Any purchases made on this website may earn us a small commission, please click if you want to learn more.
Waterproof watches are very useful if you enjoy outdoor sports such as swimming or hiking. Even if you are a regular runner, the chances you’re going to be caught in the rain sooner or later, so it’s better to be prepared than get caught out by an unexpected shower. In fact, even if you spend a lot of your time in the kitchen, sooner or later you’re going to get hit by a splash of water, so having a water resistant watch is a must.
Thankfully, waterproof watches have been around for a very long time and this is not new technology at all. When the Rolex oyster was first introduced in 1926, the perception of waterproof watches changed for good.
In terms of design, there really are some cool waterproof watches available so you do not have to give up any kind of style to compensate for being water resistant. Secondly, there are a lot of cheap waterproof watches. This is one of the only specifications in watchmaking that you will not have to fork out more money for. Granted, if you want a dive watch which has a lot of pressure resistance, you will have to pay more, but in terms of something suitable for swimming, it really won’t cost you too much more than a regular wristwatch.
In short, there is a LOT of mens water resistant watches on the market for very reasonable prices indeed.
Table of Contents
What Kind Of Watches Are Waterproof?
There are 3 main varities of waterproof watches, these are analog watches (typically dive watches), digital watches and smartwatches.
It should go without saying that you will typically see materials such as silicon or stainless steel waterproof watches for sale all over the internet. Other than wooden watches, there are not too many materials which cannot be made into water resistant cases.
Almost all watches are water resistant, but not all watches are waterproof (see below for explanation). Different brands make their watches to different specifications depending on who they are marketed at. For example, it would be very unlikely to see Diesel or Armani release a watch which is 200 meters water resistant as there is no need for this. However, you will regularly see brands such as Suunto, Citizen and Seiko make watches suitable for scuba diving and water related activities.
Typically these watches are marketed as follows, although there are exceptions to this rule.
- Analog watches – as these were the original dive watches, many of them still have great water resistance. The Rolex submariner and Omega seamaster are prime examples of this, although there are also budget picks less well known such as the Citizen Promaster and the Seiko Prospex series.
- Digital watches – these are mostly used for swimming and shallow diving activities. Whilst digital watches were popular as dive watches at one point in time, these have largely been removed by “dive computer” watches.
- Smartwatches – split into two categories. Most smart watches are built as fitness trackers and filled with apps for the users convenience. These watches are mostly just waterproof up to a shallow depth. At the other end of the spectrum is smartwatches that have been designed to be dive computers. Of course, models like this have been built to withstand extreme depths.
What Is The Difference Between Water Resistant And Waterproof Watches?
Explained in more detail below, water resistance means your watch can withstand the occasional splash as well as heavy rain. Waterproof (depending on the rating shown below) means that your watch can be submerged in water, used in a swimming pool or even used for scuba diving based on its pressure resistance.
What Are The Different Grades Of Waterproof Watches?
The first thing you should be aware of is that the following ratings are somewhat misleading. If you were a layman you would rightfully expect to be able to swim with a 30m waterproof watch, however this is not true. A 30m waterproof watch means that the case can withstand 30 meters of water pressure, however, the watch is not suitable for swimming.
All waterproof ratings are for water pressure only, at 50m water resistance rating a watch is suitable for swimming. Anything below this is not.
- Water Resistant – the watch can survive getting a little wet, but is certainly not waterproof.
- 3ATM / 30m / 100ft – not too much better than water resistant, but may survive a little more water exposure.
- 5ATM / 50m / 165ft – suitable for swimming in pools, rivers and the sea.
- 10ATM / 100m / 300ft – suitable for swimming and shallow diving only.
- 20ATM / 200m / 600ft – suitable for scuba diving.
- 30ATM / 300m / 990ft – suitable for deep sea diving, various dive watch brands have deeper ratings than this.
Can I Shower With A Waterproof Watch?
