# Ha anyone experimented corrosion on the Damasko case due to sweat/salt water?



## ndrs63

I was reading that Sinn switched to the tegiment process for the reason mentioned in the title. I was wondering whether older Damasko watches show signs of such damage?


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## noregrets

Absolutely, from sweat, swimming, etc. The ice-hardened metal is susceptible to corrosion. 

I did not realize this until it happened to my DC67 within a few months of purchasing it new.

Damasko re-beadblasted the caseback and crown for me under warranty but cautioned that going forward I should be sure to rinse the watch/bracelet after workouts or swimming and ensure it is fully dried once done with the activity. 

Greg (Watchmann) also advocated using toothpaste occasionally on the caseback to clean off any corrosion you see. 

At first I was upset but now understand that minimal maintenance can keep the metal in good shape. I do wish that Damasko was more up front about the vulnerability when you purchase one but I suppose there is a good reason for it. 

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk


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## Vig2000

ndrs63 said:


> I was reading that Sinn switched to the tegiment process for the reason mentioned in the title. I was wondering whether older Damasko watches show signs of such damage?


The tegiment process has nothing to do with warding off salt corrosion. Tegiment is Sinn's proprietary surface hardening process. What makes certain Sinn watches, namely the U-series watches, saltwater resistant is the use of German submarine steel (U-Boot-Stahl). From WatchBuys:



> Sinn has created a line of watches featuring cases made from German submarine steel (the U Series). The steel was procured by Sinn from a steel supplier to Emden GmbH, one of Germany's North Sea shipbuilding yards who construct submarines from the very same steel.
> 
> Because of the special steel used from the submarine steel manufacturer, the case resists the effects of exposure to salt water and salt water environments.
> 
> These cases are produced in-house by Sinn's case making affiliated company in Glashutte, Germany.
> 
> This special steel is also amagnetic which means that is does not have magnetic properties and cannot itself become magnetized. The watch movement itself is protected from magnetic fields up to 4,800 A/m.


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## StufflerMike

ndrs63 said:


> I was reading that Sinn switched to the tegiment process for the reason mentioned in the title. I was wondering whether older Damasko watches show signs of such damage?


A few did in the past.
Sinn did not switch to the tegiment process for the reason you mentioned. Long time ago after they left the Damasko-Sinn-Uhren GmbH, a joint venture, they could not take Damasko's patent with them (you might not know but the 756 I has a Damasko case) so they had to look for another case hardening technique and decided to go for kolsterizing = tegimenting. The U-Boot Stahl watches DSub1, DSub2, DS30 are surface hardened as well, not at all prone to corrosion though.


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## ndrs63

noregrets said:


> Absolutely, from sweat, swimming, etc. The ice-hardened metal is susceptible to corrosion.
> 
> I did not realize this until it happened to my DC67 within a few months of purchasing it new.
> 
> Damasko re-beadblasted the caseback and crown for me under warranty but cautioned that going forward I should be sure to rinse the watch/bracelet after workouts or swimming and ensure it is fully dried once done with the activity.
> 
> Greg (Watchmann) also advocated using toothpaste occasionally on the caseback to clean off any corrosion you see.
> 
> At first I was upset but now understand that minimal maintenance can keep the metal in good shape. I do wish that Damasko was more up front about the vulnerability when you purchase one but I suppose there is a good reason for it.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk


Thank oyu! This is not good, especially in my case, since I tend to sweat a lot.


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## ldo123

No issues here so far - at least not from sweat (haven‘t been in contact with sea water wearing a Damasko yet). I have 3 Damasko watches in rotation, all in the non-damest coated version. It shouldn’t be a problem under normal living conditions...


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## pjmaxm

stuffler said:


> The U-Boot Stahl watches DSub1, DSub2, DS30 are surface hardened as well, not at all prone to corrosion though.


And yet another reason I am loving the DS30. Just waiting on the bracelet for it before I buy it.

I never ran into any corrosion issues with my DA36 or DA37 when I had them but did not have much contact with saltwater with them. When I did wear them on really hot summer days I have a habit of rinsing them off just as all my watches when I washed my hands just because I do not like how sweaty/grimy watches feel. One of the reasons I prefer bracelets or waterproof/resistant straps.


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## StufflerMike

6 Damasko watches and no corrosion problem so far. No problems with the DA36, DA46, DC56 I owned until they got stolen some years ago.


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## The watch knob

I used to wear mine at work in harsh environments where it got wet and I sweated profusely on it, and neither the case nor bracelet showed any signs of corrosion - I did wash it off no more than a few hours later, though. DA37 for reference...


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## noregrets

To clarify, by no means would the corrosion potential influence me getting a Damasko or not (I own three and plan to add more in the future).

