# How far would you push the water resistance?



## scentedlead (May 11, 2015)

So, I visited my cousin.


Them: You got a new watch, yay! . . . Is it waterproof?
Me: Well, it’s not rated for swimming but YouTube has videos of people swimming with them on.
Them: OMG, if it’s not rated for that, then why do it? I would never!


I saw a few of those vids but couldn’t anymore, they just make me cringe. Then again, when I was 6 y.o. I destroyed a watch—Disney character watch, cheap but valuable because it was gifted by a loving aunt—because I ran it under the water when I washed my hands. I had no concept that watches needed waterproofing before you could do something like that.

And now, I am adamant about keeping my watches dry. My least water resistant watch is rated to 30M and even with a light drizzle, I don’t let that thing on my wrist see the light of day.

I have always been a take off my watch when I get home person. I have no dishwasher but even with dishwashing gloves, I’ve always had my watch off before getting to that chore. But with the AW, I just want to wear this thing all the time, and I do, knowing that that accidents happen and water can get inside dishwashing gloves. (As for showering, Tim Cook says he showers with it on but I can’t take that risk, cringe.)


So, I am a mix of cringing because water!danger and yet zen calm because of YouTubers doing water stress tests on their watches. Hm.


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## BarracksSi (Feb 13, 2013)

So far, I've regularly rinsed my SS AW off in the shower, but have avoided getting soap on it.

My Rado is rated to 30m, and I've mostly treated it the same. I wash the heck out of my SKX009 and G-Shock, but I don't dare get my dad's '68 Omega wet.


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## zetaplus93 (Jul 22, 2013)

Personally I have no issues taking it into the shower. But I don't like wearing a watch when taking a shower anyways, so I don't do this. 

The bigger issue is going to the pool and the beach--no AW there, I switch to my divers. I wish there is the equivalent of 30m or 50m water resistance on the AW. While the brave souls on YouTube has proven it can take a pounding, I'd rather be conservative at this point.


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## BarracksSi (Feb 13, 2013)

I'd be more worried about the sand and salt. Plain water evaporates, but grit sticks in crevices and causes more problems.


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## valmak (May 29, 2010)

have taken it in the shower, pool and ocean with no problems so far.


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## rm7pr (Apr 7, 2011)

valmak said:


> have taken it in the shower, pool and ocean with no problems so far.


Holy smokes! You're a brave person. I got caught in a storm of biblical proportions while in Vegas and took it off my wrist and put it in my pocket for fear it might break. Don't know how much I protected it since I was soaked by the time I made it to my car. I've also seen the YouTube videos but don't want to risk it.


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## Fer Guzman (Feb 10, 2012)

I've showered with it like 4 times to clean it. A couple minutes in the shower. No issues thus far.


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## brian45acp (May 15, 2014)

I was scared to get it wet washing my hands. I cant imagine dunking it at all. I ended up returning mine anyhow because I just couldnt make it become something I needed.


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## RedHerringHack (Mar 22, 2015)

valmak said:


> have taken it in the shower, pool and ocean with no problems so far.


Me too. Plus 60 seconds in the ultrasonic cleaner with an ammonia mixture. No problem.


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## DrMizzou (May 31, 2010)

Man. Pretty gutsy! Unless I opted for apple care plus and ensured that it covered water damage, I'm not sure I would soak it. Will keep following and see if others have had adverse results after soaking the watch.


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## BarracksSi (Feb 13, 2013)

Just realized that I had posted in this thread before I took my watch into a hotel pool.

The hard part of this photo was drying my finger enough to use my iPhone for taking the shot.


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## brian45acp (May 15, 2014)

i wonder if sending them off to that company who fuses the iphone with the nano molecules would further protect the watch. A friend of mine did that to his iphone and he keeps it in his pocket inside the pool and no issues. It was like $60 he said and the place the phone in a chamber and force this hydrophobic type gas into the chamber then suck the air out causing every part of the phone including inside to be treated with the product.


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## Snoweagle (Jul 3, 2012)

I wash my AW under a running tap after every use, so far no issues.


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## AVC0002 (Apr 4, 2014)

I only use a shark watch in the water. since its a surfing watch and is relatively cheap. whats the point of chancing it when anything nice.


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## BarracksSi (Feb 13, 2013)

AVC0002 said:


> whats the point of chancing it when anything nice.


This is the same line of thinking one of my coworkers uses when he says that he'll never get a nice watch wet.

