Blue Bezel Watches : The 2019 Buying Guide
Some of us are very particular with our watch buying procedure. For example, you are currently looking for something quite specific; a blue bezel watch. It can be difficult to gather all the information needed to buy a good watch that responds to this criteria.
This article will lay out for you the best blue bezel watches on the market, and their strong and weak points. It will be separated in 2 categories (Deep Blue and Light Blue), each divided in 3 sub categories (inexpensive, mid-range and high-end).
Deep Blue Bezel
A deep blue bezel is a classic in the watchmaking industry, it used to be reserved for diving watches, but now you can find it on pretty much any sort of timepiece.
Bang for the Buck
Most of us have a limited watch budget, so you might be price conscious when looking for the next addition to your collection.
Orient Ray II
You can't go wrong by getting the Orient Ray II. It is very fashionable, while offering a great movement and nice material quality.
Specs
The F6922 in-house movement manufactured by Orient is of very high quality for the low price of the watch. The 22 jewels japanese automatic movement gives you the choice to both hand-wind it, or hack it, depending on your preference.
With this caliber, you will be good to go for about 40 hours before needing to wind it again. You can expect the time to stay within a -15 to + 25 seconds per day range.
Moreover, the 41.5mm case diameter is the perfect size for most men. It has a nice presence on your wrist, without being too bulky for men with smaller wrists. The case dial is covered by a mineral crystal.
Design
The styling screams diver watch, and the hardware is there to back the look. The 200m/20 bar water resistance is accomplished thanks to the screw-down crown.
Another great aspect of this diver watch is the 120 click unidirectional bezel. It is solid and the clicking feels great.
The beautiful deep blue dial matches the bezel, and contrasts really well with the white hour marks . Speaking of the hour marks, they are coated with a thick layer of lume that is excellent both in longevity and brightness.Strengths
Very polyvalent movement with proper diving specs
Weaknesses
Doesn't have a sapphire crystal, crown can be a bit hard to manipulate
For the sub 200$ price range, this is certainly the best model you can get with a deep blue dial.
Mid-Range
For the mid-range deep blue dial watch, I went with a lesser-known watchmaker; Victorinox. They are most famously known under their parent company's name: Swiss Army.
They brought their swiss expertise from the pocket knife world to watchmaking and the results are amazing.
Victorinox Maverick
The Maverick is currently the most popular line from Victorinox. It is reasonably priced and it offers an elegant styling with no corners cut.
Specs
The blue bezel Maverick is available in both small and large configurations. The small one has a 34mm case diameter, which will mostly fit men with 6.5''and less wrists, or women. It uses an 18mm bracelet, and has a 8mm thickness.
The large version has a 43mm case diameter, which is great for men with medium to large wrists. It is a bit thicker, at 9.7mm and the lug width increases to 22mm.
The Victorinox uses a very precise swiss engineered quartz movement. It is inlaid in a 316L stainless steel case, which is covered by a triple-coated anti-reflective sapphire glass.
Design
The Victorinox Maverick is quite beautiful, and it will please a very broad audience. This timepiece can be easily dressed up in a formal setting, or dressed down for everyday casual wear.
The blue bezel model is offered with two different type of straps: a stainless steel bracelet or a deep blue rubber band (which is a bit cheaper). Some might like the triple blue combination, but I prefer the elegance of the SS bracelet.
While Victorinox tries to market the Maverick as a diving watch, I can't say it is a proper diver. The 100 meters water-resistance is quite disappointing in this day and age, as you can see the same resistance on non-diving timepieces.
Strengths
Swiss engineering at a decent price, exquisite styling
Weaknesses
Bezel is fragile when dropped, lume isn't as bright as it should be
High-end
I chose to go with a lesser known watchmaker for the high-end blue bezel watch too. Raymond Weil is a smaller luxury watchmaker that originated from Geneva in 1976.
Raymond Weil Freelancer
The Freelancer line from Raymond Weil has many different models. I chose the 2760-ST3-50001 model, as it is the best looking, while also being equipped with a deep blue bezel.
Specs
The Freelancer's case size of 42mm sits in the sweet spot where it looks good on small, medium and large wrists. It is quite thick with its 11.80mm case, but it has a really good feeling on the wrist.
The Raymond Weil is a proper diving watch, with its 300 meters water resistance. The screw-down crown and the meticulously crafted stainless steel case both contribute to this feat.
The movement inside this timepiece is a Sellita SW200 swiss-made movement. The 26 jewels automatic caliber has a 38 hours power reserve. With normal use, the Freelancer will gain or lose about 5 seconds per day.
Design
The first feature that distinguishes the RW Freelancer from the mass is the unidirectional ceramic bezel. This material, which is usually reserved for pricier watches, offers industry-leading scratch and fade resistance.
The Freelancer has a bunch of cool details, such as the unique curved day-date display, or the signed crown. Furthermore, Raymond Weil uses the Super-Luminova® technology, which is the brightest and longest duration lume on the market.
The watch is offered with two different types of bracelet. The first option is a stainless steel bracelet, which is of high quality and very durable. The second option is a perforated blue rubber strap, which gives it a sportier look.Strengths
Durable ceramic bezel, 300m water resistance
Weaknesses
Movement only has 38 hours power reserve
Light Blue Bezel
Some of you might prefer a light blue bezel to match your colorful lifestyle. You will certainly find something for you in the following three models.
