Timex Puts a Smoky Black Dial on the $269 Deepwater Arctic 200

Dive watches have a pricing problem. Real 200-metre water resistance, a screw-down crown, a unidirectional bezel and a legible dial are not expensive to make, yet most of the category charges four figures for them. Timex has spent the last few years chipping away at that gap, and the new Deepwater Arctic 200 with a smoky black dial at $269 is the latest swing.

The Gadgeteer's take focuses on the dial, which is the right place to start. A smoky or gradient finish is normally a dress-watch device, and dropping it onto a dive watch does two things at once. In the light it reads deeper and more expensive than a flat black. In low light, the fade toward the centre can soften the contrast that makes a diver dial so easy to read, which is the trade every gradient dial makes.

The comparison worth making is against the two obvious alternatives. A $269 Seiko or Citizen diver buys you a proven movement and a huge aftermarket; a microbrand at the same price buys you a nicer case for the money and a longer wait. Timex's advantage is availability and warranty, and the Deepwater Arctic has been a legitimate platform rather than a novelty. The 200-metre rating is the credible number here, not a marketing 50 metres.

What the Arctic 200 is not: a substitute for a tool diver with a hardened crystal and a fully graduated bezel if you actually dive. For everyone else, this is the watch that covers the pool, the beach and the office without requiring you to swap straps or apologise for the price.

Verdict: the smoky dial is the reason to pick this version over the flat-black original, and the price is the reason to look at all. If you have been waiting for a diver that does not require a justification, this is a straightforward one.