# When is it safe to swim with your watch?



## hammy86 (Dec 22, 2009)

How much water resistance should a watch have before you take it with you on the beach and swim with it? Is 10 ATM enough?


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## emmanuelgoldstein (Dec 26, 2009)

General Guidelines:

Water resistant to *30 meters* (3 ATM) means...

You can splash this watch with water when you wash your hands or wear it in the rain. But take it off before using the shower or bath. And definitely don't swim in it.

Water resistant to *50 meters* (5 ATM) means...

It's okay to expose this watch to some water. For example, you could wear it in the shower but don't soak it in the bath tub. Don't wear it swimming.

Water resistant to *120 meters* (12 ATM) means...

This watch can be submerged in water. You can wear it while swimming, snorkeling, freediving or surfing. Nice watch!

Water resistant to *300 meters* (30 ATM) means...

You can go deep sea diving in this watch. This is a serious watch. Congratulations. You are James Bond.


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## ShockMister (Mar 22, 2008)

Casio's guideline:

WR (30M) can take splashes, rain, showering.

50M swimming and shallow (poolside) diving.

100M high diving and snorkeling.

200M scuba, deep sea diving, surfing.

I think all the above are very conservative. They are actually capable of more than they claim. I would take any inexpensive watch rated at 30M into the swimming pool.


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## HilltopMichael (Mar 5, 2008)

You'll find any number of differing opinions on this. Many of the watch manufacturers do claim ratings like those mentioned previously.

Personally, I think those manufacturing ratings are simply CYA. Either they're not really rated for the depths stamped on the case, or more than likely they haven't a clue if their watches were assembled properly. Most watches are not pressure tested, so it's always possible that an O-ring is missing or wasn't installed properly.

But regardless of the depth rating, if you want to get _your_ watch wet you should have _your_ watch tested. It should only cost a few dollars to get it pressure tested and will give you piece of mind. Just because someone else's 10 ATM rated watch didn't flood when taken diving doesn't mean that your 10 ATM watch wouldn't get damaged while washing your hands.

I have my own pressure tester and I test my watches to 3 ATM. I do this when I first get a watch, yearly and before any dive trip. Some of my watches are only rated to 3 ATM while others have higher ratings. I've gotten every watch I own wet and have gone swimming and diving with many of them. Never had any problems. I have gone deeper in the past, but now I usually only dive to 30 feet or so - my air lasts much, much longer that way.


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## Bruno.M (Dec 24, 2009)

My Citizen has 200m but Im afraid to get it in water because it lacks screw downs.


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## 124Spider (Feb 1, 2009)

FroFro said:


> My Citizen has 200m but Im afraid to get it in water because it lacks screw downs.


Has your crown ever popped up in ordinary use?

I think Citizen probably knows what they're doing when they rate a watch at 200m....


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## Mercuttio (Sep 22, 2008)

I've heard so many conflicting rumors on this. The seems to be that it really depends on the manufacturer, and also depends on the age of the watch more than anything else. Pardon the Omega references below, it's the only brand I've really investigated with.

On one side, I know of numerous people who have worn something like a Speedmaster Professional for most of their lives, swum with it, and had the seals changed occasionally. And I don't blame them at all; 50m sounds like an awful lot. Omega's chart even shows 50m as acceptable for surface swimming. Heck, I owned a Swatch Irony Chronograph for years that was only 10m and I swam with it frequently. I didn't know any better... 10m sounded pretty deep!

On the other side, a manager at the Omega Boutique in NYC has a Speedy Broad Arrow that he won't go swimming with even at 100m because he apparently worries about anything without a screw-down crown. He also claimed that the Speedmaster Pro was "more water-resistant" than the 50m implied, but wouldn't be more specific. I HAVE heard of people testing it and getting much higher tolerances, but who knows. 

Frankly, after a lot of study and research, it seems like I know even less than when I started. Water resistance remains a great mystery.


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## hammy86 (Dec 22, 2009)

So my 10 ATM watch is pretty much safe swimming with, thanks guys.


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## lysanderxiii (Oct 4, 2006)

And, the correct answer is...