My retort: Why would I spend good money on a watch that couldn't stand some water?

I would not have bought an AW if I thought it could suffer water damage.


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## AVC0002 (Apr 4, 2014)

BarracksSi said:


> This is the same line of thinking one of my coworkers uses when he says that he'll never get a nice watch wet.
> 
> My retort: Why would I spend good money on a watch that couldn't stand some water?
> 
> I would not have bought an AW if I thought it could suffer water damage.


It just depends on the watch I suppose. Screw down crowns are a must. But I also think about my watches specifically and I have mostly leather. And I gone want a smelly wrist

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## kjse7en (Dec 12, 2011)

My regular wash with hand soap with tap water. I never use warm/hot water though.

















Cheers
KJ


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## DougFNJ (May 23, 2007)

You people are brave lol. I don't want to chance it. I have dive watches that post specific water resistance for the times I'm exposed to water. It's nice to know if I exposed it to water accidentally that it could take it, and I don't get nervous around a faucet or rain, but I would be very hesitant to take it in a pool. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## RedHerringHack (Mar 22, 2015)

If you examine the watch when it's torn down, it has obviously been engineered to withstand water. I am very impressed with my Apple Watch's durability.

https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Apple+Watch+Teardown/40655


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## jrpippen (May 5, 2009)

This is basically why I traded my Apple Watch. It's supposed to be a sport model but you can't even shower with it in after a run. It's also not a stand alone GPS that will sync with your phone following a run or cycle ride. 

I have to say I didn't really like it. 

Looking forward to the second Gen. 


@watchbod

Facebook group: watchzoneuk


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## BarracksSi (Feb 13, 2013)

jrpippen said:


> This is basically why I traded my Apple Watch. It's supposed to be a sport model but you can't even shower with it in after a run. &#8230;


Did you read the thread? Did you read about how I wash mine in the shower every day?


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## BarracksSi (Feb 13, 2013)

I have a non-waterproof wristwatch-style Apple product. It's not the Apple Watch, though. It's an iPod nano. I stopped wearing it as a watch because I was justifiably afraid of getting it wet.









Four years later, in early 2015, when I read that Tim Cook (yes, _that_ Tim Cook) told some Apple Store employees that he regularly showers with his own Watch, I became more confident about buying one for myself. All of my other daily-wear watches have varying degrees of water resistance.


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## scentedlead (May 11, 2015)

I am still not brave enough to shower with it. That said, I might be more emboldened now to give it a weekly cleaning. My cousin though, still horrified. “It’s not rated for that!” I should remind them that IPX7 means not waterproof, but definitely water resistant, up to one meter for thirty minutes.

Off topic: I should’ve bought that iPod when I had the chance but I already had an iPhone. Does that iPod model have sweep or ticking second hands? And does it have an FM tuner? (But probably moot since the stations I listen to now have iOS apps and fall under T-Mo’s Music Freedom.)


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## kjse7en (Dec 12, 2011)

Interesting read here: *Is the Apple Watch secretly waterproof?*


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## BarracksSi (Feb 13, 2013)

scentedlead said:


> Off topic: I should've bought that iPod when I had the chance but I already had an iPhone. Does that iPod model have sweep or ticking second hands? And does it have an FM tuner? (But probably moot since the stations I listen to now have iOS apps and fall under T-Mo's Music Freedom.)


Smooth second hand, and an FM tuner.

The only trick about the radio is, I can't repeatedly tap the "track advance" button to Seek to each station while saving the ones I like as favorites. The same button becomes "advance to next favorite", so as soon as I save one station, tapping it stays on that station; if I save two stations, it just switches between them. Instead, I have to use the Local Stations list (which itself is pretty cool; it automatically populates with stations that have a good signal), "play" a station, favorite it, then go back a couple screens to look for the next station I want to save.

(hmm&#8230; now that I think about it, this is the better way to make use of the tiny screen, and also double- or triple-clicking the headphone button, to switch between stations; when I'm on the move, I don't care to hear the stations I haven't favorited)

Besides that, it's my favorite iPod. It's tiny like a Shuffle but has the touchscreen for navigation, has the clip for a shirt or armband, has enough capacity for my podcasts and my favorite music, and has the radio for when I want the news on my walk to work. I lose the capacity of my iPod Classic, and I don't have the video playback of my newer Nano (the utility of which is debatable on such a small screen), and it has the old 30-pin connector -- but I totally dig it. If it had received the Lightning connector, I wouldn't consider selling it.


