They're plenty of differing opinions out there about water resistance, waterproof and what these terms actually mean. These are our watchmaker's thoughts, recommendations, and best practices to keep your watch safe and working for years to come.
Seems like the manufacturers are putting their dealers in quite a pickle with regards to countries that have strict laws regarding misleading marketing, then. If a watch rated to 50 meters can't safely be used while swimming, that's going to be a service bill the dealer gets stuck with.
I own Cartier Panthere 30m water resistance quartz watch for one year now. It came with Cartier care booklet and cleaning kit. According to their instruction I should clean my watch with the foaming lotion and soft brush and then rinse it with warm water. The only caution Cartier gives is to make sure that crown is not pulled out. I did it twice and everything is fine. So, go figure...
I have a Victorinox GS Chronograph. Over the past 8 years it has rarely left my wrist. Showering, swimming, hot tubs, car washing... never has there been a problem. It’s had three battery changes in that time and the AD has never remarked on water damage. It does not have a screw down crown, but I have had the seals replaced whenever it needed a battery. I think grey market companies like yourselves are scared to death of having to honor a warrantee claim so you tell people never get your $14k DIVERS Watch wet or it will break.
Interesting remark, I really dont know if any watch brand would honour a guarantee on water ingress. I believe that may be a complex one as they may claim that the person forgot to screw the crown...
Although it’s mostly academic, I still wouldn’t do it. It’s like crossing the street; sure it’s easy and you may do it a lot but it only takes one time for you to get hit by a car. Plus, if you jump into the water, especially from a diving board or platform, that can be dangerous for your watch.
You're absolutely correct. We reference the ISO 6425 standard in our Starters Guide to Dive Watches video. Here we're referring to the fact that a watch with 300m will almost certainly be a dive watch. Whereas they're plenty of watches with 100m water-resistant rating that are not considered dive watches. Thanks for watching!
“In accordance with the standard for this type of watch, all Rolex divers’ watches are tested at their guaranteed waterproofness depth plus an additional 25 per cent. This effectively means that in the laboratory, within a hyperbaric tank developed jointly by Rolex and Comex, the Rolex Deepsea (which is guaranteed waterproof to 3,900 metres) is subjected to the pressure exerted at 4,875 metres deep.”
My first Timex that my dad got me in 1988, when I was 8 was a very plain black plastic model . Maybe 18 bucks at a chain drugstore in New Jersey. It had the little blue waves on the front and it said water resistant on the stainless steel back which was held in place by 4 little screw. I wore that watch nonstop for like 4 years. We had a pool that i spent my entire summer vacations in. We went to the beach a lot and i never ever took it off. Never fogged up or condensed on me. Ever! I recently found it, and bought a battery and a cheap new plastic strap for it and it still works. It was hard getting the 33 year old gasket to fit perfectly back between the case and the ss case back, but it did. And no, I won’t submerge it anymore,
Ok watch Rant from a certified diver!!!! First of all, I do not know one, not one scuba diver who actually wears a watch diving. We all wear dive computers for a reason and if you know anything about diving you’ll know why! Certified OW divers are not allowed to dive deeper than 40 Meters... 4 bars!!! And this is about 75% of the dive community. Free divers are unique but also rely on dive computers. Any scuba diver certified to dive deeper than 40 M is a technical diver. However at 500M or deeper you reaching saturation levels.... and the record 701 M... again no dive watches for a functional reason. It is rather irritating hearing watch geeks talk as if they understand or know diving and water resistance. Luxury watches are simply toys for adults, these are not tools and no one that I am aware still uses a dive watch. And if I did it would be seiko cause you can get it beat up and not worry about it... plus 40M is only about 120 ft.... this is where the majority of divers dive or less. I am just putting perspective on this video. He was thorough but he should put the “so what” meaning to the video...
Informative video, thank you. May I suggest also reviewing the manufacturer's operating instructions for guidance regarding water resistance. For example, IWC states that "at 6 bar it will have no problem with water sports or snorkelling".
I have dived with 100m watches without a screw down crown. I did this before knowing anything about watches, and got away with it. Watches don't have to be ISO tested, so it kind of makes a mockery out of the whole thing anyway. A dive watch does not need a screw down crown if the gasket is placed on the stem, and is simply a precaution. I presently own two quality 200m watches without screw down crowns. You are absolutely right to point out that the rating is based on STATIC pressure, as movement can easily increase the pressure x5. I am a great believer that watches should be rated A,B,C,D, and not by depth rating.
