The most unexpected entrant to this list is the new Depth Charge brand from British retailer WatchShop. One of you viewers left a comment about this brand a few months ago. I’d never heard of it, so gave it a quick google search. What I found was a dive watch with a cool design and tremendous specifications for the money.
I bought this one a while back. It arrived and I was pleased to discover that everything that commenter had said was bang on. Like the Invicta’s, this features an automatic Seiko NH35 movement and full stainless steel construction; however, for a slight price increase, you also gain some further benefits. First up, this uses sapphire crystal, rather than the mineral present on all of the watches I mentioned previously, which will give unbeatable scratch protection. As well as the screw-down crown and 200m of water resistance, it also comes fitted on a brilliant solid-link bracelet. This not only features solid end links, but it also has a well-machined milled clasp, that would look at home at a who sells the best replica watches at double this retail price.

The bezel action is solid, the luminescence is very bright indeed and the design has some more unique design cues with the arrow hour hand and the double marker at the 12′oclock position. It doesn’t just look like another Rolex clone and instead has its own identity. At 41mm it does wear much like a Submariner though and there are currently 3 colours available, my favourite being this ‘Island Green’ variant.
I’m unsure exactly who is producing these, I have a suspicion it could be Rotary. Regardless, they’ve hit on something good here, hence its presence on this list. For just over ￡100 with a discount code, this is the best value dive watch I’ve come across in some time, with the only caveat being international availability. If you’re outside of the UK, I’m unsure of the shipping costs and import charges, so you’ll have to check for yourself. If you’re in the UK, you’ll do well to beat this.
CHECK OUT THE DEPTH CHARGE ON WATCHSHOP

ALIEXPRESS WATCHES / PAGANI DESIGN
Perhaps the only way of beating it is heading to China yourself. By using sites like Aliexpress, you can purchase watches directly from Chinese wholesalers and sometimes you can get a great deal. There are numerous obscure brands out there, offering varying levels of quality. One of the best-known is Pagani Design.
As with most of these Chinese home-brands, their repertoire mainly consists of homage watches; with their most popular divers copying famous Rolex designs.

For barely any money, you can grab yourself an automatic, steel divers watch that looks like a more expensive one from a distance. Over the years, I’ve found that most of these replica luxury watches have fairly impressive case finishing for the money, with the main trade-offs coming in the way of water resistance and quality control…especially the latter.
The submariner homage I have here has an interesting blue-black dial and at a glance, it looks flashy without feeling too cheap. The case looks good too, it houses a sapphire crystal and it even has the same type of movement as all of the divers I previously mentioned.
Its shortcomings are evident though. The bezel is easily the worst on this list, with a tinny feel and significant back-play, whilst the cyclops is aligned very poorly. The bracelet feels good for the money, though some models have reportedly had instances of separation.

ORIENT
While opinions are mixed on Aliexpress brands, the Japanese brand Orient are widely acclaimed as one of the best affordable wristwatch manufacturers. Not only do they design their watches in-house, but unlike most on this list, they produce their movements too.
For several years, the Mako 2 and Ray 2 were the flagship affordable divers offered by Orient. The Mako features the arabics, whilst the Ray is essentially the same, just with markers. Until now, I never bothered with either because I didn’t think the dials looked like anything special from the footage I saw online. I decided to try one for this post and I feel like I have been reverse catfished. Whether the lighting in those videos was just too poor, I’m not sure, but in person, this Ray II looks a hell of a lot better.

Despite being wider than the regular Pro Diver, at 41.5mm, it retains the same lug to lug length and is slimmer. When paired with the narrower lugs and less bulbous design, it makes this a more viable choice for slimmer wrists.
The Ray 2 has similar specifications to other pieces on this list, including 20bar water resistance, mineral crystal and steel construction. Don’t make the mistake I did though. I got sent the version on the silicone strap. While I like the matte black dial and the way the strap compliments it, unfortunately, this option is simply too long for my wrist, rendering it useless. As such, if you’re watching and have a smaller wrist, say below 6.75 inches or 17 centimetres, I’d stick to the metal bracelet options, which you can adjust to the appropriate size. Otherwise, even if it fits, you’ll be left with a huge excess poking over the top.

KAMASU
Even though I like the Ray 2, my favourite Orient diver has to be the Kamasu. This model, released in 2019, takes things to the next level, with an even better-looking dial and a sapphire crystal, in place of the mineral found on the Ray and Mako cheap rolex swiss replica. While the case is very comparable in both design and size to its predecessor, at 41.5mm wide, 12.9mm thick and 46.5mm lug to lug; the polishing and brushing appear to have been completed to a slightly higher standard. From what I’ve seen online, the Kamasu bracelet is also better finished than that you’d get with the Ray and the watch also comes in a more interesting variety of colours too.
I was torn between this teal-dark green colour and the equally attractive burgundy option, which also features a nice pop of colour. In the end, I went with this option, as it might be a little more versatile.

The only real downgrade from the previous Ray & Mako offerings is the bezel. This has a less precise click to it and also features increased back-play that doesn’t inspire confidence. The unit I have here was also misaligned, which was a shame on a watch that otherwise feels very premium for the low cost.
Still, should you land on a unit that avoids this issue, you’ll be met with a glorious dial that features a beautiful sunburst effect and a selection of applied markers that are probably the best looking on this list. I also really enjoy the handset, which includes a sharp pointed second hand and a bold arrow hour hand that make the watch look piercing and aggressive. A bit like a shark or something.
This is my favourite looking watch on the list and in the hands, it certainly feels like a more premium piece. I really appreciate the original design, so I’m frustrated that the Kamasu doesn’t fit me, or I’d be keeping it.