Felicia Rizky
To begin with, I want to show you this hermetic table where I explain how to know if your watch is waterproof and what each legend that you will find on the watch means.
Therefore, as shown in the table, the level of hermeticism depends on the pressure that the watch is capable of withstanding.
It is very important to take into account two aspects:
No internal mechanism of the watch is waterproof. Therefore, hermeticism consists of ensuring that liquids do not enter the watch through protections and gaskets.
Although it says “water resistant 50 m” on the cover of the watch, that does not mean that it supports immersion in the sea at a depth of 50 meters.
So why does it put 50M?
The ISO 2281 standard requires, among other requirements, that a “50M” watch must withstand a pressure of 5ATM for 10 minutes, in a container 10 cm deep.
Consequently, this is far from what would be the reality of putting the watch into the sea at a depth of 50 meters, with the constant force exerted by the sea currents, or supporting the energy with which a wave acts on the hands of a surfer.
For professional use, from 100 m, there is the ISO 6425 standard, which is more rigorous and this does guarantee the use of the watch in more extreme aquatic environments.
diving watches
Photo @jaosorio83
Hermeticism consists of changing gaskets, buttons or whatever is necessary, to prevent a liquid from entering its interior and damaging its internal mechanism.
It must be borne in mind that, even if a watch has been correctly tested for waterproofness, deterioration of the gaskets, small bumps, misuse of the buttons, or not screwing the crown in properly when setting the time, can influence the waterproofness. and be the cause of future liquid damage to your watch.
For this reason, neither watch manufacturers nor qualified workshops can indefinitely guarantee the waterproofness of your watch.
If condensation or condensation appears inside the glass, it means that the watch is no longer waterproof.
The effectiveness of sealing depends on wear, tear and other factors. It is highly recommended to do the hermetic test once a year or every time it is opened. For a battery change or repair.
Always try to always take your watch to a workshop that has the experience, qualifications and tools necessary for this type of operation.
Hermeticism in the workshop:
Once the gaskets, crystal, crown and everything necessary depending on the watch model have been changed, it is inserted into the vacuum gauge to check using air pressure that the watch does not have any leaks that could cause any liquid to penetrate inside. After this you would be ready to pass the real test in water.
In this phase, it is checked how the watch behaves at a pressure of up to 10 atmospheres.
waterproof watchThis machine is connected to a high-pressure compressor and contains distilled water. When it has been verified that no bubbles appear, this test is considered finished.
To complete the tightness test completely, the condensation test is carried out. The watch is heated on a hot plate, to a harmless temperature for its mechanism. Once the temperature is reached, a drop of cold water is placed on the glass to check that there is no condensation.
Now we can guarantee that the watch is watertight and can be used in aquatic environments as indicated by the manufacturer.
In summary and to finish, these points must be taken into account:
The level of resistance and use is limited according to the legend specified by the manufacturer. For example 50M or 5 ATM means that you can only use it for recreational swimming in a pool and not for water sports or diving.
A guarantee of a well-performed seal can only be given by a workshop with qualified personnel and specific tools.
Any liquid that gets inside the watch can cause damage that is expensive to repair.
The joints deteriorate and lose properties over time.
Hermetism cannot be permanently guaranteed.
If you are thinking of sealing your watch, but you don’t know how much it might cost or how you can do it, leave me your message below, I’ll receive it right away and we’ll talk about it.