I used to swim with a 50m watch without s screw down crown. It went well for many years but one day the crown got caught on to something that pulled out the crown and the watch was filled with water.
I always laugh when people make a comparison, such as the one you made about the Sea Dweller/Planet Ocean and the Porsche Turbo. No one needs the 500hp, but it's something that you can feel every single time you drive it. For the typical person who just takes their watches swimming, or recreational diving, the 300m variants would work just as well. For the typical person who wants a fast car, the ~300hp Cayman will feel worlds different from the ~500hp 911 Turbo.
Guess I'm weird but up until this pandemic and the three months of sheltering in place I generally put my watch on when I dress to go out. If I'm in sweats or sleep wear I don't have a watch on. I don't sleep in my watches and I don't shower in them. But if I'm getting dressed to go out I reach for my keys wallet and I select my watch. If I'm going out for work or business I select one of my tool watches. If I'm going out for fun or to a social event I take a dress watch a fashion statement. I love my watches I don't obsess over them. I take them off in the house like I take my wallet out of my pocket and put my keys where I can find them. But you can now trash all this because now that I'm stuck in the house I wear my watches just to keep the feeling of order and sanity😊
Dive equipment, including watches, should be rated to at least twice the working pressure. That means if your dive is at 100 feet, approximately 33 meters (where sunlight disappears and there's not much to see) you should have a watch rated around 66 meters. Actually, 50 meters is adequate as most dives are in the 10 - 20 meter range. The problem is knowing the viability of the seals. In all actuality, a relative new, or recently serviced, watch rated for 50 meters will handle the rigors imposed by a shower or regular swimming (not diving), if the seals are in great shape. Hot tubs are to be avoided.
Movement in the water will multiply pressure by five times at least. For safety's sake I would work on a ratio of 10 to 1. So, if your diving down 20 meters, a 200 meter watch should do the job. You may well get away with less, but that's the formula I would suggest.
I’m yet to find a video that explains this well. I’ve been swimming in a few cheap Casio’s for years, and a lesser resistant Seiko, not one issue with any of them. To say you can only just watch your hands is ridiculous.
200m is actually more like the standard dive watch rating. Shoot I’d venture to say 100m is plenty for diving as well as the ratings/experience you’d need to go deeper than that are rare enough. Anything beyond 200m is overbuilt in my opinion. But that won’t stop me from buying watches with greater water resistance.
You're absolutely correct Max. We reference the ISO 6425 Dive Standards in another video, which states 100m is the minimum requirement. We realized our wording implies 300m is the "standard" when in fact we were trying to convey a watch with 300m will almost always be a dive watch. Thanks for watching!
Video editing tip: either speed up the teleprompter between sentences, or trim those huge pauses Nathan takes between each phrase. They're noticably long and they make an exciting topic sound like a boring lecture.
Seriously, at 0:58 you'll see him read a sentence that ends with "static pressure" and it's a whole 2 seconds before he even gets to the next line. That's an eternity. He does this over and over in the video because of how the content is displayed in front of him. Help the guy out, and just trim that stuff so that we can stay awake.
Can you swim with an Omega Seamaster in a saltwater pool? Will it cause problems later to the band etc? Maybe a dumb question because swimming in the ocean is saltwater..but in a saltwater pool the chemistry still requires some chlorine or acid shockers to keep the pH in balance.
I see it as a risk/security analysis. I have swam in the ocean (surface, not diving) with a 30m rated Timex. I had no issues, that watch still ticks away several years later. I don't swim with my 30m rated Omega Speedmaster. Why? Well, I can buy a new Timex for
Lets take a look at what the gaskets are. They look like buna orings which are plentiful an all sizes and thickness. They are used in many different applications. Now, I would be lead to believe that saltwater is more of a problem to these gaskets than say, any hand soap or shampoo. Alchohol, such as 70-90% isopropyl, has not been shown to cause damage to this type of oring/gasket. Hell, we use them in paintball guns from the bolt to the air adapters.
So basically until you get to 10 bar/100 meters everything is just splash proof to be on the safe side. It is very misleading to say 30 or 50 meters water resistance on a watch when it’s. Or safe to submerge the watch at all. Thanks for the info.
I think the only reasonable thing to do is to either take off your watch before hitting the water or to invest a penny or pound into a Casio Marlin, Invicta Prodiver, Citizen Promaster or Seiko Prospex as a beater watch. All these watches were actually designed to function as divewatches and are super reliable above and under water. Most of all, they are cheap and easily replaceable. (Except for the SKX, WTF! Why did Seiko stop producing it??? Such a shame. Was lucky to get the last one from the dealer some years ago.)
