Until I can afford a fully scratch-proof, crush-proof, nuclear-holocaust-proof watch that is ALSO a fancy mechanical piece of horological kit, I have to settle for a little less. The good news is, a little less is still pretty darn good, if not better, when it comes to dive watches.

The Freestyle Hammerhead is THE dive/water watch. I use it every time I go in the water. I use it in the pool, scuba diving, boating - you name it. The size is generous and easy to read without looking like a dinner plate. The metal is solid, with a good heft and excellent durability. It's got a top-notch timer bezel (for timing dives or the roast in the oven), super luminescent hands and numeral markers (so you can tell the time in darkest depths), a date window, and, to top it all off, a little dive flag printed on the dial. Oh, and did I mention it's waterproof to 660 feet?

Best of all, it's got a backlight! A really good one, that lights up the entire face. It provides this indispensable benefit of a digital watch without the lack of, shall we say, élan.

It comes in white and black dial versions. I got mine years ago (still works!) and it has a neoprene strap - super comfy! Sadly, they abandoned this in favor of PVC plastic. But the watch still rocks.

A great dive/boating/water sports/beat it up watch at a great price (about $70).

For those so inclined, here are the specs:

Case material: stainless-steel
Case diameter: 42 millimeters
Case Thickness: 12 millimeters
UniDirectional Bezel
Date window
Quartz (battery) movement
Water resistant to 660 Feet (200 M)