“A Watch’s Deeper Meaning”
The allure of military dive watches often starts with the legends—stories of Rolexes issued to British special operators or Vietnam-era service members walking out of their post-exchange with Tudor Submariners. These timepieces, once tools of their trade, later became coveted treasures. By the time I became a qualified Army Engineer Diver, those days were long gone. Our equipment looked vastly different—with rubber cases and digital screens. They lacked the romance of the past but were practical, precise, and designed to meet the demands of our diving.
The two watches in my kit were workhorses: a G-Shock DW9052 issued with my dive gear and a G-ShoNck DW5600 I bought at the exchange after I lost a Timex Ironman. These tough and reliable watches weren’t exactly the stuff of horological legend, but they were essential. Unlike recreational divers or Navy Special Warfare operators equipped with dive computers, we relied on avy dive logs and stopwatches to keep us safe during dives. During my military diving career, these G-Shocks recorded my movements through the water column and the bottom times of all my SCUBA and surface supply dives. They served as necessary backups to the Seiko S056 or S141 stopwatches, which our supervisors used with precision to determine decompression obligations and manage emergency treatments in the recompression chamber.
In 2017, these watches logged thousands of minutes of diving during our detachment's nine-month deployment to the Middle East. Stationed at Kuwait Naval Base, our missions had taken us across the region, from combat zones to Emirati resorts. We trained international partners in underwater construction, surveyed ports, and inspected dams. It was a deployment filled with camaraderie and adventure—a blend of hard work and rewarding moments you hoped for when you joined the Army, without the life-or-death intensity typically associated with deployments to the Middle East.
As our deployment drew to a close, the familiar conversations about commemorative items began to surface. Suggestions for keepsakes ranged from the practical to the absurd: engraved dive knives, 1911 pistols, lever-action rifles, and, inevitably, matching tattoos. While these ideas drew a mix of laughter and half-serious consideration, I hoped for something more romantic. I wanted a watch—a timepiece I could wear every day and maybe pass down to my kids, one that bridged the practicality of my G-Shocks with the history and craftsmanship of those pieces relied upon by previous generations of divers.
I must admit, at the time, I knew next to nothing about mechanical watches or the storied brands and models tied to them. That appreciation—and addiction that came with it—would come later. My knowledge at the time began and ended with the Rolex Submariner, a watch I grew up seeing on my dad’s wrist. Naturally, it was the first watch I considered… until I saw the $8,500 retail price (little did I know of the waitlists and gray markets).
From there, I began exploring brands in the $1,000 to $5,000 range. Predictably, I landed on Tudor—the go-to for anyone hoping for a piece of the Rolex reputation without the hefty price tag. Specifically, the Pelagos LHD caught my attention. It had a rugged, no-nonsense look that felt like it belonged on a diver’s wrist, and the red text on the dial gave it just the right amount of flair. Plus, as someone new to mechanical watches, I convinced myself the left-handed crown would be more comfortable.
When I returned home from deployment, my Pelagos was waiting for me, set aside by my roommate. Over the next few years, I wore it sporadically through PCS moves to Oregon, Missouri, and Hawaii, occasionally taking it on a dive just for the sake of it. At the time, to my disappointment, I hadn’t yet formed an emotional connection with the watch despite my best intentions. That changed in the summer of 2022, a few months after my last military dive.
While recovering from knee surgery and bedridden for a month, I immersed myself in the online watch community. I spent countless hours watching YouTube videos and reading articles about mechanical watches and their significance in professions like diving. As I sat on the couch under the influence of Percocet, my initial indifference and self-consciousness about the Pelagos began to fade. Instead, a sense of appreciation and pride took hold. Despite my ignorance at the time of purchase, I came to see how perfectly the Pelagos aligned with my original intent: to own a watch that symbolized my Army dive career. Since then, I’ve cherished my Pelagos, wearing it nearly every day—especially after pairing it with a fitting NATO strap.
Looking back, I’m struck by the symmetry between my story and those of old service members who picked up the now-legendary watches at their exchanges or supply offices. Much like they stumbled into pieces that would become horological icons, I found my Pelagos LHD while aimlessly clicking through the internet in my makeshift bedroom in Kuwait. Unknowingly, I bought a watch that would one day feel just as significant to me.
Today, my Pelagos has become a daily reminder of the pride I felt as an Army Deep Sea Diver, the missions I led, and the relationships I had with our soldiers. And while the insane prices of watches like the MilSub may never touch my humble Pelagos, the personal value I now assign to it feels just as valuable.
That said, if anyone would like to buy a pre-owned military dive watch for a few hundred grand, I’d gladly part with my G-Shock. Just putting it out there.
By Kyle Underwood
Kyle completed his active duty service in the United States Army in 2023 after serving for 8 years. He is an MBA Candidate at Yale’s School of Management (SOM) and accepted a position at Barclay’s NYC office.
