Rolex Submariner Watches - Photo by Eternalsleeper at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)

Caravelle by Bulova Diver-Style Watch

The first dive-style watch that I added to my collection was this Caravelle by Bulova.  It's an awesome looking watch with the simple dial and rotating bezel that everyone likes.  Unfortunately, the rubber band used tends to deteriorate quickly and finding a replacement that doesn't cost more than the watch is a real challenge.

Caravelle by Bulova Diver-Style Watch

Fortunately, this watch (or one just like it), is available with a stainless steel band.  It makes perfect sense to have the dive look in a rugged package.

Pulsar Diver-Style Watch

If  you like a dive style watch with a black rubber strap, you might check out this Pulsar dive watch.  It gives you the classic look, a reputable watch manufacturer, and a strap in a standard size that you can easily replace when it gets worn out.

This black and business-like watch is Pulsar Model PXH227.  It offers 100 meters of water resistance so that you can actually get it wet and go snorkeling or swimming.

photo By Wusel007 (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Perhaps even better, is this Pulsar diver-style watch on Amazon with solar power and 100 meters of water resistance!

Casio Dive Watch 

If you want a great looking dive watch with 200 meters of water resistance and a great low price, you absolutely have to check out this Casio.

It features a Marlin on the dial and it looks great.  It also gets phenomenal ratings with 4 1/2 stars on Amazon.  Plus, it's priced lower than most of its competition!

My Favorite Diver Style Watch: The Caravelle by Bulova Stainless Steel Diver Style Watch

[I can't believe I've been blogging about watches for 14 years.  It's been amazing and fun.  Now, I can update some of my original posts with a little more watch wisdom.]

I really enjoy classic Diver Style watches.  They have a simple, clean, functional design, and they usually have a bezel that turns.  A rotating bezel is great for timing things while wearing an analog watch.  My favorite diver style watch is my current Caravelle By Bulova Stainless Steel Watch (Model 45B35K).

Caravelle By Bulova Stainless Steel Watch

It's black.  It's stainless.  It has a simple rotating bezel. What's not to like? 

Update 2025: There were some cool things about this watch. The classic style, rotating bezel, stainless steel case, and richly enameled bezel surface gave this watch an awesome look. But, as it turned out, there were a few flaws not to like with this good looking watch. It wasn't the face or case, it was the strap that presented problems. Within a year, the strap got brittle, and showed signs of white oxidation. The unusual shape made it impossible to replace the strap.  After my experience with this watch, I would recommend watches with more conventional lug dimensions and traditional spring bar strap or bracelet attachment mechanisms.

You won't find the Model 45B35K Caravelle watch on Amazon anymore, but Caravelle branded watches are still going strong.  

As of July 30, 2025: To maximize value, use my affiliate link to visit the Bulova Store on Amazon and check out their selection of Caravelle watches.