Why is water resistance important in watches?
A watch stamped with "Water Resistant" means that it is humidity-protected. It can endure a bit of water splashes from washing your hands or being caught in the rain. However, water resistance does not mean you should swim or shower with your watch on. Water is the biggest enemy of a watch.
50 m water resistant means 5atm. That specifies the number of atmospheric pressure it can withstand below water before the water resistance is compromised. Such watches rated 50m can withstand showers ,washing and swimming pool level swimming, definitely not meant for scuba diving.
| WATER RESISTANCE GUIDE | |
|---|---|
| 50m/165ft - 100m/330ft | Light poolside swimming |
| 100m/330ft - 200m/660ft | Swimming, snorkeling, showering (no hot water) |
| 200m/660ft - 500m/1650ft | Impact water sports such as board diving and scuba diving |
| 500m/1650ft+ | Appropriate for serious deep water diving. |
200M Water Resistance: Wearable around sinks, during swimming, poolside diving, snorkeling, jet skiing, but not while scuba diving. DIVER'S WATCH 200M: Wearable while scuba diving at depths not requiring helium gas.
Is water resistant good enough for rain? The short answer; yes. Water resistant jackets are designed for wet-weather conditions but only drizzle to light showers.
You can swim in your watch if it claims to be water-resistant up to 100m, but this still means that it should only be worn for snorkelling at the surface rather than diving. For diving, water-resistance should be up to 200m.
You should not take your watch swimming unless it says 10 bar or 100M or more in water resistance. Anything less and basically it can handle humidity, rain, or splashes of water while you're doing the dishes. 2. Warranty does not cover water damage.
Dive Watches
This states that a watch should have a minimum depth rating of 100 meters, which is ok for snorkeling and swimming, but for serious dives, it is best to have a watch that is water-resistant to at least 200 or 300 meters.
Simply put, a water-resistant luxury watches can withstand contact with for a certain amount of time or under certain conditions, while a “waterproof” watch should, in theory, be impenetrable by water. But the truth is, no watch can guarantee perpetual waterproofness.
With the exception of the Rolex Cellini, all modern Rolex watches are fitted with the Rolex Oyster case. This guarantees water resistance of up to 100 meters across the following models: Rolex Datejust and Datejust II.
Does water resistant mean you can swim with it?
It often means it has some moisture protection. For example, say you want to know how to tell if a watch is waterproof. Your average water resistant watch can endure a rain shower but not a dip in a swimming pool.
For use in water, water resistant watches should be pressure checked every year. The seals should be replaced at least every two or three years. Showering or bathing with your watch on can be bad for it, due to hot water issues, and the fact that soap is a fine level abrasive.
For example, charts from brands like Seiko, Oris and Longines indicate watches rated for 30 meters are only really splash-resistant, suitable for wear when washing hands or in the rain. Similar charts for 50-meter watches indicate that you can swim with them, though usually only in still waters.
ATM or “atmospheres” is the amount of pressure a watch can withstand. 5ATM will withstand pressures equivalent to about 50 meters, or 164 ft under water.
Watches with a 200M water resistance rating
This capability will withstand scuba diving and is considered good enough to be a proper dive tool. Topside, it is extremely unlikely any 200M watch will let you down in high humidity, heat, cold or during any water borne activity.
IP68: The Top IP Waterproof Rating
Since 8 is the highest number on the IP water rating scale, any IP enclosure with a rating ending in 8 offers the best possible waterproof protection. However, IP68 is usually acknowledged as the most protective IP waterproof rating in common use.
- IPx0: No protection from water.
- IPx1: Protected against vertically falling water drops.
- IPx2: Protected against vertically falling water drops when enclosure tilted up to 15º
- IPx3: Protected against spraying water.
- IPx4: Protected against splashing water.
- IPx5: Protected against water jets.
What Is Waterproof? Believe it or not, “100% waterproof” fabric doesn't really exist. With enough pressure, water will pass through anything. This means that all fabrics are technically water-resistant.
100m - Water resistant up to 100 meters means it is possible to swim or snorkel with the watch on, but it is not appropriate for diving. 200m - Water resistant up to 200 meters, usually means you can dive with your watch on.
100m (330ft, 10 Bar, 10 ATM)
Fine for swimming and snorkeling, but still not ideal for anything with dynamic pressure changes like high board diving or Scuba.
What watch can go the deepest?
CX Swiss Military Watch 6,000m (20,000 Feet) The CX Swiss Military dive watch currently holds the world record as the only mechanical dive watch that is certified water resistant to a depth of 20,000 Feet. Emphasis on mechanical since other deep dive watches are certified to go deeper but they are oil filled quartz…
Ultimately, every timepiece has its limits. That's why today, modern luxury watches aren't described as waterproof, but rather as possessing varying degrees of water resistance. It's a subtle but important difference. Before 1960, waterproof was a far more widely used descriptor than it is today.
With all factors considered, a 100M rated watch, in mint condition, can safely go to 100M depth without failing (most recreational scuba diving goes to a maximum depth of around 45M). That's the factory standard.
One atmosphere is equal to 1.01325 bar, or what we at Time Bum Laboratories call, “close enough.” For example, 100m water resistance = 330 feet = 10 atm = 10.1325 bar.
This is just right. As far as placement on the wrist, you don't want to wear your watch too low. Typically, you should wear it at the tip of the ulna (the bone on your wrist that sticks out). If you try keeping your watch on top of or above that bone, you'll likely experience a bit of discomfort.
Over time, and after repeated exposure to water, the gaskets will begin to dry out and lose their elasticity, which is when the water-resistance will begin to decrease - this is why regular testing is crucial to your watch maintenance, as gaskets can be checked and replaced easily before the damage is done.
Rolex watches are waterproof in the sense that you will never have to worry about water damage while swimming, in the rain, while washing your hands, or in the shower. However, there is no such thing as a truly 'waterproof' watch, the correct term is 'water resistant.
There are different ways to express the waterproofness of a waterproof watch: BAR, ATM and meter are used for this. But what do they mean? 3 ATM/bar/30m: This watch are resistant against rain and splashes. 5 ATM/bar/50m: This watch is waterproof and can be worn during swimming without jumping from a diving board.
Water-resistant floors eliminate this potential hazard by not allowing moisture to accumulate under the surface. Puddles and spills can be easily cleaned up before mold and mildew have the chance to form which also prevents the unpleasant musty odors that carpeted homeowners know all too well.
Waterproofing can prevent costly flooding repairs including basement flooding. Waterproofing helps to a create a healthier home environment for your family because it only takes 24-48 hours for mold to grow on a damp surface. Prolonged exposure to mold can cause asthma, hay fever, and other medical conditions.
What does water 20 bar resist mean?
Water Resist 20BAR or W.R. 20BAR, dial marked with WR200
This watch is designed to withstand water pressure up to 666 feet (200 meters). This includes all exposure to water up to and including recreational SCUBA diving.