Bang for the Buck
The following watch can be had for well under 100$, so you won't have difficulty fitting it in your budget.
Invicta Pro Diver 9094
Invicta sells very good watches for a more than reasonable price. You need to know that it isn't the most liked brand amongst watch collectors, so you might not get the respect of watch snobs.
Specs
The 40mm case will fit men with small to medium wrists, but you might want a bigger timepiece if you have wrists above 8.5 inches. The 20mm band width is pretty standard so you will easily be able to change the bracelet for a third-party band.
The Pro Diver has a 200m water resistance, which is an amazing achievement for a sub 100$ watch. The screw-down crown is a nice feature that is necessary on a true diver piece.
The movement inside is a NH35A japanese caliber. It is a 24 jewels automatic movement that is manufactured by Seiko. It beats at 21 600 bph and has a 41 hours power reserve. Its accuracy ranges from -20 to +40 seconds per day.
Design
The bright blue bezel is the greatest aspect of the design on the 9094. It contrasts well with the metallic blue dial, and it reacts greatly to light exposure.
The crystal has a magnifying glass above the day date display, which gives a quirky look to the watch. This feature is really polarizing, and it explains why so many people love, and so many people hate the Pro Diver.
The mineral glass case back allows to see the Seiko movement in action. Invicta went through the trouble of painting the oscillating weight with a yellow color as well as engraving their name in calligraphy. I must admit the final result is pretty nice!
Strengths
Great movement, 200m water resistance
Weaknesses
Cheap bracelet might need to be replaced
Mid-Range
For the mid-range light blue bezel watch, I went with a pretty economical model. This is because the Invicta was so affordable, the mid range is still kind of affordable, but you will get a lot of value from this timepiece.
Seiko 5 Sports
While the Seiko 5 is one of the most popular entry-level watch, the many different variations are often unknown. The model above is the SRPB89, which is a Seiko 5 Sports.
Specs
The Seiko 5 Sports has a case diameter of 43mm and a thickness of 12mm. Its stainless steel case is covered by a Hardlex (mineral) crystal. While it doesn't have a screw-down crown, the SRPB89 is still good for 100m water resistance.
Like a lot of entry-level Seiko, it is equipped with a good quality automatic movement. The 4R35 is a classic Seiko caliber with 23 jewels. It beats at 21 600 bph and it has a 40 hours power reserve.
The 4R35 movement is considered an upgrade from the 7S26 movement, which was used in normal Seiko 5 models, and tons of other Seiko watches. On average, you should expect -45 to +35 seconds per day.
The bezel is able to rotate unidirectionally, and it has a 60 minutes graduation.
Design
While Seiko 5's usually have monotonous color schemes, the SRPB89 has a really bright and colorful bezel. Both the dial and the bezel are iridescent, and they contrast greatly with the white marks.
The date display is very subtle, and it only tells the date. This contributes to the uncluttered look of the Seiko 5 dial.
At the bottom of the dial, Seiko writes about the 23 jewels automatic movement, and the 100m water-resistance. On the back of the case, you get similar engravings, with the addition of a mineral glass to see the 4R35 movement.
Strengths
Seiko quality with classic design for a cheap price
Weaknesses
Cheap bracelet might need to be replaced
High End
Rolex Submariner Date
The Rolex Submariner Date 16613 is probably one of the greatest looking watch of all time. The problem with this timepiece is its relatively high cost. If you can't pay the full price, you can always look into the pre-owned market.
Specs
The Submariner has a 40mm case diameter, which is pretty much in the middle of the Rolex range. It is equipped with a sapphire crystal, using a date cyclops lens.
The water resistance on the Submariner is of 300 meters. This is achieved using a screw down crown, in addition to Rolex's Triplock system. The crown is engraved with the famous Rolex logo.
The Rolex Submariner Date is equipped with the in-house 3135 movement. It is an extremely precise automatic caliber, that has the official Swiss chronometer certification. This means it passed several tests administered by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute.
The 28 800 bph movement has a 48 hours power reserve, and it will keep time within a -2 to +2 seconds per day range.
Design
Since its inception in 1953, the Submariner is one of the cornerstones in the Rolex collection. It is beloved for its simple but elegant styling, and for the quality of the parts used.
The 16613 model uses a bit more color than traditional models, and the result is gorgeous. Both the dial and the bezel share a similar blue color, that is accompanied by small gold traits and white hour marks.
The in-house manufactured dial uses 18 ct gold for the markers, as it helps prevent tarnishing. You can also find gold on the crown, bezel and bracelet.
The bracelet is composed of Rolex's trademarked ''Rolesor'' material, which is a combination of yellow gold and oyster steel. It uses both Oysterlock and Glidelock technologies, which respectively helps keep the clasp closed and adjust the bracelet on the go.
Strengths
Extremely precise movement, distinctive bracelet
Weaknesses
Expensive price tag means you might need to buy pre-owned
I hope you enjoyed this year's edition of the best blue bezel watches. Let me know in the comments if there's a model you would've liked to see appear on this list!