*When you are sure it will not leak.*

Pressure wise, a 3 or 5 atm over pressure tested watch should withstand water activities. But, since all "Water Resistant" watches aren't actually pressure tested....


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## emmanuelgoldstein (Dec 26, 2009)

An important thing to remember is the rating numbers are based on the watch being stationary. When you are swimming you are increasing the pressure against the watch.


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## Gene K (Jan 2, 2010)

emmanuelgoldstein said:


> An important thing to remember is the rating numbers are based on the watch being stationary. When you are swimming you are increasing the pressure against the watch.


Someone actually did the math. I think you can increase the pressure something like 1.6m worth before you rip your arm off. So 0.16ATM?

Basically just follow the manufacturers recommendation. If you dont know it anything rated 100WR should be fine and certainly anything that says "Diver's" instead of WR should be fine.

Some military watches have reduced ratings from say 200m to 30m because the contract specified 30m water resistance not 30m+.

Some 200m watches have been tested to 1000m without failure by private individuals so I wouldnt automatically assume that the rating is the absolute limit.


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## WatchAdct (Jan 25, 2010)

emmanuelgoldstein said:


> General Guidelines:
> 
> Water resistant to *30 meters* (3 ATM) means...
> 
> ...


Great info!! I'm glad someone posed a question like this - I've learned a lot from this thread.


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## Scrapiron (Jan 28, 2010)

*Interesting*

This is helpful info, but help a newb. Please. 

If my watch says "WR to 50 meters" and the deepest part of my pool is 2.5 meters, why couldn't I go swimming with it and feel comfortable that it wouldn't leak?

Or is this a marketing ploy? Which doesn't seem the case IMHO, but I guess ya never know.

Thanks-


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## katmando (Jul 22, 2008)

The* Bell & Ross Hydromax* can go 11,100 meters deep. That should work for most any situation where water is involved.:-!


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## richardbb85 (May 29, 2009)

good guide


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## HilltopMichael (Mar 5, 2008)

*Re: Interesting*



Scrapiron said:


> If my watch says "WR to 50 meters" and the deepest part of my pool is 2.5 meters, why couldn't I go swimming with it and feel comfortable that it wouldn't leak?


Exactly - one of the earlier posts stated the watch had to be rated to 120 meters before it could be used for swimming. I've yet to encounter a pool that was 400 feet deep...

If the watch is rated to just about any depth it should be fine for most activities anyone is ever going to encounter. What is important is that you have your watch pressure tested. Very few watches are pressure tested by the manufacturer and there are countless stories of someone taking their ridiculously expensive dive watch into the surf and getting it flooded. The WR rating stamped on the case means nothing if the watch is missing its O-ring.


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## George Riemer (Mar 9, 2008)

I agree with the above about pressure testing. The highest WR-rated watch I even owned was a 2000 meter IWC Aquatimer. It's also the only dive watch I've ever owned that leaked -- and this was in my pool (don't cry for me, warranty fixed and then I traded). 

You may well find that an "under-rated" watch will perform well. I did several dives with a Luminox that I purchased on an impulse and under a time constraint. It didn't have any problems, but I didn't dive with it again once I took a good look and realized it was only 100m WR. 

When picking a watch from the collection to go scuba diving, I never pick one with less than 300m. The manufacturer does not want to take the chance, why should I?


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## Janne (Apr 16, 2007)

Most quality watches have a safety margin of around 25%.
3 ATM is enough to swim in. I have dome it, many times, without a problem.
If the watch is faulty, then it does not matter if it is 200 ATM rated!


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## ShockMister (Mar 22, 2008)

Janne said:


> Most quality watches have a safety margin of around 25%.
> 3 ATM is enough to swim in. I have dome it, many times, without a problem.
> If the watch is faulty, then it does not matter if it is 200 ATM rated!


I agree. 30M is good enough for swimming. 50M is the standard, but you know that's conservative.


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## Janne (Apr 16, 2007)

Also, the only way to be sure your watch is watertight is to have it pressuretested on a regular basis.


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## igorycha (Dec 10, 2008)

And all that sophisticated math and 1000 meter WR can be spoiled by one unscrewed crown!


