Our Favorite Big Titanium Sport Watches

Generally when compared to steel, titanium is lighter, stronger and more resistant to corrosion. But it’s harder to work with and can scratch more easily, so it’s not as common as tried-and-true steel as a watch material.

For a certain buyer a titanium watch really makes sense. It’s hypoallergenic and can be significantly lighter, allowing the wearer to choose a larger watch for daily wear.

While there are titanium watches available in many genres, we wanted to shine the light on big titanium divers. Overbuilt, fun to wear, and statement pieces, here are the Everest Journal team’s choices when it comes to large and lightweight dive watches.

TUDOR PELAGOS

Photo courtesy of Horbiter

If you want a titanium Rolex, you’re out of luck but fortunately its sister company Tudor has been offering its titanium Pelagos since 2013, first with an ETA movement and now with its in-house movement with 72-hour power reserve and COSC certification.

If you’re into tech specs, the Pelagos comes out on top in many categories and features a 500m water-resistance rating. The watch is 42mm and has a thick case, but fortunately the combination of the case shape and lighter material make it pretty easy to wield as a daily wearer.

We are big fans of the square hour markers to better match the snowflake hour hand, maintaining its style lineage from the original Tudor Subs.

And, best of all (at the time of publication), unlike a Sea-Dweller or Submariner, you can walk into an AD and buy a Pelagos for $4,575.

GRAND SEIKO SLGA001 

Photo courtesy of Fratello Watches

To celebrate its 60th anniversary, Grand Seiko debuted a new titanium diver with a 46mm case and a new five-day power reserve 9RA5 caliber Spring Drive movement. For those unfamiliar with Spring Drive, it’s a reimagined automatic movement that delivers quartz-like accuracy using a regulator system in which power delivery to the watch hands is regulated based on a reference quartz signal. (Yes, there is a debate in the watch enthusiast community as to whether or not Spring Drive can be considered a true mechanical movement, but we’ll leave that topic for another publication to tackle.)

So with Grand Seiko, you get unmatched finishing for the price point, and the SLGA001 is a limited edition (700 pieces) at $11,100 retail. With a 600m water resistance rating and supreme accuracy, you get a gigantic and light titanium diver that will likely top its competitor for bragging rights in technical prowess.

SINN T2

Photo courtesy of Fratello Watches

The German watch manufacturer Sinn has a legion of fans who are drawn to its stark design aesthetic and innovative use of technology, such as its hardened submarine steel. So it’s no surprise that Sinn offers a big titanium dive watch.

The T1 is 45mm and offers a water resistance rating of 1000m, which makes it the deepest diver in this article. The rotating bezel, which can be locked, is tegimented, a process that makes that exposed part very scratch resistant. It’s available on rubber for $3,580.

If you like the all-business look of Sinn, the T1 is a lot of watch for the money. 

OMEGA SEAMASTER PLANET OCEAN 600M

Photo courtesy of Orbiter

Omega has embraced titanium for its Planet Ocean series and we’ll give the nod to the most handsome watch in this roundup to the blue titanium version of the 45.5mm Planet Ocean, which retails for $8,600.

While the Planet Ocean case is certainly killer in the looks department, Omega is no slouch when it comes to combining tech features with aesthetics. The in-house Co-Axial calibre 8500 powering this watch uses a proprietary escapement mechanism to ensure high levels of accuracy, stability and durability.

PANERAI LUMINOR PAM00564

Photo courtesy of The Watch Club

If you are a Panerai lover, the basic (in a very good way) version of its class 44mm Luminor model is available in titanium with its in-house 8-day power reserve P.5000 movement. This watch is intended to wear big and if you love that very specific Panerai look and feel, but want something lighter on the wrist, the PAM00564 is a smart choice at $7,000 retail.

Have fun unlocking the brand’s signature flip lock crown guard mechanism and manually winding this beast to charge up the super-long power reserve.

Despite their large size, any and all of these big boys will fit perfectly in an Everest watch roll or Everest watch pouch. What do you think of Titanium watches? Let us know in the comments!