# skin irritation from watch?



## discome (May 2, 2011)

I've had my riseman for a few months now and up until recently it hasn't bothered me...but I looked at my wrist last night after taking the watch off and I have fairly big red itchy welts right under where the metal case back comes into contact with my skin. I wonder if I have developed some sort of contact dermatitis to one of the metal alloys in the case back :-(

If that is the case, then I may have to look at other options. I washed the watch really well today and I am going a few days with not wearing a watch to allow my skin to heal, then I will test it again. But if I break out again, then I guess my options are:
-get some sort of sticker/protective coating for the back of the riseman
-get adapters (modify as needed) and put the watch on a different strap that keeps it out of contact with my skin
-get rid of the watch and go with something like the GW-9100 Gulfman (with Titanium back)....Is it comfortable to wear?

Have other people experienced any contact allergies to the watch backs in casios? If I have to switch to a gulfman, it isn't too big of deal as it is a nice looking watch (though with reduced functions...though I don't really use the alt/baro/therm very much as they are more of just a bonus feature.)

Do you think the gulfman would eliminate allergies? I never knew I had any contact allergies from watches before, but this is the first casio I've owned in about 25 years and all other watches I haven owned have been mounted on after market bands (but I am not sure those look right with G-shocks).

Thoughts? Advice?


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## DBlock72 (Dec 6, 2010)

The first thing that came to mind is that you may be wearing the watch too tight. The redness could have come from the case rubbing on your wrist, rather than a contact allergy. After your skin heals, I would try to buckle it one hole looser than what you had it on before and see if that helps. 

I could be totally wrong, and if so, a titanium case should definitely clear the problem up. I have no experience with the gulfman, but another option in titanium is the 200 series Frogman.


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## stevenkelby (Sep 3, 2011)

Similar thread here with some good info, the stuff from Tiktox looks a great idea:

https://www.watchuseek.com/f17/allergic-stainless-steel-backing-589407.html


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## discome (May 2, 2011)

I've always worn the watch on the same hole...not too tight, but not too loose either. The red welts on my wrist have raised bumps in them so I think it may be an allergic reaction as opposed to just rubbing (my Mom has some allergic reactions to some metals too...I have just never experienced it before as I don't wear any type of jewelry (except my wedding ring which is titanium). The stuff from tiktox looks like a possibility, but it is expensive to ship it to US and I wonder about how it holds up to water as my watches get wet all the time. I am experimenting today with the watch on the other wrist....if it causes issues there then I think a Gulfman will probably be in my future (not sure I want to pay the higher price from the Ti Frogman)


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## CatherineM (Sep 27, 2009)

I used to have that problem, and converted to nylon bands that cover the bottom of the watch back. No problem now.


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## Sedi (May 21, 2007)

It only happens to me in the summer - the combination of heat and sweat seems to trigger an allergic reaction. But strangely enough only under the buckle of the watch - never under the back. It happened with the Ti-bracelet of my PAW-500T which has a stainless steel clasp but it also happened with the nylon strap I put on it - also with the buckle. It was small red dots on my skin which vanished after a few days. The Gulfman might work - but I'd prefer the newer GW-9110 as it has a much more comfy strap - actually the same strap as the Riseman. The older Gulfman was one of *the *most uncomfortable watches I ever wore.

cheers, Sedi


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## Blinkenlightz (Jan 18, 2011)

I had the same problem with a watch I had as a kid - coating the steel back with clear nail polish solved it for me then.

Any time I've had irritation issues more recently, just washing the watch with soap and water did the trick - suggesting that it was some contaminant and not the watch casing itself...


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## garrapata (May 15, 2011)

Your problem sounds very much to me like a sensitivity (allergy) to nickel ions.

The semi-covered stainless steel backlate on the Riseman (and other models) is actually a design flaw from a corrosion engineering viewpoint.

The sweat which accumulates under the watch contains salts and therefore acts as the electrolyte in a crevice corrosion process.

To be _stainless_ (or, in other words, not to corrode) stainless steels in contact with an electrolyte need to have _even _exposure to air.