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## HilltopMichael (Mar 5, 2008)

igorycha said:


> And all that sophisticated math and 1000 meter WR can be spoiled by one unscrewed crown!


Probably not. It's not the screw down crown that keeps the water out but the O-ring around the stem, at least for most watches. I've even seen specs that listed water resistance depths with and without the crown screwed down. There are also plenty of watches with good WR ratings that don't have a screw down crown.


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## dringer (Aug 24, 2009)

Just remember, if you're at the beach and get hit just right by a large wave, the pressure on your watch can be quite significant - even though you're actually still on the surface and the water (wave) is traveling more or less horizontally.

Been there, done that.o|


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## 124Spider (Feb 1, 2009)

Unless you're surfing in 50 foot waves, waves won't make a 50m or 100m watch that's functioning properly fail. Lots of people here have shown the math, and it's just not a big deal.


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## dringer (Aug 24, 2009)

124Spider said:


> waves won't make a 50m or 100m watch that's functioning properly fail.


Exactly.


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## Scrapiron (Jan 28, 2010)

*So...*

is it crazy to think a 30m, 50M, or 100M WR watch should perform as advertised? Understanding there may be a QC issue every now and again.


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## TheWalrus (Mar 16, 2009)

After waiting a couple hours since your last meal.


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## dougcee (Feb 7, 2009)

Walrus beat me to it with that clever comeback! :-d


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## narcosynthesis (Dec 28, 2009)

Gene K said:


> Someone actually did the math. I think you can increase the pressure something like 1.6m worth before you rip your arm off. So 0.16ATM?
> 
> Basically just follow the manufacturers recommendation. If you dont know it anything rated 100WR should be fine and certainly anything that says "Diver's" instead of WR should be fine.
> 
> ...


Yeah, I remember reading the thread you mention and the maths checked out - even swimming, the motion of your arm is not enough to raise the pressure by a significant amount (and presumably similarly for being hit by a wave). So working off that, if a 3atm rated watch is sealed as per the rating, it should really be more than enough for most normal swimming (going on 5m being a decent depth of pool)

Going on that information, even my arbitrary minimum of 100m in a watch I would wear outdoors is still coming with a fairly sizeable margin of error. The fact I have a 300m rated watch on my wrist is definitely more to do with a preferred style than any need for water resistance.


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## PoliMalaka (Feb 1, 2010)

hammy86 said:


> When is it safe to swim with your watch?


When you're in the water.

:rodekaart


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## hammy86 (Dec 22, 2009)

Thanks for very goods replies. 

But one more question. Is there some water temperatures you should avoid? F.ex, is it clever to take the watch with you into a hot tub? Or on the other side, ice bathing? Are there some °C water limits you should stay inside?


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## bczolone (Dec 2, 2007)

As far as temperatures I "heard" that hot water, shower, tub, hot tub...may be not so good on seals and gaskets.

As for WR :roll:

I will not swim with a watch rated 100m or less.

Why? Because I have had the following watches end up with water in them (yes the crowns were down or screwed down) from swimming.

1 Victronox
2 Seikos
1 Citizen
2 Casio
3 Wenger

(all of these were rated at 100m WR)

The only one very old was one of the Casios...the rest were less than 2 years old and a couple less than 3 months.

So, based on my own experience ( I swim daily in the summer) I won't go in the water with anything 100mWR or less. :think:


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## ShockMister (Mar 22, 2008)

The slightly warm water of a hot tub will have zero effect on a water resistant watch. In theory it should affect it, but the degree of heat would need to be much higher. I've heard of people doing "boiling water" tests.


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## Paperclip (Jan 20, 2010)

This thread reminds me of this:

http://www.clockmaker.com.au/watchmaker/surf.html


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## dringer (Aug 24, 2009)

Paperclip said:


> This thread reminds me of this:
> 
> http://www.clockmaker.com.au/watchmaker/surf.html


See, also, _Dr. Who - The Waters of Mars_.


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## lvt (Sep 15, 2009)

hammy86 said:


> F.ex, is it clever to take the watch with you into a hot tub?


As long as you can stay in, the watch will be fine.


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## niles316 (Jul 23, 2008)

Gene K said:


> Someone actually did the math. I think you can increase the pressure something like 1.6m worth before you rip your arm off. So 0.16ATM?