It's just something to be aware of. Specifically:

- After you go swimming or after a workout, rinse the watch off and make sure it's completely dry. 
- The only parts to be concerned about in my experience are the caseback and the back of the crown where it can stay moist for a long period. When I had the problem I would go for a run or a swim and not take the watch off for hours after, that was my mistake.
- If you notice any corrosion forming, use some toothpaste and clean it off.

I see it as akin to owning a Ferrari vs say a Honda. You know that the Ferrari being a high-performance vehicle will require more a bit more maintenance but it is of course well worth it.


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## MrDagon007

There might be corrosion inside my bracelet where the 2 different metals meet since a number of links are stiff and I cannot get the pins out for cleaning unfortunately.


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## nepatriot

MrDagon007 said:


> There might be corrosion inside my bracelet where the 2 different metals meet since a number of links are stiff and I cannot get the pins out for cleaning unfortunately.


Stiffness between links has been discussed here. Different methods for dealing with this. Some take the links apart and clean. Some have mentioned using lubricants.

When I have noticed stiff links, it seems to be connected with hot days and sweat, which can get up into the links, leaving small amounts if salt deposits when dry. Over time this can make the links stiff.

The advise of rinsing the bracelet after working out, or just wearing over a period of hot days and getting sweaty, is excellent advice. Same for after swimming either in salt water or pools where chemicals are used. Great preventative solution.

I have found the best way to take care of stiff links is to rinse with very hot water under a faucet, moving the links around unit they move freely. Hot water dissolves dried salt, and the water flow will rinse it out.

Hope that helps.


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## MrDagon007

Will try very hot water. I had tried soaking overnight which didn’t really help.


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## ndrs63

pjmaxm said:


> And yet another reason I am loving the DS30. Just waiting on the bracelet for it before I buy it.
> 
> I never ran into any corrosion issues with my DA36 or DA37 when I had them but did not have much contact with saltwater with them. When I did wear them on really hot summer days I have a habit of rinsing them off just as all my watches when I washed my hands just because I do not like how sweaty/grimy watches feel. One of the reasons I prefer bracelets or waterproof/resistant straps.


DS30 is a relatively budget offering. How come it has a better casing than more expensive models?

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## StufflerMike

ndrs63 said:


> DS30 is a relatively budget offering. How come it has a better casing than more expensive models?


The DS 30, DSub1 and DSub2 do not have a „better" casing, they got a different casing which is a kolsterized German submarine steel. Surface hardened though. The better casing still is the through and through ice-hardened. Please keep in mind when talking about „better" casing that the submarine steel is austenitic and the ice-hardened steel is martensitic steel. The differences have been discussed ad nausem so I am not repeating this again and again.


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## m577a2

I wasn't aware of this issue......hmmm. Yep, I still want a Damasko.


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## hungdangnguyen23

pjmaxm said:


> And yet another reason I am loving the DS30. Just waiting on the bracelet for it before I buy it.
> 
> I never ran into any corrosion issues with my DA36 or DA37 when I had them but did not have much contact with saltwater with them. When I did wear them on really hot summer days I have a habit of rinsing them off just as all my watches when I washed my hands just because I do not like how sweaty/grimy watches feel. One of the reasons I prefer bracelets or waterproof/resistant straps.


I'm in the same boat as you, waiting on the DS30 bracelet to come out before jumping on Damasko. IMO it's like a Sinn 556i on steroids, I'm a clumsy goof so I need the surface hardening


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## Premise

Really, corrosion is an issue with Damasko? I live in Wisconsin where it rains constantly and I work outdoors. There’s no way I’d be able to avoid this other than not wearing the watch.


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## WatchMann

This has not been anything close to an issue from what we have experienced. In all the years we have sold or serviced the watches, we have only had a few isolated occurrences of tiny areas of surface oxidation, and then only where moisture had been trapped and not able to dry.


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## StufflerMike

Premise said:


> Really, corrosion is an issue with Damasko?


The way you ask insinuates that there is or was a huge problem. It was and is not.


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## Premise

stuffler said:


> The way you ask insinuates that there is or was a huge problem. It was and is not.


I was asking. I've always liked Damasko and I've never owned one, but likely will eventually. I've just never heard of this before.


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## Chris Stark

I have not had any issues. My DA 36 still looks brand new and gets a lot of wrist time.


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## Will_f

Chris Stark said:


> I have not had any issues. My DA 36 still looks brand new and gets a lot of wrist time.


