There’s something delightfully child-like about a diver’s watch. It’s all about the simplicity of use (chunky hands and loud and clear hour markers, buttons you can’t miss) and the Tonka-toy like unbreakability. It says, time to play – and play as hard as you like.

You may never plunge down deep enough to put the water resistances of this line up to the test, but things of such rugged beauty will remain a joy forever. 

Panerai first created its Submersible Bronzo PAM 382 in 2011 when no one was making watches in bronze. That’s all changed now, of course, with bronze left, right and centre, but this Bronzo Blu Abisso edition of 1,000 pieces is long overdue and I’d be tempted to sacrifice something very dear to me to get my hands on one. 

Blancpain makes a nod to history with its tribute to its 1960s Fifty Fathoms “No Rad”, one of the first watches to replace the radium traditionally used on luminous dials with non-radioactive material. Omega looks forward (fingers crossed) to the Tokyo Olympics, for which it is the official timekeeper, with a bright and breezy-looking new 300m Seamaster; Bell & Ross goes camo, Action Man-style; and Ulysse Nardin makes an environmental statement with its Lemon Shark, created in honour of the ocean protection organisations with which it works hand in hand, the FIU Medina Aquarius Program and OCEARCH. Dive in.

Panerai bronze Submersible Bronzo Blu Abisso, 300m, £13,900

Bell & Ross ceramic BR 03-92 Diver Military, 300m, £3,990

Ulysse Nardin steel Diver Lemon Shark, 300m, £6,070

Audemars Piguet steel Royal Oak Offshore Diver, 300m, £23,100

Blancpain steel Tribute to Fifty Fathoms No Rad, 300m, £11,800

Omega steel Seamaster Diver 300M Tokyo 2020, 300m, £4,820

Tudor ceramic Black Bay Ceramic, 200m, £3,550

Breitling steel Super Chronomat B01 44, 200m, £6,750

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