Just note that if u dive off a board into the pool,the pressure could easily be more than 0.16atm. Also note the air above us exert 1atm pressure too. So a 5atm WR watch means going down to 40m max n not 50m. But i still play it safe n wear at least 100m WR when swimming.


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## TheWalrus (Mar 16, 2009)

niles316 said:


> Just note that if u dive off a board into the pool,the pressure could easily be more than 0.16atm. Also note the air above us exert 1atm pressure too. So a 5atm WR watch means going down to 40m max n not 50m. But i still play it safe n wear at least 100m WR when swimming.


My understanding of water pressure at depth is that it factors inherent surface pressure in... but I might be wrong about that.


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## Sho Nuff (Feb 5, 2010)

safest time is when you are not sure it will leak OR if you are not worried about easily replacing the watch if it gets ruined.


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## supawabb (Aug 27, 2007)

All my beauties are rated 200M or +, means they are safe to swim with.


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## lysanderxiii (Oct 4, 2006)

niles316 said:


> Just note that if u dive off a board into the pool,the pressure could easily be more than 0.16atm. Also note the air above us exert 1atm pressure too. So a 5atm WR watch means going down to 40m max n not 50m. But i still play it safe n wear at least 100m WR when swimming.


The pressure is the differential pressure, not absolute pressure.

When you go down to the beach and dive down to approximately 50 m, the weight of water causes the pressure to be 73 psi, or 5 atm. The absolute pressure at that depth is 5 atm plus the 1 atm of the air, or 6 atm.

*BUT,* remember when the watch is assembled the pressure inside the case is 1 atm. So, the the actual pressure difference accross the seal is the difference between the inside pressure and outside pressure, or:

6 - 1 = 5 atm

When one is designing seals, only the pressure differential across the seal is of importance, so the 1 atm of the regular air pressure can be ignored.

When diving into water, there is an increase of water pressure due to the impact, *BUT*(again), in order for that pressure to be relevant, the seal joint itself must be what impacts the water. Now, I don't know about any of your watches, but all of mine have the seal joint recessed or under a ledge or otherwise covered in some manner so the seal joint itself can never directly impact the water. (That's why they're done that way.)

If your watch was pressure tested to 44 psi, or 3 atm, and passed, feel free to splash and play in the water, swim, and even wear it in the rain. There is a caveat, seals wear and age loosing elasticity in the process, a water pressure tested today may, or may not, pass a pressure test next year.



supawabb said:


> All my beauties are rated 200M or +, means they are safe to swim with.


Unless someone forgot a seal when they assembled it.

One of the reasons manufacturers use lower pressure rating is they are less likely to get wet (remember the manufacturer's suggested uses quoted above?), and the less likely to get wet, the less they have to worry about the quality of the seals so they can test a smaller sample. This saves them lots of money.

Generally, lower pressure ratings, 3 or 5 atm, are not because the case design is incapable of withstanding a higher pressure. A single gasket crown can withstand 5 to 10 atm depending on size, and a screw down case back with a single gasket is capable of pressures up to 50 or 100 atm.


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## kjw (Mar 30, 2006)

Regardless of the reported water resistance, the only watches that I am willing to get wet are the watches that won't make me suicidal (or homicidal) if they get filled up with water. ;-)


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## SynMike (Jun 25, 2008)

"When is it safe to swim with your watch?"
At least 1/2 hour after you eat.

;-)


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## PoliMalaka (Feb 1, 2010)

SynMike said:


> "When is it safe to swim with your watch?"
> At least 1/2 hour after you eat.
> 
> ;-)


:-!


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## STEVIE (May 13, 2006)

I used to swim/bathe regularly in the ocean before I moved inland too far to take a morning dip at the beach.

Rather than leave the watch with my towel and risk it being stolen, I swam with it on. Now I am inland I swim at the local town Olympic pool. I still wear the watch on my wrist when doing the laps.

I never had any problem with water penetration on any of these watches:

Oris TT1 Titanium Diver
Omega Seamaster GMT
Omega Planet Ocean
Rolex Seadweller
Rolex No Date 14060 

The risk of water penetration is far less than theft!:-d


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## jason_recliner (Feb 2, 2009)

And don't forget to take swimming lessons first!



