We’ve all heard of “dressing for success,” and the sage advice on dressing for “the job you want, not the job you have.” Regardless of whether you work in a restaurant kitchen, a science lab, an airplane cockpit, or any other type of workplace in between, these general rules of fashion also apply to the watch you wear to work.
If you do want to splash out, our favorites are enduring designs with a certain cachet – think Cartier tank, Rolex Datejust and Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, and you’ll be on the right track, even if your bank account might disagree. So, without further ado, it’s time to find your next piece of wrist-candy.
Let’s be honest, we’re all suckers for over-engineered watches that can handle the crushing pressures of the ocean depths, even if the deepest water they’ll ever see is a hotel swimming pool. We compiled this guide to the best GADA (Go Anywhere, Do Anything) dive watches for everyday wear as fellow watch enthusiasts who work office jobs and play weekend warriors outside of the 9-to-5. It is the ultimate guide to one of our favorite categories, the adored desk diver. As monstrous and unnatural as it sounds, some people only want one watch in their lives.
In days past, this wasn’t such an unusual thing. People from my parents’ generation often wore the same watch for a lifetime, or at least until it was well beyond repair. One watch to rule them all, if you will. I am not that one-watch person, however, and if you’re a regular reader, I’m betting you’re not either.
While we’ve been fortunate enough to take a few actual dives off the Pacific coast here in LA, our watches spend far more time under shirt cuffs than wetsuit sleeves. But that’s the beauty of a great dive watch: it’s built to survive the harshest environments on earth, yet versatile enough to complement your business casual attire on Monday morning.
CASIO DURO MDV106-1A
The Casio Duro has earned cult status as the Internet’s favorite affordable dive watch, with over 600,000 sold since 2011 and fans ranging from forum enthusiasts to Bill Gates himself. This analog timepiece delivers astonishing value in a classic package that punches well above its modest price point.
The Duro isn’t just playing dress-up; with 200m of water resistance, a screw-down crown, and the signature marlin logo adorning both the dial and case back, it offers legitimate diving credentials. The 44.2mm stainless steel case sits 12.1mm thick with a 48.5mm lug-to-lug span, creating a substantial but comfortable presence on most wrists thanks to its curved profile.
ORIENT KAMASU
Orient has claimed the value-king crown with the Kamasu (Japanese for “barracuda”), delivering exceptional dive watch credentials at a price that’s tough to beat. Named for its predatory design, the sharp tooth-like hands and aggressively applied indices on the black dial make an immediate impression.
The 41.8mm stainless steel case features alternating brushed and polished surfaces with a modest 12.8mm height and 47mm lug-to-lug measurement, ensuring comfortable wear on most wrists. While the undersized crown can be difficult to grip between the robust crown guards, the 120-click unidirectional bezel operates smoothly. What truly sets the Kamasu apart from competitors is its flat sapphire crystal — a premium feature rarely found at this price point.
LORIER NEPTUNE
The Lorier Neptune is the flagship model of the American microbrand. It is a tribute to dive watch icons from the mid-century era and offers vintage charm at a price that is affordable. Husband-and-wife team Lauren and Lorenzo Ortega openly draw inspiration from classic references like the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, early Omega Seamasters, and Rolex Submariner 6538, creating what they describe as “a watch designed as if it came straight out of 1957.”
The Neptune’s 39mm stainless steel case strikes a perfect balance between presence and wearability with its modest 46mm lug-to-lug and a remarkably slim 10.3mm case height (excluding the domed Hesalite crystal, which brings the total to just over 11mm). The Series IV iteration features slightly shortened lugs from previous generations, improving its fit on smaller wrists while maintaining its vintage proportions.
Under that bubble-like dome sits a glossy black dial with gilt accents, featuring redesigned hour and minute hands for improved legibility. The BGW9 Super-LumiNova is generously applied to hands, hour markers, and bezel in impressively thick 0.3mm layers, providing excellent nighttime visibility without resorting to faux-patina coloring.
The Adaptable Rolex Explorer
Is a Rolex too scandalous for the office? Well, it depends on what Rolex it is. You can’t go wrong with the Rolex Explorer; this watch blends in seamlessly with every situation. The successful, ironclad design is so unexciting that your colleagues probably won’t even entertain the idea that you could be wearing a Rolex. So, if you want to go a bit sportier, this Rolex classic can cut it as a business watch. The 36-mm version is once again a bit more restrained than the new 40-mm model and has the added advantage of being unisex.
Doxa SUB 200
While this does lean heavily into the diver model category, I hope you’ll forgive me for straying from my original premise ever so slightly. The SUB 200 is an excellent go-anywhere watch and thanks to the dressiness of its beads-of-rice bracelet, it feels like a dive watch that can be worn away from the water. Everything that we know and love about Doxa is here, with great water resistance, a clean aesthetic, and reliable movement.
