LIV GX-Diver’s 41mm Dive Watch Review

Torben Lonne
By
Torben Lonne
Editor and Co-founder at DIVEIN.com
Torben traveled to South East Asia for scuba diving and never really stopped his search for new adventures. His affinity for gear that works and his...
- Editor and Co-founder at DIVEIN.com
Close-up of the LIV GX Diver 41mm with blue wave-textured dial, orange seconds hand and steel bracelet
The dial does the talking here: automatic movement, 300m rating, and an orange seconds hand that stays readable at depth. It tells you the time, not your no-decompression limit, so the dive planning is still on you.
Blacked-out LIV GX Diver with orange bezel markings resting in its presentation case
LIV leans hard into contrast with this colorway, and the orange bezel numerals do more for legibility than the all black case suggests.
Two LIV GX Diver watches worn side by side, one white dial on a rubber strap and one blue dial on fabric
From a young and exciting Miami-based company comes a bold but worthwhile challenge to dive watches, the LIV GX Diver.
LIV GX Diver's markers and bezel glowing bright blue in the dark during our lume test
Lume is where budget dive watches usually fold. The GX Diver lights the full bezel scale, not just the pip, so you can still read elapsed time on a night dive.
LIV GX Diver with blue wave-textured dial and steel bracelet worn on our reviewer's wrist
The wave-textured dial and single orange seconds hand are what keep the GX Diver from reading as yet another steel dive watch clone.
Close-up of the LIV GX Diver's navy dial, magnified date window and orange seconds hand on the wrist
Up close you can see where the money went: applied markers, a domed date magnifier and a Swiss Made automatic movement under a dial that is anything but flat.
Our tester wearing the LIV GX Diver with a bright blue dial and black bezel on its steel bracelet
On the wrist the 41mm case wears smaller than the wide bezel makes it look, which is exactly what most divers say they want from a daily wearable dive watch.

Where to buy

From a young and exciting Miami-based company comes a bold but worthwhile challenge to dive watches. The LIV GX-Diver’s 41mm watch combines some of the aesthetics of Breitling and Omega with a practical potency demonstrated by the cobalt steel model we got our hands on.

As divers, we demand functional practicality to enhance any kit we take down. The GX does this very well. A ceramic bezel with very smooth movements frames a solid sapphire crystal that’s been screwed into place to manage the pressures of depth. On this note, 300 meters is more than enough for most technical divers, let alone recreational dive profiles.

Less bulky than their 44 mm model, the 41 mm GX is a great-sized watch. People with large wrists may prefer the 44, but at 41 mm this one hits a sweet spot for many.

With sandwich dials, LIV has done something both unique and useful by creating a depth of view. By layering and using cut-outs with the luminescence on the bottom, this depth is really cool in the dark. The 12 and 6 digits especially shine through, especially in the dark or at depth. They’re not the first ones to do this, but there aren’t any other sub-$1000 watches with it.

Much more can be said about the aesthetics and the tactile delight of the GX’s moving parts, but it must also be noted that the ETA 2824-2 movement inside this watch has the precision you’d expect from the Swiss company that made it. So, an American micro-brand with Swiss guts makes for a compelling dive watch at an amazing price.

About this review

To help you find a Dive Watch that will fit your needs, we’ve tested, researched, and reviewed the best ones available today.
We test both in the water, diving in various conditions - and in our lab - so we can give you accurate answers on quality, performance, and the overall value.

Read about our test of Dive Watchs

Recommended in: Dive Watch

Things we like:

  • 3D layering makes reading digits easy
  • Solid body on 41 mm face feels potent
  • The precision of the ETA 2824-2 movement
  • Great lume in the dark
  • Bezel alignment has no issues whatsoever

Things we don't like:

  • Cyclops date eye not available on 41 mm

Less bulky than their 44 mm model, the LIV GX-Diver’s 41mm is a great-sized dive watch. People with large wrists may prefer the 44, but at 41mm this one hits a sweet spot for many.

With sandwich dials, LIV has done something both unique and useful by creating a depth of view. By layering and using cut-outs with the luminescence on the bottom, this depth is really cool in the dark. The 12 and 6 digits especially shine through, especially in the dark or at depth. They’re not the first ones to do this, but there aren’t any other sub-$1000 watches with it.

Much more can be said about the aesthetics and the tactile delight of the LIV GX-Diver’s 41mm moving parts, but it must also be noted that the ETA 2824-2 movement inside this watch has the precision you’d expect from the Swiss company that made it. So, an American micro-brand with Swiss guts makes for a compelling dive watch at an amazing price.

Specs & Features

Case diameter 41 mm
Lug-to-lug distance 48 mm
Lug/strap width 22 mm
Movement Swiss automatic, three hands plus date
Case material stainless steel
Strap/bracelet material stainless steel bracelet, black rubber strap, canvas strap, or NATO strap
Crystal sapphire with anti-reflective coating
Bezel unidirectional; 120-click; ceramic
Water resistance 300 m
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