SynMike said:


> "When is it safe to swim with your watch?"
> At least 1/2 hour after you eat.
> 
> ;-)


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## wci (Oct 23, 2008)

I have a 10 ATM resistant watch that arrived mounted on a lizard strap and included a rubber strap. 

It does have a screw down crown but it's a chrono and I'm concerned about water getting in via the pushers; they don't screw down.

I was hoping to wear it while swimming in a pool or ocean. Thoughts please? 

Many thanks in advance...


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## Popoki Nui (Oct 8, 2008)

wci said:


> I have a 10 ATM resistant watch that arrived mounted on a lizard strap and included a rubber strap.
> 
> It does have a screw down crown but it's a chrono and I'm concerned about water getting in via the pushers; they don't screw down.
> 
> ...


 Should be fine, as long as you don't operate the pushers underwater (or unless it's the "I" brand with a history of sketchy quality control). I wouldn't do any high dives from the 10M platform with it, but swimming and light snorkelling should be no problem. Remember to wash it well after using it is the ocean, and have it pressure tested every year or two or whatever it says in the manual.

~Sherry.


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## Janne (Apr 16, 2007)

You do not state the brand.
If it is really resistant to 10 ATM ( I mean tested) you can do most things in the sea with it. Check the manual if you can use the pushers. You should be OK if you are at the surface.
The leather strap will not like it too much. It will discolour slightly.
Change it to the synthetic before you do any watersports!


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## Lord Monocle (Oct 19, 2009)

Before I discovered WUS I worked with my hands underwater for a whole summer collecting aquatic invertebrates while wearing a 50M water resistance Timex Expedition and never had a single problem. I even pushed buttons underwater. I was clearly out of my mind at the time.


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## 00Photo (Jan 4, 2008)

5000 meters is probably the minimum I would use for swimming.









:-d


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## mooncameras (May 20, 2011)

katmando said:


> The* Bell & Ross Hydromax* can go 11,100 meters deep. That should work for most any situation where water is involved.:-!


really?


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## Popoki Nui (Oct 8, 2008)

. double post


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## Popoki Nui (Oct 8, 2008)

Lord Monocle said:


> Before I discovered WUS I worked with my hands underwater for a whole summer collecting aquatic invertebrates while wearing a 50M water resistance Timex Expedition and never had a single problem. I even pushed buttons underwater. I was clearly out of my mind at the time.


 Ya, me too. I've been swimming and snorkelling with two different 30M WR Suunto Vectors for years without a single problem with water leakage. My bad. Oh wait...Suunto actually _says_ you can safely swim with the Vector.
And several 25M Timexes over the years that ever leaked either. 
Even my 30M Pulsar LED's go for a swim every now and then.

So tell me again why 30M is good only for light splashing and rain? :think::-s:roll:


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## mikeynd (Dec 11, 2008)

SynMike said:


> "When is it safe to swim with your watch?"
> At least 1/2 hour after you eat.
> 
> ;-)


 I always thought it was an hour...


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## dringer (Aug 24, 2009)

wci said:


> I have a 10 ATM resistant watch that arrived mounted on a lizard strap and included a rubber strap.
> It does have a screw down crown but it's a chrono and I'm concerned about water getting in via the pushers; they don't screw down.
> I was hoping to wear it while swimming in a pool or ocean. Thoughts please?
> Many thanks in advance...


With all due respect, why risk your chrono? The are an number of sub-$50, good, water-resistant watches out there. The first two that come to mind are the Timex Ironman series, and the Casio MDV102. I'm fairly sure there are others.

Ok, I know, not everyone has the $$ available to buy another watch - even a $50 one. But if that's the case, don't take your chrono into the water. You'll never regret not wearing it! And you probably can't afford to damage it.


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## wci (Oct 23, 2008)

Thank you much for all the input ... greatly appreciated


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## mooncameras (May 20, 2011)

mikeynd said:


> I always thought it was an hour...


It's really 2 hours if your in eastern time, 3 hours in central


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## TK-421 (Mar 11, 2010)

what about croc straps, are they waterproof?