You can shower with any waterproof watch – however it is not recommended. This is because a shower or sauna setting is a lot different to swimming in a pool or even diving in the ocean. Whilst modern watches are all very well sealed and do not let water in, steam is a little more difficult, this is because steam is much less dense than water so it can fit through gaps which the human eye cannot see.
Overall, this is just a risk not worth taking. There is a very good chance your watch will be well sealed enough to withstand a shower, however, it only takes a miniscule gap for steam molecules to get through. Any watch with 5ATM or more resistance will claim it is shower proof, but the heat and moisture may erode this seal over time.
Can You Swim With A Waterproof Watch?
Yes, provided the watch is 5atm (50m water resistance) or above, then the watch is suitable for swimming. A watch which is marketed as simply “water resistant” is not good enough to swim, but will be enough to stop the watch from getting ruined by water in heavy rain.
This is true for both for swimming pools and saltwater. Although if you do swim in the ocean, it’s best to wash your watch off afterwards to make sure there is no salt build up around the crown or any other water entry points.
You can find a list of the best waterproof watches for swimming here.
Which Smartwatches Are Waterproof?
Generally most smartwatches which are based around fitness have been made waterproof since so many people want to use them for swimming. However, some budget smartwatches are not fully waterproof, so it is best to check each model specifically before purchasing.
The following smart watches are water resistant to at least 50m which means they can be worn for swimming and fully submersed in water if required.
The Best Waterproof Watches For Men
Seiko 5
A watch that needs no introduction, the Seiko 5 sports model. Arguably the most popular mechanical watch ever created, the sports version of the Seiko 5 is a waterproof automatic watch which is fundamentally known for being as good value for money as it is durable.
With a 41 hour power reserve, there are not too many other brands which can produce automatic timepieces to this level, whilst maintaining a quality which cannot be beaten for the price. The only other brands that come close to matching the Seiko 5 in terms of price for the specifications are Citizen and Orient.
Timex Expedition
The Timex expedition is one of the cheapest and best value waterproof digital watches for men that money can buy. Overall, Timex is a no-nonsense brand which doesn’t try to look as appealing to other brands such as Casio, Nixon or anyone else who manufacturers digital watches.
Timex expedition is a watch which has been made for the outdoors and is built to withstand the elements. It only has a few basic functions such as a stopwatch, alarm and light, although you get exactly what you pay for. The brand does not add useless extra features which you will never use. You will never feel ripped off when buying a Timex as its price is representitive of what you see.
Luminox Sea Turtle
Luminox are a brand which makes waterproof military watches. These tactical style watches are extremely lightweight and equipped with tritium lume. This means that you do not have to charge these luminous markers with light, since they are filled with a radioactive material, you will always be able to see them in the dark.
Marketed as the brand for Navy Seals, Luminox is a Swiss company that produces watches in its homeland, so you’re always going to get a certain level of quality that you will not find in other watches that are made in China. Overall, this is a rugged yet lightweight tactical watch that is suitable for both smart and casual occasians.
Casio G-Shock
G-shock have a large range of nice waterproof watches which are all water resistant with each depth depending on the model. All in all, the carbon core guard is recommended due to its ruggedness, light weight and great value for money. G-Shock watches are not the cheapest digital watches you can buy, but this is because they are much tougher than pretty much everything else and never break.
This is one of the best waterproof sports watches you can buy (smartwatches excluded) due to the variety of useful features it has such as world time, chronograph and alarms. There are cheaper G-Shock watches you can purchase, but in general this is a series which fairly scales up with price.
Skagen Melbye
Certainly not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of waterproof watches. Skagen are not a brand with any real deep history or fantastic movements, but they are however very fashionable and use minimalist Scandinavian design which resonates very well amongst its fans. There is no doubt about it, the Skagen Melbye is a waterproof stylish watch.
Not just aesthetically pleasing, the Melbye is also very functional. Despite being a standard mans 40mm dial watch, it is pretty lightweight, the case is made out of titanium which is both durable and hypoallergenic and also makes use of a breathable mesh strap.
