In a perfect world, yes, but in the real world, not usually - I’ve noticed that gaskets do seem to flatten over time, but unless they are damaged or misshaped (usually due to lack of care in fitting at a previous battery change) they still seem to work - although they probably aren’t going to be watertight at 20 bar, but since I only require my gaskets to hold in the shower & in the sink I’m not going to lose any sleep Just a touch of silicon grease & I’m good to go…

 

Same as @Glup . O-rings can be hard to find. I will put up spares, if available, when buying a batch from PacParts.
Otherwise, I lube them up and let them go.

I will never take a vintage watch under water even if they were formerly rated for 100M or more. I will happily wash hands and do kitchen work while wearing them. This is a very conservative take, but the times I find myself in the pool, ocean, or hot tub are few and far between and that is an occasion to select a contemporary watch that I am sure will survive the experience.

And it's more than just the main case back o-ring that's in play. The buttons have their own seals and if changing a case back seal is a 1.5 on a ten-point scale, dealing with buttons is a 9, electrical work notwithstanding.

 

I usually buy extra gaskets for my G Shocks, just in case there's a zombie apocalypse and I need to fit a new one in 20 years time. But until that day, I've never actually needed to change one, they always look fine.

 

The plain circular ones are the least frustrating. Do this long enough and you'll acquire a bag of o-rings that might have a match. But those shaped ones...once they go, it's a much tougher situation.

 

I don't really open or mess with my mechanicals so no on those - if they ever DO get opened by a watchmaker for whatever reason, they usually swap a new one in for me anyhow by defaul.

I do my own battery changes on my quartz watches. But for the most part, they don't deal with more water than a rapid topical submerging (like when I threw my arms under water in a raft to pull a friend back in). they seem to handle that just fine so I don't change the gaskets when I do my own battery changes.

 

@Ginseng108, Is there any scientific explanation for the use of silicone grease treatment, other than being necessary lubrication of moving parts alike buttons and turn-tightening of screwbacks? Will parts of the silicone grease able to penetrate the o-ring material at all? What material are o-ring seals of our Casios are to begin with?

 

I would hazard a guess that the o-rings in our G-Shocks are most probably nitrile or neoprene. Those are by far the most common materials for this kind of moderately demanding application because of a good balance of chemical resistance and cost. They also have pretty good compression properties. Compression set is the ability of a rubber to resist permanent deformation under pressure and for o-rings and seals, you'll want high resistance against compression.

It's possible that cheaper rings might be made of butyl or some other.

Silicone grease with these kinds of rubbers is strictly superficial. It doesn't penetrate. So it's generally safe to use even with rubbers that have fair to poor oil resistance, meaning petroleum-based oils and greases.

Picking the right o-ring material isn't as simple as folks might imagine. The first step is to determine the conditions of use, what it'll be exposed to in physical, thermal, and chemical stresses. Then choose the specific documented characteristics from a table such as you posted. For example: chemical, heat, oil, ozone, water, weather. Rank priories them. Identify the chemical class. Look through manufacturer product sheets from o-ring makers and select the ones to try. Buy, install in test watches and subject them to the full round of natural and accelerated testing.

Grease, in general is really meant to do two things, as far as I can tell. First, and most importantly, aid in assembly, like screw back install. Second, by a long shot, fill microscopic gaps or flaws so that under mild conditions of exposure, minimize the likelihood of penetration from the external environment. This latter point means that it is the o-ring that provides the 20 bar resistance, not the grease.

 

I would hazard a guess that the o-rings in our G-Shocks are most probably nitrile or neoprene. Those are by far the most common materials for this kind of moderately demanding application because of a good balance of chemical resistance and cost. They also have pretty good compression properties. Compression set is the ability of a rubber to resist permanent deformation under pressure and for o-rings and seals, you'll want high resistance against compression.

It's possible that cheaper rings might be made of butyl or some other.

Silicone grease with these kinds of rubbers is strictly superficial. It doesn't penetrate. So it's generally safe to use even with rubbers that have fair to poor oil resistance, meaning petroleum-based oils and greases.

Picking the right o-ring material isn't as simple as folks might imagine. The first step is to determine the conditions of use, what it'll be exposed to in physical, thermal, and chemical stresses. Then choose the specific documented characteristics from a table such as you posted. For example: chemical, heat, oil, ozone, water, weather. Rank priories them. Identify the chemical class. Look through manufacturer product sheets from o-ring makers and select the ones to try. Buy, install in test watches and subject them to the full round of natural and accelerated testing.

Grease, in general is really meant to do two things, as far as I can tell. First, and most importantly, aid in assembly, like screw back install. Second, by a long shot, fill microscopic gaps or flaws so that under mild conditions of exposure, minimize the likelihood of penetration from the external environment. This latter point means that it is the o-ring that provides the 20 bar resistance, not the grease.

Timex used cheaper ones and it was sorry thing. Casio 100% more durable. Not indestructible but good.