I have swam in watches which stated "water resistant" without any pressure or depth ratings. So far, nothing happened. They are still working. I have one of the earliest iterations of a Seiko 5. Before they even put the ugly 5 on the watchface. That watch is like almost 20 years old. I have swam and dived like more than 50x wearing that. Still gives accurate time. No issues whatsover
I have an Armitron pro sport watch. It is a 20.00 large LED display watch and I have owned it over 2 years and wear it in the shower. No problems! I have a back up since they were so cheap. It keeps incredible time and the accuracy is within a minute a year or in that range. It says 100 meter WR...I thinki it is good for it!
If you are worried that your watch may be damaged by swimming or immersion in water, YOU CANNOT AFFORD THAT WATCH. Wear something else! I always swim with 30m watches and I never had a problem. I also service my watches and replace seals every 5~6 years. Most importantly, I am comfortable with the unlikely possibility of damaging my watch. If a watch costs more than I am comfortable with potentially losing, I won't buy it! It's that simple.
Also an engineer(mechanical/aerospace) here as well and the static water pressure idea stated here made me cringe. You’d have to be moving your arm at like 30mph underwater to have much of an added pressure difference.
Omega speedmaster of 7k is no swimming. My Casio fw91, holiday watch for $15 Swims with me for at least 8 years. Holiday done? In a drawer without special care. Never ever a problem.
We know there are differing opinions, but these recommendations came from our watchmakers who came from Breilting, Richemont, Swatch, Rolex, etc. We would rather sit on the side of caution, helping our customers keep their watches as long as possible.
@@CrownandCaliber I guess that's fair, somwtimes is better safe than sorry. But it would be nice to get the facts behind the statements for us the viewers to make our own conclusions. That's all. Thanks for taking the time to reply.
I think the WR rating is essentially the highest rating a given watch was able to endure in testing under controlled conditions. It doesn't necessarily mean that the WR rating is the absolute truth. I'm sure WR ratings differ between materials, but also things like what kind of water the given watch is being exposed to, like salt water versus fresh water. Salt water is more dense, and therefore exudes more pressure on a case I guess. I don't know, I missed the section on fluid dynamics in physics class. This is just a guess, I have no idea how they actual measure WR, or if there is even any 3rd party that verifies WR ratings. C&C is right about steam being more invasive than standing water, figured that one out the hard way...
@@mihalis1010 I don't want to elaborate too much for privacy reasons but I can tell you a lot of Swiss watches are tested at their rated water resistance with a good margin. The problem is that there's the theory and actual practice, where a design might pass the test due to the "perfect" conditions, but it doesn't mean they meet the standard. They might have high defect rates for example, which is something you would only find on our older designs. In fact, the manual will be very pessimistic on how much your watch can take. Also, you really need to service it properly if you want it to remain waterproof. Generally the testing is done with a given pressure, which doesn't always translate to actual water pressure at that depth. It isn't only water tested either, helium testing can be done too to cover things like steam. You are correct in saying that pressure is a bit higher in salt water, but the margin should cover that. In any case I think the mistake people make is not taking the services as seriously as they should (once you open your case you have to replace that large joint, otherwise it isn't waterproof anymore), but also that watches, especially older ones, aren't always as good as they are supposed to be.
I own Cartier Panthere 30m water resistance quartz watch for one year now. It came with Cartier care booklet and cleaning kit. According to their instruction I should clean my watch with the foaming lotion and soft brush and then rinse it with warm water. The only caution Cartier gives is to make sure that crown is not pulled out. I did it twice and everything is fine. So, go figure...
ratings from Casio and those from Patek Philippe for example are also very different...you will be fine swimming with most Casio's with nothing more then just WR( wich is less then 30m by specs) while you would probably have an issue with most Pateks that have 50m WR specs..
I guess it depends on the watch, a field 100wr watch from citizens will go 30 meters down with no issues and you don't need a brick in your wrist while freediving. And you can also take small jumps from a fishing boat with no problems.
This video is completely inaccurate. It's extra frustrating it pretends to be an educational video. 100M watches are honestly suitable for even some forms of diving, let alone alone swimming. 200M is probably greater than anything most people need.
Thanks for the video. Got to admit I have gone swimming thinking I could go suba with a 100 meter watch so why can’t I swim. $400 cost for a repair later.
I own Cartier Panthere 30m water resistance quartz watch for one year now. It came with Cartier care booklet and cleaning kit. According to their instruction I should clean my watch with the foaming lotion and soft brush and then rinse it with warm water. The only caution Cartier gives is to make sure that crown is not pulled out. I did it twice and everything is fine.