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## lvt (Sep 15, 2009)

TK-421 said:


> what about croc straps, are they waterproof?


Aren't the crocs waterproof ? :-d


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## mjtyson (Mar 29, 2011)

Found this old thread and thanks to all. With respect to $50 Timex Ironman watches, I came here solely because my last two (yes, I didn't learn the first time) both went bad from pool swimming. Don't know why, but both watches lost their "screens," one slowly and gradually, the other immediately. I had each of the watches for just long enough for the warranty to be null and void. 

I since learned how to make expert use of the pace clock at the pool, so no longer have a need for the functions of an Ironman watch. However, I do need to know the time, and not all pools I swim at have a clock on the wall. I've got some watches that I think will work (Luminox Navy Seal, for example, as well as a Russian "Scuba Dude"), but I am afraid to take them swimming. The Luminox specifically I've had for about 10 years and at least two battery changes. 

Therefore, I thought I'd add to my collection with a dive watch. I'm going to use the guidelines you all discussed here to help with this purchase. Just wanted to say thanks.


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## Stellite (Aug 3, 2011)

*This one is not completely correct. At least not for the first two. *



emmanuelgoldstein said:


> General Guidelines:
> 
> Water resistant to *30 meters* (3 ATM) means...
> 
> ...


*
This one is right on the money for most brands of watches:*



ShockMister said:


> Casio's guideline:
> 
> WR (30M) can take splashes, rain, showering.
> 
> ...


Just remember most of the cheaper brands watches are not tested, so you take you chances.


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## Crunchy (Feb 4, 2013)

At least 100m depth rating and screw down crown.

I have gone shallow (5m) scuba diving with a 30m rated tissot, and guess what it leaked. 

These meters or feet ratings are BS in my opinion, very misleading.


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## Stellite (Aug 3, 2011)

Crunchy said:


> At least 100m depth rating and screw down crown.
> 
> I have gone shallow (5m) scuba diving with a 30m rated tissot, and guess what it leaked.
> 
> These meters or feet ratings are BS in my opinion, very misleading.


Exactly, 30m is really not a watch to take in the water. At best, it resists spray. Swimming starts with 50m minimum. Even then I would not trust it. Do go swimming, I don't even consider anything less than 100m. At 100m resistance (330 feet), it is hard for a watch company to say that it wasn't meant for free diving. Heck, most people scuba dive to a max of 120 feet, so 100m is nearly three times that depth.


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## Philadopolis (Mar 13, 2013)

mjtyson said:


> I since learned how to make expert use of the pace clock at the pool, so no longer have a need for the functions of an Ironman watch. However, I do need to know the time, and not all pools I swim at have a clock on the wall.


I can't help you out with the time of day, but if you know how to read a pace clock and you swim in pools that don't provide one, my PaceWatch (PaceWatch | Brilliant Swim) is a good solution.


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## Quotron (Dec 6, 2013)

Stellite said:


> Exactly, 30m is really not a watch to take in the water. At best, it resists spray. Swimming starts with 50m minimum.


Then it seems they should not be able to list its water resistance to "30M." It seems that there is some asymmetry to the legality of labeling requirements, and perhaps the definition of fraud, based on industry. I wonder if a food company or an auto manufacturer would be allowed to get away with something like that...



> I don't even consider anything less than 100m. At 100m resistance (330 feet), it is hard for a watch company to say that it wasn't meant for free diving. Heck, most people scuba dive to a max of 120 feet, so 100m is nearly three times that depth.


If I recall correctly, most people do not usually dive to depths >50m. The average depth of the Caspian Sea for example is only ~180m. The processes involved with diving to, and safely returning from, depths of >200m are rather intensive. Sometimes I think people don't realize just how deep those levels actually are. Of course, that is all a moot point in the shower with those fast moving water particles, shouldn't do that without a diver rated for Mariana Trench


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## BrunoGeuth (Aug 6, 2012)

I think safe is when your feet are touching ground! 50cm deep is OK! Always have a rescuer aside your swimming pool...

Bruno in Belgium


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## npulaski (May 3, 2012)

I've taken 100M rated watches swimming and kayaking with no problems; that's plenty.


