The 5 Best 39mm Dive Watches Money Can Buy

At three different price points.

When it comes to case size, sub-40 tool watches were few and far in between for a while. When it comes to dive watches specifically, a generation of men were convinced that oceanfaring gear needed to be large—how can you work a small bezel when you’re wearing diving gloves? 

Still, you’d be surprised at how much more versatile a tool watch can be by going just one millimeter less than the standard. The five best 39mm dive watches here prove just that, among several other points. Remember that Sean Connery’s Bond paired his 38mm Submariner with a dinner jacket in Dr. No. And on the durability factor, well, a certain Bruce Lee taught us that greatness in size isn’t always a prerequisite for greatness in strength.

Under $5,000

Tudor Pelagos 39

You can always count on the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation to serve up a Tudor timepiece that you’ll want in addition to its Rolex counterpart, maybe even instead of. The Pelagos 39 is a true-blue classic dive, from the crisp unidirectional bezel to the sunray dial. And living up to its big brother, the Submariner, this diver also runs on a COSC-certified movement, ensuring it’s as functionally lasting as it’s stylistically trend-resistant.

The Pelagos even offers a lot that the Sub doesn’t. The signature snowflake hands aside, it’s made of grade 2 titanium, basically as pure as commercial titanium gets, making it just as strong but way lighter than any stainless steel Rolex. Plus, that satin finish gives it a look that sits somewhere between platinum opulence and gunmetal cool.

• Price: $4,400
• Case Diameter: 39mm
• Movement: Tudor Calibre MT5400 (COSC)
• Water Resistance: 200 meters
• Thickness: 11.8mm

Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight

Like a pre-war home equipped with smart house technology, the Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight leans hard into the vintage look, but offers all the creature comforts of contemporary horology. This is immediately apparent via the guardless crown and the tropical accents throughout the watch.

Though cleverly the indices are merely tropically-outlined, giving the gesture of vintageness while maintaining the polish of a new watch. Deeper throwback details include domes upon domes, with an arched dial and crystal. Since this is Tudor though, this Black Bay flaunts a wildly bright lume and is powered by a Chronometer movement, the 70-hour Calibre MT5402.

• Price: $3,800
• Case Diameter: 39mm
• Movement: Tudor Calibre MT5402 (COSC)
• Water Resistance: 200 meters
• Thickness: 11.9mm

Under $2,000

Yema Superman Heritage

Straight from Yema’s greatest hits, the Superman Heritage manages to accomplish a slightly long look, despite the 39mm case and brawny tool watch build. This effectively adds a unique sleekness, mainly accomplished through the elongated second lines and cardinal markers, as well as the iconic “shovel”, which is the end-heavy second hand. Its arrow even has a ruby-hued accent, adding a pop of color that draws your eye to it.

The Superman lock, which resembles a sliderule’s cursor on the bezel, is added weaponry that makes sure there’s still a healthy amount of brawn on the slick body. Additionally, the balanced shine of the aluminum bezel insert and the extra thick double-domed sapphire add to its era-accurate style, while still providing modern functionality.

• Price: $1,199
• Case Diameter: 39mm
• Movement: SELLITA SW200-1 Automatic
• Water Resistance: 300 meters
• Thickness: 13mm

Longines Hydroconquest

The Longines Hydroconquest achieves that bigger-is-better aesthetic, taking a lot of visual space on your wrist, but only a reasonable amount of actual space. Truly, if you’re a small-wristed gent who likes that monumental look, but previously thought you couldn’t pull it off, this is one of few watches you can turn to. Not only are the 12, six, and nine as tall as they are long, but each hour marker besides them consists of both a circular application and baton, digging deep into the center dial. The stout hour hand physically touches every single baton. 

This all sits on a flawless sunray dial, framed by a fade-proof ceramic bezel, and set on a dynamically-designed case that combines the hard lines of the crown guards with the easy swoops of the lugs. Add several layers of AR coating to the sapphire, and this watch wins at legibility.

• Price: £1,150.00
• Case Diameter: 39mm
• Movement: Caliber L888 Automatic
• Water Resistance: 300 meters
• Thickness: 11.9mm

Under $1,000

Baltic Aquascaphe

Within the Baltic Aquascaphe’s design, several fun, almost playful details come together in a sophisticated and perfectly grown-up way. First, the dial is deep set, exposing the walls of the case at certain angles, giving it a fascinating submarine window aesthetic. The sandwich dial for the triangular indices specifically adds more visual depth and dimension, as does the exquisite texturing on the matte black top layer, without having to add more height—it’s a pretty brilliant combination. 

Another distinct offering you get with this Miyota-powered diver are its cool bracelet options. The rubber straps have a refined basket-weave design, while the stainless steel bracelet beautifully combines a beads-of-rice center with an oyster-like frame.

• Price: €580.00
• Case Diameter: 39mm
• Movement: Miyota 9039 Automatic
• Water Resistance: 200 meters
• Thickness: 12mm

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