 

I have been replacing them on all these GW-200 Frogman that I have been buying.

 

I just dropped off a watch just today that I believe the gasket just failed over time, causing the inside of the crystal to haze over. Had the shop clean the crystal and perform general maintenance while it was out. My watch was about 10 years old.

 

what was the watch, and which gasket failed? Thanks.

 

No need to change, but I do inspect & apply silicone grease during a battery change. Both my G's are battery powered so I actually like that it forces me to inspect/service dw-5035 & dw-5735.

 

nope, have never needed to. usually just a visual inspection and some grease on a battery change otherwise i just leave it. many solars ive bought new or in good condition, ive never open. older models that may have required a new one just get demoted to non submerged duty, one of the benefits of having a larger collection
if you do your own battery changes and take care with the rings, i dont see why they wouldnt last a very long time, dare i say, decades.

im actually surprised this thread doesnt have more input from the diehard advocates of o-ring changing 🤷‍♂️ prob too busy changing o-rings to post 😅

 

im actually surprised this thread doesnt have more input from the diehard advocates of o-ring changing [emoji2369] prob too busy changing o-rings to post [emoji28]

Geez, you really are nothing more than insufferable.

 

I am thankful for @Ginseng108 for setting the record straight, that grease has no chemical way to penetrate or condition O-Rings. Normally, to obtain for this type of info with certainty, one would have to search and dig pretty deep. So I am glad we have an expert on board, such as plastics engineer @Ginseng108, who can provide (and kindly has provided) instant shortcut guidance in questions alike this.

Of course, one of the implications of that is that lubrication of O-Rings will do nothing to re-condition them. Instead, the lubrication of O-Rings has other uses. And since grease or similar lubricants are known to be ineffective for holding water pressure, we can add with certainty that lubricating a O-Ring gaskets alone will do nothing for WR rating. So what is the purpose of lubricating O-Rings then?

The answer may arrive from basic engineering 101 and is pretty much the same across all industries, with watches of course being no exception, let alone our Casio brand.

Lubrication of O-Rings is simply necessary for assembly purposes, where it will help keeping O-Rings to stay in proper place or to prevent them from tearing when installed. Additionally, sealing properties are not only tied to design factors of the O-Rings, they are also tied to proper maintenance and in case of O-Rings that are subjected to repeated motion, alike the ones at the buttons, where lubrication of these O-Rings becomes of necessary supplemental nature.

Apparently there is some disagreement about how often maintenance or outright replacement of the O-Rings is called for. It seems that in the subsequently arising discussions, some may call a 20atm O-Ring intact enough for simply going in the water with the watch, while others might insist on exploring the watches original WR rating and insist for the original specs to be closely met.

Who’s views are right or wrong here remains debatable. One important indisputable takeaway is however, that the original WR rating specification will in fact drop over time and that re-greasing the O-Ring gaskets will do nothing to restore that. Therefore, anyone who is planning to keep their watches in good working order according to their own WR needs, should take a good note of that.

 

To be on the safe side, I would definitely avoid using any petroleum-based grease or oil on O-rings. Fortunately, there is no reason to, because silicone-based grease and oil are widely available for this purpose.

Also, in my experience with some household plumbing projects, applying silicone grease to seals does in fact reduce water leakage, likely due to filling in small flaws in the seal or mating surface, which I believe @Ginseng108 touched upon.

 

I mentioned Rolex to show an upper limit on a manufacturer's servicing interval. I don't know of any higher for a mechanical watch (although they're may be).
Anyone have an unopened 15-20 year old G to pressure test?

Typos courtesy of Samsung Auto-Incorrect[emoji769]

 

Anyone have an unopened 15-20 year old G to pressure test?

Typos courtesy of Samsung Auto-Incorrect[emoji769]

Seeing by his comments, Tetsu has plenty laying around with original bands and bezels that I'm sure he will be more than happy to provide for the said purpose.

 

By the way, silicone lube is used on some fountain pens without gaskets to seal parts.

Typos courtesy of Samsung Auto-Incorrect[emoji769]

 

By the way, silicone lube is used on some fountain pens without gaskets to seal parts.

What parts? What pressures are involved?

Sealing against capillary action is not the same as sealing against pressure.

 

I tested a NOS Breitling Callisto chronograph (early 90s) to 50m (passed) - this is the oldest unserviced watch I have ever water tested. I think the key to long-living gaskets is to keep it away from chemicals and avoid exposure to ozone. I think the silicone grease covers gaskets and protects it against ozone and chemicals. That said, I don't suppose the Callisto chrono had much silicone grease on the button and crown gaskets?

To have long-lasting gaskets, avoid soap and chlorine in swimming pools and rinse after exposure to the ocean and sweat.

 

A key to longevity of gaskets could also be attributed towards the environment the watch is used in. If the watch is not used in climates that see extremes of humidity, the gaskets would last longer.

