What type of watches do you like or maybe better is there a style you just hate?

I would check out the Formex Reef. Its really good for the $$

 

IMO, there are a lot of great options under $1k that are more than just diver style, but are really solid actual diving watches. Squale, Scurfa. I just ordered a Scurfa Diver One that I'm really excited to check out. On the top end of your scale, you could get an Oris Aquis. I've been checking out Delma, but haven't owned one yet to give you an opinion on those. I just like their looks and the tech sheet.

 

I attended a watch event over the weekend and got to handle a Formex Reef. Beautifully machined and finished. Unique design. Great bracelet and strap, both with on the fly adjust. Chronometer grade movement. I’d put finishing and refinement up there with the most recent Omega SMP, which I recently bought/sold because I thought it wore a bit large. Obviously, the Omega’s movement is superior.

After trying on various colorways and bracelet/strap combos and talking to the brand owners, the price ($1800 on bracelet) seems more than fair.
I think the gray dial/black bezel version may be my next purchase.

 

You didn't really specify any qualifications (like movement type), so in terms of outright build quality in this price range I'd throw my vote to the quartz Seiko Tuna.

I'd also nominate the Longines Hydroconquest in this range. It's a little tough since you specified that it had to be new for at/under $2k, so you're eliminating a lot of used pieces from the next price bracket up where there are a ton of really great pieces.

 

Christopher Ward 600 meter C60 Pro Trident ...available in 38mm, 40mm & 42mm...about $1K

 

Currently looking at these Certina divers myself. Looks is subjective, but to me these look the best in anything below 2k and everything else about them seems to be great too. Would like to see if anything beats them in this price category. Solid movement, ceramic bezel, Certina's ''double security'' (if that even is anything special)..seems like great divers overall.

 

Add this:

 

Glycine makes some beauties at 36mm and 39mm..

 

Scurfa D1-500

Marathon GSAR(Auto)/TSAR(Quartz)

 

Ideas without parameters?
Seiko SPB143
Any Doxa.
Personally, I'd put a few more $$$ in the ring and get a Sinn U50.

 

So many great watches, so many different directions you could go. i'm going to stick with MSRP. Watches not far outside your range but not unreasonably so may be attainable via discounts, grey market, gently used. i think of the Tag Aquaracer and Longines Legend diver in that bucket.

some ideas:

Tool Time: 300m Seiko Tuna; Oris Aquis; Tissot Seastar 2000; most Marathon dive watches; every Citizen dive watch i can think of offhand; Victorinox INOX pro diver; Hamilton Navy Frogman.

On the Dressy Side: note, some will say this doesn't exist, and others, like me, will wear pretty much anything beyond a G Shock with a suit. Oris Diver's 65; Longines Hydroconquest; Mido Ocean Star; Baltic Aquascaphe; Alpina Seastrong Diver 300 Heritage; Farer Endeavor (the latter because they're super compessors, hence plain outer bezel).

Retro: a healthy majority of Seiko's mid-range dive watches; many of Squale's watches, particularly the Matic and 2002; Certina Super PH500m; Zodiac Super Sea Wolf; Rado Captain Cook.

No Easy Category for Me: Doxa Sub 200; Christopher Ward C60 variants.

 

You really got to narrow down the price range. For the diver genre, you have a whole sea of quality divers under $2000. I mean the list is analogous to just blindly pointing at an item on a menu at your favorite restaurant, you can't go wrong.
I second all the choices mentioned already the usual suspects such as oris aquis, hydroconquest longines, a variety of seikos, a few from squale, ginault, steinhart, and lot of other microbrands it is a huge list

 

Certina DS200 and Doxa 200

 

I love my Aquadive. 💖 This chunky boy is my least expensive watch, but it gets plenty or wrist time. 😎

 

I just bought my son a Scurfa Treasure Seeker. It seems like a wonderful watch for £368.

 

If it’s good enough for the SBS, it’s good enough for me.

 

What size wrist you got there? Considering a CWC and just wondering

 

Oris 65

 

For actual diving, the citizen Promaster Eco Drive. Otherwise, Muhle Glashutte Pro Mare Go.

 

For actual diving over the years the watches I saw the most were Citizen, Seiko and G-Shock. Back in the day Seiko made great dive watches for $300. Today's reissues are pricey. I used a G-Shock a lot, something that looked a lot like today's DW6900. It's not ISO certified, but it never flooded. My diving mostly predated the popular Eco-Drive Promaster. Now I own one in blue. It cost $164 on eBay, recently. My orange monster gives representation to Seiko.

I recall nearly all the divers working on their instructor certification on my last trip to Utilla had on G-Shock 5600 or similar watches and used el cheapo console mounted depth gauges. It cracks me up when I see people using $2,000 wireless computers capable of doing multi gas dives since none of them know how to do even a 2 gas deco dive. I've done a few of those with the plan worked out in advance written on a slate and measurements done with a bottom timer.

Maybe I should have specified a lower price range. Scuba diving offers many opportunities for damaging an expensive dive watch. Mostly I relied on computers, and I trashed a few of those too.

Perhaps the most interesting watch mentioned above is the very affordable Scurfa. The more expensive offerings are lovely, but for me mainly to remember the good times.

 

A Nomos Club? An In-House movement with about 100 to 200 WR

 

Longines makes some killer pieces.

 

My favorite dive watch is my Mido Ocean star 600. Chronometer, tool less micro adjust bracelet, great lume and 80hr PR. Also well within your budget.

 

NTH Watches

Great dive watch variety, solid quality, fair prices.

 

 

You'll get a lot of bias opinions on this topic but I've HARD used (as a daily) Everything from Tudor, Breitling, Sinn, Omega, Marathon, Doxa......etc etc ( you name it ) over the past 20 years and I'm come to conclusion the new Longines Hydroconquest with the ceramic insert is the absolute best dive/sports watch you can possibly buy under 2k.

I've beat the hell out of this thing over the last year and believe it or not its held up as well if not outperformed all of the brands listed above and more.......over 450+ watches later and its impressed me the most over years, IMO its unreal for the $1700 they are asking and you won't even pay anywhere near that for a new one.

The bracelet is the only weak point but that's because of the pins and stamped clasp and 21mm lugs, but its held up perfectly fine, as for the watch head itself......you easily get Omega finishing with it.

Its worth a look, I have a 7.5" wrist and daily a grey in 41mm, its not for everyone but the damn thing is a tank.

I was planning on selling it and just getting another Planet Ocean 8500 or Pelagos for daily use but the last PO I had didn't even hold up as well as this and I wasn't even that hard on it.....honestly.

good luck.

 

You'll get a lot of bias opinions on this topic but I've HARD used (as a daily) Everything from Tudor, Breitling, Sinn, Omega, Marathon, Doxa......etc etc ( you name it ) over the past 20 years and I'm come to conclusion the new Longines Hydroconquest with the ceramic insert is the absolute best dive/sports watch you can possibly buy under 2k.

I like the way they simplified the dial from previous versions. one could argue it’s modestly more generic now, but it’s easier to tell the time, and the clean look feels like a better fit for the brand. You want complicated, get a Legend diver.

 

Seiko Prospex SBBN049

 

Any Scurfa. Here’s mine.