When differences in dissolved oxygen in the electrolyte exist, a fairly aggressive localised (pitting or crevice) corrosion process will occur, with release of nickel ions into solution.

Having said this though, I think that a cheap, easy DIY fix for this problem exists.

I imagine that the backplate cover on the Riseman could be removed, and a _very thin_ plastic disc (preferably PTFE loaded nylon) placed beneath before refitting.

This would effectively isolate the stainless steel from sweat, and prevent corrosion from occurring.


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## xaho (Jul 8, 2011)

You can try wearing your g-shock one hole looser. It works for me.


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## discome (May 2, 2011)

I am still having issues with the riseman....not sure if it is the stainless back or the resin on the back that is causing my itching and bumps on my wrist. I have washed the watch and let my wrist heal and then when I wear it again the issue comes back again. The rest of the watch doesn't bother me (band, etc) just the back of the watch (my irritation starts off in a circle like the shape of the back resin and then fills in to cover the entire back of the watch. 

I think I may be leaning towards going with the GW-9110 (has same strap which I find very comfortable and is Ti all over the back), but that would need to be imported to the US. I see a bunch of those on ebay, but not sure if there are better sellers than others, etc and I wonder if I'd have to pay import customs tax on a watch ordered from japan????


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## tribe125 (Mar 7, 2006)

discome said:


> and I wonder if I'd have to pay import customs tax on a watch ordered from japan????


In theory, yes - but it's possible that the parcel could slip through uncharged.

This should help you estimate the costs -

Calculate your import duty in a few quick steps for free | The DutyCalculator


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## DragonJade (May 14, 2007)

discome said:


> I wonder if I'd have to pay import customs tax on a watch ordered from japan????


These threads are a little old, but may still be useful. I'm pretty sure the import limits for the UK have since changed.

https://www.watchuseek.com/f17/uk-duty-information-68003.html

https://www.watchuseek.com/f17/us-duty-information-67862.html


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## discome (May 2, 2011)

got the GW-9110 and it is great and Titanium. Riseman is sold. The riseman is a great watch, but comfort (no-irritation) is key for me in a watch. The GW-9110 has the same band, is slightly lighter, and has a nice module (plus I got it from Japan without duty tax  )


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## JonL (Mar 6, 2009)

Congrats - the Riseman may be a great watch - but you should love the Gulfman. The strap is very comfortable and with Ti back your wrist will be happy. Hope it works out!


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## Leonard McNeill (Aug 30, 2020)

discome said:


> I've had my riseman for a few months now and up until recently it hasn't bothered me...but I looked at my wrist last night after taking the watch off and I have fairly big red itchy welts right under where the metal case back comes into contact with my skin. I wonder if I have developed some sort of contact dermatitis to one of the metal alloys in the case back :-(
> 
> If that is the case, then I may have to look at other options. I washed the watch really well today and I am going a few days with not wearing a watch to allow my skin to heal, then I will test it again. But if I break out again, then I guess my options are:
> -get some sort of sticker/protective coating for the back of the riseman
> ...


I have been wearing Casio wrist watches for the past 30 years, usually the metal backed ones. Sometimes I would have a slight reaction to these, usually because I never took them off even when having a bath ot showering - after all they are waterproof. I resolved this by taking the watch off every other day or so and scrubbing the underside and the underside of the strap. This worked very well. The watch went into Casio for repairs but was so old that parts were no longer available. So a NEW Casio Mudmaster. Expensive but a great watch. N ow I have a greater problem. The case of the Mudmaster is not metal but is carbon, a reasonably inert material I would have thought. Unfortunately not. I started to scrub my hands and writst, the underside of this watch daily because of the Carona Virus 19. My allergic reaction has returned big time. I now carry the watch about in my pocker for two or three days and the itch & redness disappears. No matter how loose I put the watch on my wrist the rash is immediately back. I now regularly treat my wrist with my wifes E45 mosituriser and keep the watch off. Seriously thinking of painting the cack of the carbon case with the same stuff as my wife paints on her ear rings to avoid her reaction to nickle in her ear rings.


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