 

@Viper45, I agree and that is why I think it has not much value trying to look for answers by age alone. You have mentioned environment and there is of course usage itself as well;

Was the watch used by a collector with hundreds of watches, wearing watches on rotation, so that the watch was worn/used as collectible just a few times per year and otherwise has spent most of it's life in a climate controlled indoor environment...

...or was the watch used as 'daily driver' by someone, who is a concrete worker and who is coaching and timing a running team after work, but who is also a recreational diver.

 

As a 'petrolhead', seals/gaskets on cars are not usually replaced unless they no longer function and liquid (oil/fluid/water) is leaking from them. When a new gasket is installed, yes, it is standard practice to lube the gasket to ensure it is given a good start in life. There is a firm ethos of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'! The very 1st post mentions solar watches. A prime example of a factory installed seal which should not be touched otherwise you destroy the manufacturer integrity of the seal!

 

Lets sum up that we cant predict the status of a gasket unless we do a test.
Most of us will not have the equipment to do a real watch pressure test at home.

From other sealed components i had to work with in my workplace there is a simple sealant check if the sealing is horribly broken:

• Heat a glass jar with around 70°C water
• dunk the watch into the water and look for bubbles coming out of the watch

the air inside the watch will expand from the heat and bubbles will come out if there is no seal at all.
If you see bubbles, of course get the watch out of the water and get it dry, quick.

At least pinched O-Rings or even missing seals can be detected that way.
I used that method with cheesy no name watches and found bad gaskets reliably.
I stopped using that test on G-Shocks when i never found one bubbling.

 

There seems to be a whole lotta blown gaskets as of late 💣🤯

 

Yes, blown gaskets and lots of steam coming out!

 

I think I summed things up in my post #18 here very nicely, while respecting and including everyone's accounts and experiences.

In a normal situation, there would be not much more to add.

Yet it seems some are apparently still in denial and insist to argue against the existence or the effects of degradation and the resulting established recommendations for periodic high performance testing to ensure factroy specifications are met for reliability.

Instead they insist citing hearsay of positive experiences under non-standardized, low performance conditions and in some cases even with grease as band-aid. Arguing and suggesting that to be taken as proof that specs to meet high performance conditions are still met.!?

To each their own.

 

i have replaced vintage G gaskets trhat were all dried out and squished flat when i opened up the caebacks, but now i only own a single tough solar model, and even when i opened up the case for some modding i just reused the original gasket. i have never used grease though.

 

What about the button gaskets though? The caseback gaskets are the easiest to account for (and the only ones people ever talk about), but the button/crown ones are a mystery to me - people rarely talk about them and so it's hard to know how these fare over time. Thanks

 

I have done a lot of DIY battery changes, and I usually don't replace gasket unless they are visually damaged. I would clean them and put a light coat of silicone grease on them. And make sure they site properly before closing up.

BUT, I assume the watch is no longer water resistant, or the watch is expendable unless it was pressure tested.

 

Yup I changed mine


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Don't you love the search function?

...and of course this same topic has been discussed on F17 before:
(312) Gasket Longevity | WatchUSeek Watch Forums

Just look at posts #6, where 'someone' states "the manual usually states around 2 years for a service" and then someone else is making comments about Rolex in his post #12.

Then compare what (opposite) the SAME people have been saying/claiming in our most recent thread about the SAME subject.

You know, certain things are getting quite obvious. I hope all good members are taking note!

 

This topic hasn't progressed in the past and isn't progressing in this thread. The only possible reason after all this time and all these attempts is that people don't want to resolve it. Folks are wedded to their ideas about this and will not change because they can't accept what they don't understand.

That our community of enthusiasts has failed to answer this important question is disappointing to me. Deeply so. We all own a piece of this failure.

 

This topic hasn't progressed in the past and isn't progressing in this thread. The only possible reason after all this time and all these attempts is that people don't want to resolve it. Folks are wedded to their ideas about this and will not change because they can't accept what they don't understand.

That our community of enthusiasts has failed to answer this important question is disappointing to me. Deeply so. We all own a piece of this failure.

I dont even know what the correct answer might be.
The manufacturer recommends something and we dont do it.
Since i work in a industry that also have recommendations for customers how to maintain a product and i do the manuals for it:
Like 10-20% of the customers do preventive maintenance, the others let the things break an then repair.
Seems like 80% of us are renegades!
Thats dissapointing. Unless its your own device and you have to pay for preventive maintenance. Then its fraudulous upselling!

 

Some of my g's got more than 10 years with me and never needed change the o rings, I bought a few ones with damage o rings ( previous owner fail to instal correctly ) and if I got a replace I used, but in some other cases (3 times ) I fix o rings with teflon tape or duct tape, cases where the o ring is no longer on the proper form and don't fit on the resin case, I made a little cut enough to get the proper size, once it fit right on the resin case I put a piece of tape over the cut and put the back plate. I found this repair is enough to garantize the water resistant on my water activities : shower, wash the dishes some like that, I don't swin even less dive.