Something is wrong here. 100m water resistance should mean you can take your watch 100m under water (of course well beyond all but top professional divers). If not, then call it something else, or state the actual maximum pressure the watch will withstand. I'm a diver and since my Tag Aquaracer broke (no diving related) I didn't buy a replacement. They are bulky, and I prefer a more legible watch above water, where I spend 99.88 % of my time. I got a diving computer for 300$ and it gives the time, depth, water temperature and so on. But back to my point: I should dive confidently with ANY watch that has 50m or more written in its dial at least up to my personal record, 41m.
Majority of GShocks or if not all GShocks are 200m water resistant or 20Bar except some Baby-G models which oddly enough is only 10Bar. I wouldn't use it while swimming even if it is rated 20Bar since you still have to factor in the water pressure and also not operating on the buttons underwater.
No screw down Crown don't swim in it come on? Lol I swim freedive and shower in my Seiko fives have for years and never ever had a problem if you have a 100 meter water resistant or more swim away no matter if the crown screws down or not
I think that for the not top level divers the rule should be, if it is marked 10bar, this mean 100 meters far away from the water., etc., going up or down.
Normal screw down crown doesn't matter for water resistance. Gaskets are the only factor. If your gaskets are gone, a screw down crown won't help. Screw down crown is in general for keeping your crown safe from bumps, not for water resistance
I just need my watches to survive dropping into the toilet bowl. My daily wearers are a Sea-gull Ocean Star and a Vostok Amphibia. I silicone grease the crown and case gaskets in my Vostok Amphibia. The cost to replace the Amphibia is $70. I bath and shower with it. No problem. I don't take any of my vintage watches near water
So basicaly 100m means 10bars so you could cross the 10 bars from going to a waterpark and jumping in a pool because it will cross the pressure limit even thought it might be well under 100m
Could I swim with a Citizen Eco-Drive Movement Promaster Diver Chronograph rated at 200m? Not doing scuba diving, but I’m talking about a 14 foot pool at most, but most importantly, just able to do regular swimming in general
2:10 2:21 i have a chronograph watch that has threaded crown, but the buttons are not threaded & has a 100m water resistance rating. Is it okay to wash it with soap & running water? To wash the COVID off of my watch.
Reminds me of the old classic martial-arts spoof movie "Remo Williams", and Master Chiun was right: "The watch is a confidence trick invented by the Swiss". So a 10 dollar 50 meter rated Casio (NOT even a G-Shock mind you!) can take a beating on the ball court, then go on a Carribean tourist's 100ft/30meter scuba dive, get whacked on a towel afterwards, and is still fine, but a 10 thousand dollar Rolex or Omega cannot take a little dip in a BATHTUB! Where is all the money getting spent by these luxury rip-off artists?
So sorry, your analysis at least about Rolex and Omega is wrong. They actually went a few meters under the Ocean to check their water resistance. The latest Omegas 300M can go upto 5500 meters. I never had an issue with the 300M with showers or rain or using it pretty roughly.
I have a question. I own a Victorinox watch with 500 meters resistance. However I had to switch the battery out. Does that mean that my resistance is gone?
It would depend on the gasket condition and how it was put back- you can usually get a watch pressure tested for not much money (my watch guy doesn’t charge me) and they try it and let you know if it passes. I do it before a holiday to make sure it’s ok for 100-200m
Wait....if my watch lacks a screw down crown but is rated by the manufacturer as 100m water resistance why can't I take it swimming? I get the point you're trying to make, but 100m is 100m regardless. Right?
Hey Brian, This is where a lot of debate occurs. The 100m rating isn't tested by taking a watch down to that depth. It is tested using the pressure that would occur at that depth. This is where we trend toward the "better safe than sorry" mentality because there are plenty of variables in the real world that are not accounted for in the testing.
ive swam in 30m watches no problems it really does make me chuckle ive 30m to 300m watches and swam in them all with no problems no leaking or condensation.... in my opinion why make a watch 30m if its not ? should say splash proof....and best of all which average joe swims down more than 30 to 300 meters unless ya into deepsea diving ....
Yes. I go swimming with my Seiko 5 which says "Water Resistant" without any other information. So far it is completely fine. I have another watch which says 5ATM. I accidentally took a splash on the shower bcos I forgot to remove the watch. I kept it aside for it to dry. It died soon after. I did a post mortem of this watch and the parts kinda corroded...