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## ShaggyDog (Feb 13, 2012)

When is it safe to swim with your watch? When you don't see one of these sticking out of the water...


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## Stellite (Aug 3, 2011)

Quotron said:


> Then it seems they should not be able to list its water resistance to "30M." It seems that there is some asymmetry to the legality of labeling requirements, and perhaps the definition of fraud, based on industry. I wonder if a food company or an auto manufacturer would be allowed to get away with something like that...
> 
> If I recall correctly, most people do not usually dive to depths >50m. The average depth of the Caspian Sea for example is only ~180m. The processes involved with diving to, and safely returning from, depths of >200m are rather intensive. Sometimes I think people don't realize just how deep those levels actually are. Of course, that is all a moot point in the shower with those fast moving water particles, shouldn't do that without a diver rated for Mariana Trench


 I agree rating a watch for 30 meters all the time knowing that it will not take 1 meter of water is false advertising.


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## rd0401 (Aug 30, 2012)

My Swimovate swim metrics watch is only rated to 50m. And my Sunnto ambit2 which also does swim metrics is 100m rated. Strangely though I won't take any of my other 100m rated watches in the ocean or pool. Has to be 200m rated for me to take them in the pool or surf!


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## Robotaz (Jan 18, 2012)

SBDK001. 100M.

A dive computer that's rated 100M. It's not for saturation diving.









... horrible Tapatalk


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## mjtyson (Mar 29, 2011)

I saw your Pace Watch advertised in H2Open I think and love it. Just not for my collection. 

In fact I wrote (a little) about your watch in the Marathon Swimmers Forum: http://www.marathonswimmers.org/forum/discussion/732/do-you-wear-a-wristwatch-in-marathon-swims/p2


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## BrunoGeuth (Aug 6, 2012)

When it is a Casio G-Shock...it is safe! 200M water resistant should do!


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## hydrocarbon (Aug 18, 2008)

dringer said:


> With all due respect, why risk your chrono?[...]


It's an old quote but it comes up every time in these threads. The answer hasn't changed, either.

When you get on an airplane, you're trusting your life to a huge number of O-rings sealing all manner of fluids at higher-than-anyone's-ever-gone-diving pressures and through huge temperature ranges. The risk is vanishingly small if your watch gets tested once in a while and has reasonably fresh seals and gaskets.


Crunchy said:


> At least 100m depth rating and screw down crown.
> 
> I have gone shallow (5m) scuba diving with a 30m rated tissot, and guess what it leaked.
> 
> These meters or feet ratings are BS in my opinion, very misleading.


You don't need either, just half-decent seals. Unfortunately, the ones Tissot uses in the T-Touch (they were popular in Norway until shops got sick of selling them because they leaked like sieves and so many were coming back for warranty claims) are notoriously poor. In that case, the depth rating actually is BS and it perpetuates the old wives' tales in these threads. I don't know what kind yours was, but I'd be foolish to bet against a randomly-selected 30-m Tissot not being a T-Touch model.

There should be individual pressure testing before you can claim _any_ depth rating on a watch; too bad that some companies just come up with their own joke system and make people afraid of even running their watch under a tap to clean the damn thing once in a while.


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## Stellite (Aug 3, 2011)

BrunoGeuth said:


> When it is a Casio G-Shock...it is safe! 200M water resistant should do!


rehash a 2 month old thread for this comment?


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## hydrocarbon (Aug 18, 2008)

Stellite said:


> rehash a 2 month old thread for this comment?


Ah, I thought it was mandatory to have at least one "can-I-get-my-watch-wet" thread on the first page at all times around here.

Personally, I prefer seeing an existing thread on this weary subject revived than yet another new one for the second-most-common noob question after "is this watch fake?".


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## Stellite (Aug 3, 2011)

hydrocarbon said:


> Ah, I thought it was mandatory to have at least one "can-I-get-my-watch-wet" thread on the first page at all times around here.
> 
> Personally, I prefer seeing an existing thread on this weary subject revived than yet another new one for the second-most-common noob question after "is this watch fake?".


The rehash was not for a question but to state the obvious.


