MEET THE DIVE WATCH BEZEL
Outside of seeing someone wearing it while diving, the easiest way to identify a dive watch is by checking to see if the dial is surrounded by a ridged ring with numbers or markers on it. That’s the bezel, and more than just adding flair, it helps divers track their dive time.
THE BASICS
Introduced in the 1930s and essentially unchanged since then, the bezel is a low-tech way to calculate your remaining dive time. Additionally, to prevent the bezel from being adjusted on accident, most are designed to be unidirectional (meaning they can only be turned in one direction). The bezel is an easy and intuitive way to track elapsed and remaining time, whether you’re dealing with oxygen in a diving tank or keeping track of the parking meter.
SETTING THE BEZEL
Take note of the current time. Say that it’s 3:15 PM, and you only have 30 minutes of oxygen in your tank. You want to make sure that you begin your ascent by 3:40. Simply turn the bezel to the 8 (which is the: 40-minute mark), so once the minute hand reaches the bezel marker you’ll know it’s time to surface. Now you have an easy way to make sure you’re on top of your time!