Why risk ruining an expensive timepiece with water? Unless it is a watch one wants to use for actual diving, I just don't see why anyone would want to shower with a Rolex Datejust or a Speedy. Nonsense!
Hey Nima, We were showing watches with non-screw down pushers and the additional caution we would recommend despite the larger water resistance rating. Thanks for watching!
All my g-shock watches never left my wrist when I shower; go to sauna; swim in sweet/salt water; go to fight; even when I making love! Everything they need need is just some sunbathing 1-2 times in a year
Good Video i just wanted to add something as a Teenager inSouth Florida i got my first OpenWater Dive Certification at the age of 17 and i knew it was time to get rid of my Swatch Watch that was great for Swimming , Showers , and Everyday wear inFlorida i was also a Avid Water Skier that did go Water Skiing 3 to 5 times a week usually inBrackish Water so my Godmother / Aunt was the first person i thought of when i decided i would need a Dive Watch as she worked Human Resources for Seiko in New Jersey and she was thee when the beganPulsar and Lorus Companies setting up their Payroll and Benefit packages on a Data base that Employees would be capable of accessing their own Benefits fromA remote Computer in the Company at that time Seiko was Expanding and Downsizing the different Divisions of the Company which meant large amounts of Employees were going to those different Companies and the Employees weren’t always sure what their IndividualBenefit Packages were during those times so my Aunt came up with this brilliant Innovative way of using the Computers for plus she got a great discount on any of the Watches the Companies sold i called her and asked for the Prices with her discount onSeiko Dive Watches and she did just that but called me with other Information that one of the Watchmakers advised her that the Pulsar Dive Watch was a better Value because it used thcsamecQuartz movement as the Seiko but was like $40.00 cheaper so that’s what i ordered i wore that watch for 14 years over 250 logged Scuba Dives , and honestly even under my Tuxedo on the day i got married it ran flawlessly on the original Battery and the only complaint i had was the Black Rubber Band would wear out and i had to urchase the Seiko Brand one for that case from my local Authorized Seiko Jewlery store near Annapolis’s Maryland where m Wife and I moved to to start. a Family the owner of the Store even Apologized and showed me his Invoice on those Bands Supporting why they were so Expensive but i had to keep old Trusty on my Wrist and paid the price several times after about 11 or 12 years the Battery died and i had a new one installed it wasn’t done in a Vacumn Chamber or anything Fancy like i knew some needed to be done in to not risk trapping Moisture inside the watch and risking fogging it in the future ? the newcBattery only lasted 4 years and i put another one in myself that lasted two years and the Watch just stopped running i tried a couple of other new Batteries and it wouldn’t start up so i retired the Watch Permanently and that’s were it still is today hidden in my locked Safe untill i might find a Competent Repair Shop or find a good running Pulsar Replacement BTW my Aunt is retired and no,longer has that Employee Discount as she changed Companies as Well but i do want to say that watch does have the 150 Meter on it and i’ve taken it on a few dives over 100 feet deep in the Atlantic Ocean but my Gig was mostly Sport Diving and staying away from the Deeper Decompression Diving of over 100 feet i’ve done them but like to play it safer as i was trained on The Navy DivecTables as our References way before everyone went to Electronic Dive Computers attaché to the Equipment and they have found that the Navy Charts were incorrect and they don’t even teach them any longer ? Due to some Health Issues in my 40s i’ve been told my Scuba Daysxare over forever although i do keep my Log Books safe and my Phot Albums from all thecDives i have done but the big point is i highly Reccomend the Seiko / Pulsar Dive Watches as i know they work long term and that Pulsat does have the Screw Down Crown the only bad thing i can say other than the bands is the Rotating Bezel isn’t UninDirectional and a good Dive Watch should be so the time can’t be Accidently changed into the wrong direction indicating a shorter time then you though you had that’s just a good built in Safety feature i reccomend. but on the same note mine never go Accidently Changed in any direction so it kept me safe despite being Bi Directional it does have pretty tight minute indentations that keeps it we’re you set it
I had a Breitling Avenger Seawolf once. I owned it for about a week before I thought that it was stupid because I don't even like swimming, yet this thing was rated to 3km... It was also over 18.5mm thick, 44mm, and looked totally ridiculous on my because I'm an averaged sized person, maybe a little skinny (6'1", 155lbs). Got rid of that and got a SMP instead. Much better sized watch, though still overkill because I still hate swimming.
I had 30 m Watch i i dived with it to 10 m Max iz survived all but Always ne cerfull. I had a lot of e bay watches and after 1 shower iz died, i hope i Will buy sub for my 35. Birthday IT is best Watch ever nade.