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## BarracksSi (Feb 13, 2013)

kjse7en said:


> Interesting read here: *Is the Apple Watch secretly waterproof?*


Apart from the clickbait headline, I've got my own theory of why the AW is potentially more waterproof --

What if it's a beta tester for waterproofing the iPhone 7?

Apple had enough ideas for sealing the AW against water intrusion without encasing it in rubber. Maybe they want to get the production models tested long-term and learn more by making repairs to the failed watches.


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## jrpippen (May 5, 2009)

BarracksSi said:


> Did you read the thread? Did you read about how I wash mine in the shower every day?


Hi there. I did read that, and I totally believe you, I would be worried though. The warranty would be void for water damage obviously, and I wouldn't be able to justify jut going and buying another.

I'm sure your method is the correct one! I should just grow a set.

@watchbod

Facebook group: watchzoneuk


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## scentedlead (May 11, 2015)

BarracksSi said:


> Apart from the clickbait headline, I've got my own theory of why the AW is potentially more waterproof --
> 
> What if it's a beta tester for waterproofing the iPhone 7?
> 
> Apple had enough ideas for sealing the AW against water intrusion without encasing it in rubber. Maybe they want to get the production models tested long-term and learn more by making repairs to the failed watches.


*shrugs* Apple's famous for letting store repair data play a large role in informing the company's institutional memory. (The other big source being other product lines-e.g., everything learned form the iPhone informed the new Macbook's motherboard. So who knows what else the AW will inspire down the line.)

But that depends on how fast Apple's workflow is. We're already at a 6S so-if Apple keeps the current pattern-the next version to be announced and released this fall will be a 7. Isn't that very little time to pull data from watch repairs done now? Though, there could be enough time for the 7S.


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## BarracksSi (Feb 13, 2013)

scentedlead said:


> But that depends on how fast Apple's workflow is. We're already at a 6S so-if Apple keeps the current pattern-the next version to be announced and released this fall will be a 7. Isn't that very little time to pull data from watch repairs done now? Though, there could be enough time for the 7S.


Might be, yeah. I figure they were working on the AW hardware in Jony's lab during 2013-2014 (being able to fabricate everything in-house must be a huge secrecy advantage) and were able to adjust details on the iPhone 7 at the same time. I wouldn't expect the production lines for 7 to be ready until this spring, so they still have time to finalize details like button gaskets and screen sealant.

I remember when Obama asked Steve Jobs if tech assembly jobs were coming back to the US, and Jobs said, they're never coming back. The speed of fabrication shown by the Chinese was one of several reasons. Want a new factory in a week? They can do it, hiring ten thousand workers to staff it, too.


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## Speeds5 (Nov 29, 2010)

iPhone 7 will most likely be waterproof. There's been many credible rumors of this. Apple itself says it's ok to wash your hands and submerge it in water for short period of time. So no reason to be super cautious with it. Extended period of under water exposure may ruin it's water resistance but again no need to take it off to wash your hands or be worried it's getting wet in the rain.


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## scentedlead (May 11, 2015)

Speeds5 said:


> iPhone 7 will most likely be waterproof.


Water_proof?_ I'll believe it when I see the teardown. But highly water _resistant?_ I'll take that on faith, given the 6S.

I know what the AW is rated for. But I have a horrible childhood trauma-of ruining a not water resistant at all Disney character watch my fave aunt gifted to me because six-year-old me ran it under the water when washing my hands-to get over before I'll run a watch under a faucet tap ever again. If I ever get that G-Shock I keep failing to save up for, I'll also have no problem swimming with it at the beach, and yet still every problem bringing it under a faucet tap.


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## Speeds5 (Nov 29, 2010)

Seems like you're scarred for life. It may be time to go see a shrink about that.

I kid of course.



scentedlead said:


> Water_proof?_ I'll believe it when I see the teardown. But highly water _resistant?_ I'll take that on faith, given the 6S.
> 
> I know what the AW is rated for. But I have a horrible childhood trauma-of ruining a not water resistant at all Disney character watch my fave aunt gifted to me because six-year-old me ran it under the water when washing my hands-to get over before I'll run a watch under a faucet tap ever again. If I ever get that G-Shock I keep failing to save up for, I'll also have no problem swimming with it at the beach, and yet still every problem bringing it under a faucet tap.


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