I did some testing a couple years ago. Long story short: Damasko's Ice hardened steel is not quite as corrosion resistant as 316L steel, but it is substantially more corrosion resistant than your stainless steel silverware and kitchen knives. It is not suitable for a diver. I'd also rinse it off if you get really sweaty. Other than that it's fine.

https://www.watchuseek.com/f810/corrosion-testing-damaskos-steel-2306306.html

If you want extreme corrosion resistance from Damasko, get the D-Sub.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Premise

Will_f said:


> I did some testing a couple years ago. Long story short: Damasko's Ice hardened steel is not quite as corrosion resistant as 316L steel, but it is substantially more corrosion resistant than your stainless steel silverware and kitchen knives. It is not suitable for a diver. I'd also rinse it off if you get really sweaty. Other than that it's fine.
> 
> https://www.watchuseek.com/f810/corrosion-testing-damaskos-steel-2306306.html
> 
> If you want extreme corrosion resistance from Damasko, get the D-Sub.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Interesting. My watches in the summer are bathed in sweat for 10 hours a day without access to rinse them off often.


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## Will_f

Premise said:


> Interesting. My watches in the summer are bathed in sweat for 10 hours a day without access to rinse them off often.


Can't really say based on my experiment whether your sweaty wrists would be a problem. All I know for sure is 316L is a little more corrosion resistant than Damasko's ice hardened steel. I don't know if that difference is enough to matter. In my own experience I've never seen a bit of corrosion on either of my two damaskos, but my wrists aren't sweaty most of the time.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## sky4

m577a2 said:


> I wasn't aware of this issue......hmmm. Yep, I still want a Damasko.


do it man! you will not regret it.

I don't think any other company packs as many features and quality into sub ~2k watches as damasko.


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## purplehero

For some reason this summer, perhaps since it's been so hot, my DA38 developed corrosion bad enough that the surface has visible pitting. Haven't done anything extreme, no salt water exposure. I reached out to Isabella at Damasko to see what they have to say, but no response yet.


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## Psalty

The places where oxidation shows on your watch suggests the source is not salts or acids from your skin, but rather from something in your environment. The combination of humidity and heat, by itself, is an unlikely culprit, or we would hear a lot of complaints.

Let us know what you hear back from Damasko.


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## robannenagy

A few years ago I had a DC66, I wanted to wear it on a NATO strap so I put a clear plastic caseback sticker on the caseback to prevent any NATO rash, after about a month I noticed rust forming on the caseback under the sticker near the centre. I removed the sticker and removed the rust, but issue did leave some permanent marks. Interestingly whilst the sticker was in place the caseback was protected from my sweat and from the environment (also the NATO strap kept it away from my wrist) yet it still rusted.


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## purplehero

I contacted Damasko about my issue and they said to send it in for evaluation. Got the watch back in pristine condition was a great experience and I am once again a happy clam Damasko customer. Keep up the good work!


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## KodiakCombos

I just saw this and ordered a DA373 a month ago and have not received it yet I work on my boat everyday and will have salt spray from the deck hose constantly. Filleting fish, hosing off the deck, etc. My Volvo diesel engine has a built in flushing system where I inject a product called "saltaway" into the raw (salt)water cooling system to keeep any salt build up from happening, that stuff is amazing, maybe I should douse all my watches when I rotate them in and out of duty?


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## cdustercc

In those conditions, it might not be a bad idea to hit it with some ACF-50 or Corrosion X as well.


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## KodiakCombos

cdustercc said:


> In those conditions, it might not be a bad idea to hit it with some ACF-50 or Corrosion X as well.


I think petroleum products would work on metal only whereas the salt away product in a spray bottle near the fresh water sink would work on silicone , nylon, rubber, and metal straps.


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## oso2276

Have a DA36 that I purchased a decade ago. Went to the beach several times and weared it for extended periods. I rinse it at night after too much sweat, pool or sea water. Still looking like new.
Last year I got a DSUB1 and I'm happy with it too









Enviado desde mi Moto Z2 Play mediante Tapatalk


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## nascraytia

Thought I might weigh in with my experience. I took off my strap and threw it into the Dead Sea to see its effect on the buckle. This is what happened after 320 seconds in the water. So be aware that salt can have an effect on the coating.


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## Betterthere

nascraytia said:


> Thought I might weigh in with my experience. I took off my strap and threw it into the Dead Sea to see its effect on the buckle. This is what happened after 320 seconds in the water. So be aware that salt can have an effect on the coating.


think your same post was addressed by greg. pvd it is


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## nascraytia

Betterthere said:


> nascraytia said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thought I might weigh in with my experience. I took off my strap and threw it into the Dead Sea to see its effect on the buckle. This is what happened after 320 seconds in the water. So be aware that salt can have an effect on the coating.
> 
> 
> 
> think your same post was addressed by greg. pvd it is
Click to expand...

Yup. I meant to post this on the other thread, and I couldn't figure out how to delete my message here.


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