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## Martin1961 (Jun 10, 2014)

I am a water sports enthusiast (swimming, snorkeling). I used to take ALL of my watches underwater. Now I don't anymore. I have ONE watch for that purposes (Freestyle Cortez at the mo) because I got it on the cheap and while I'm very fond of the watch, I would not mourn much over it when the time of its demise at the hands of water come. It's also my ¨beater¨ watch. 

I've had rather inexpensive Casios, Nauticas, and even U$ 2 elcheapos survive my water activities for up to 10 years without any other precaution but smearing the backcover gasket with silicone every time I changed the batteries.

OAH I've had several expensive, brand spanking-new pieces drowning upon their very first immersion (an expensive 100M Rip Curl Oceantech Deluxe Digital and a twin sensor Casio 100M stainless steel are the two I'm the most angry at having lost)

Conclusion : if you're loaded and don't care loosing/replacing a particular timepiece, take it into the water. If you, like me, pamper your watches and don't wanna risk loosing it at the hands of H2O, get a cheap 100M beater and DON'T push any buttons underwater unless the manual states you can. Because waterproofing is just a matter of luck. Damn me if I have the time or will to have them resealed/repressured, tested etc even because a) I have too many of them b)it's too much of a fuss.


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## Stellite (Aug 3, 2011)

BrunoGeuth said:


> When it is a Casio G-Shock...it is safe! 200M water resistant should do!


mine took on water like a sumarine


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## Mark in TCI (Aug 5, 2013)

The question I have about water resistance is if I gently lower my self to 199M by Breitling would be presumably safe, obviously I've now set the world freediving record. But if I do a triple back twisting bellyflop from the high board at my pool what depth pressure does that equate to?


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## Stellite (Aug 3, 2011)

jimmyc said:


> I managed to get my hands on a gl-150, which is genuine, however, I think it may have had its battery replaced and has not been properly sealed. I put it in a bucket of water an straight away noticed a few air bubbles come out.
> I looked at the watch and it had stopped working.
> 
> Is there anything i can do? I have opened it up and removed the battery and left it to air dry. When it was opened there was a few drops of water on the inside. the display is just blank but not damaged. I looked to see if there are any guides for water damaged Gs but couldn't see one. Any help advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks guys.





> Initiative
> 12-27-2004, 05:25 PM
> 
> Has anyone else had their g-shock brake because of water getting in it? Just happened to me. :| (I know it's water because the batteries are good and it stopped working while I was under water.)


'

Shizzle happens.


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## mshilling (Jan 14, 2013)

I have a sea-gull 3 atm automatic that is my "pool watch". I wear it to the water park with the kids every weekend because it was cheap and I like its simplicity. never so much as a fog under the crystal. Get your watch pressure tested and go have fun with it. The ratings are safe as long as they're correct, which only a pressure test will tell you.


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## wmhandy (Jun 4, 2011)

The buddy system is paramount in safe swimming. I would recommend swimming with your watch only after your watch has completed swimming lessons and is deepwater competent. 


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## incontrol (Sep 11, 2010)

I just had a 100m watch drown in 2 feet of water! It was replaced under warranty so all is good. Stuff happens. I would think any watch rated at 50 m or better would be good for swimming and more.


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## sduford (Nov 24, 2013)

I always thought 3ATM meant keep the watch 3 meters away from water AT Minimum...


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## lvt (Sep 15, 2009)

sduford said:


> I always thought 3ATM meant keep the watch 3 meters away from water AT Minimum...


That's why I never see a DSSD worn on the beach ?


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## cpl (Jan 21, 2014)

I used to dive with my 100m WR seiko quartz. Dial said 100m and I was only diving to 30m so should be okay, right haha? Now that I know better I wouldn't do that again but the watch survived and still going strong over a decade later. 


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## blackbard (Mar 24, 2009)

Depends on the manufacturer and whether the watch has been tested. I've been swimming in 30M watches and 3000M watches. Never dived with either. all performed fine except a "Dive" watch I had the battery changed on at a mall before I knew better. Rated 200M and leaked like a sieve...

So bottom line, if you are swimming in your watch and you want a measure of safety, have them leak checked regardless of water resistance rating.


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