Invicta Pro Diver
One of many Invicta waterproof watches is this pepsi bezel chronograph dive watch. Although Invicta often catch a lot of flak about not being good quality, producing oversized, garish watches and anything else detractors say about them, the main thing is that they are great value for money.
Despite the brand having a reputation for being overpriced and loud, this watch is only has a 43mm dial, which is not too large considering this is a legitimate dive watch with water resistance of up to 200m. Not only this, but the pro diver uses a VD55B movement, which is made by Seiko. Of course this is not the best movement in the world, but for a $100 watch with a Seiko movement, you certainly cannot complain about the pricetag.
Garmin Vivoactive 4
Made for exercise and easily used for activties such as swimming, the Garmin vivoactive 4 is a waterproof GPS watch that offers so much more than this. Included apps on this smartwatch are a sleep tracker, heart rate estimator, sports apps, the ability to download and play songs as well as a GPS.
A true fitness tracker watch that is both durable and waterproof, this is not something that you will drop and break like an iphone. The vivoactive 4 is somewhat expensive, but still affordable and quite a lot cheaper than some of the higher end smartwatches.
Citizen Calendrier
The Calendrier is an extremely smart dress watch and one of many Citizen waterproof watches. As the calendrier has a leather strap, you probably wouldn’t want to wear this for swimming due to the material getting damaged, but you can rest assured that the watch case will withstand the water.
Not just a pretty face, the calendrier is a reasonably complex watch which displays 24 hour time, day of the week and date of the month on each of its subdials. In addition to this, around the outer dial are various cities of the world which allow world time to be displayed reasonably quickly. Although the calendrier is a little more expensive than many of the watches on this list, it is a super convenient model, running on eco-drive, you will never need to change the battery on the calendrier as it uses power from the light.
Guess
If you know of the fashion brand Guess, you would not necessarily think that they make water resistant watches, but you would be wrong. Although Guess are only really known for making fashion models, almost all of their waters are waterproof, not only this but they look very appealing.
This multi dial watch is available in 5 different color schemes and is a fairly large 45mm case size, making it pretty much perfect for a modern day watch. The subdials display 24 hour time, day and date of the month.
Festina
Although once a fairly prestigious Swiss brand that made good quality automatic watches, Festina is now a brand which pretty much exclusively makes Japanese quartz watches in the style of dress, casual and sports. In their sports range, Festina watches are waterproof up to 100m, which means at the very least they are good enough to swim with.
In terms of value for money, Festina are a little on the expensive side given the movement used and the reputation of the brand, although they are fairly smart and unique.
The Best Waterproof Pocket Watches
Pocket watches do not have the same waterproofing history as wristwatches, since they are generally kept in a pocket and not required for prolonged periods of outdoor use, this was not a priority. Many older mechanical pocket watches are not waterproof at all and cannot handle any water.
Thankfully in modern day, there is a small variety of both quartz based and mechanical pocket watches which have a decent level of water resistance. This is not enough to swim with, but means they can easily survive splashes of water.
Bulova
Water resistant up to 30 meters, this is not a pocket watch that you want to take swimming with you (although what is?). To be honest, this is not bad water resistance for pocket watches since they are infamously bad at waterproofing.
This Bulova pocket watch is reasonably expensive since the brand has fairly recently moved their production to the far east and no longer produces this model in Switzerland. Of course, it still has all the hallmarks of a classic Bulova watch including the tuning fork lasered on to the casing.
Tissot
One of a dying breed. Tissot are one of the few brands that makes a fairly affordable Swiss-made quartz pocket watch. Almost all other brands are either exceptionally high and end expensive, or using very cheap Chinese parts with a questionable automatic movement.
In fairness, this is still reasonably expensive compared to a normal wristwatch, although as the market for pocket watches is a lot smaller, it makes sense that they cost more money. In terms of water resistance, this Tissot model can handle occasional splashing and rain, but not much more than this.
