I always say if you're going to be use it near water then get at least a 200m with screwdown crown. But water resistance is more about gaskets than screwdown. And gaskets can dry and disintegrate.

With that said i don't take my watches near the water! Except a second hand bfk 200m...dont know why i put that one tothe test it held up well to water at the beach. My timex weekender rated at 50m held up well to paddle boarding and me falling in a couple of times and swimming near the surface. My buddy took some 50m heart rate monitor watch in and it got water logged....which is why i think 200m water resistance for someone who enjoys water sports to be a bare min. But if you got a 50m or 100m you dont care about then why not?

 

100m should be fine for everything but scuba, and I have heard many stories of 100m being used for scuba too. Also my Panerai is 2500 meter water resistant and does not have a screw in crown.

Regards,

Ren

 

Wow, the WR paranoia just baffles me. My Listerene bottle uses NO gaskets, it just a plastic on plastic seal and doesn't even screw down that tight at all and it's water proof. Just think about it. A new Seiko with 100m WR is just fine for swimming, snorkeling and whatever else they say it can handle. A screw down crown isn't required even for 200m WR. So trust the manufacturer and enjoy your watch without all the drama. FWIW, I've been swimming in my SARB033 and it's fine.

 

this. seen more than one thread lately over people (slight hyperbole freaking out over WR, but i know i've seen my share since joining here. the whole system is designed so you don't have to think about it. =)

then there are freak accidents when a factory new 1000m watch leaks in the shower. i get it, a little. but if you never wear your watch, where's the fun.

 

I was reliably informed by a Seiko Watchmaker that there is absolutely no need for screw in crowns on modern watches, given the sealing technologies and modern case designs. Screw down crowns have been used in diving watches to ensure compliance with ISO standards and were historically based on the early canteen watches that needed to be screwed down to be water proof. Rolex and the trip lock crown is an example of over-engineering on a wrist watch, but modern engineering and manufacturing capabilities render that technology relatively obsolete. I would only dive with a screw in crown watch though but never had an issue swimming with Seiko's without screw in crowns.

Seiko watches with 200m or more usually do have screw in crowns.

Cheers

Pete

 

Exactly. The major benefit from a screwdown crown at this point is that you won't accidentally get it hung on something random underwater and have it pull out, possibly causing water ingress.

 

See Seiko table about WR:

 

A screw down crown doesn't enhance the structural water resistance. It protects the crown from being pulled accidentially, which would let water into the watch. I've never had my crown pulled by accident as it doesn't sit lose. I also swim with my 100m rated Seiko 5s.

 

I've used 100m watch with tanks down to 10m without problems. Specifically it was a Seiko 5 that I'd bought to see if I'd like the styling of the blue Ω SMP (I did but that's another story). The 5 did not have a screw down crown (no problem) or a diver extension on the bracelet (problem; wore low on wrist and gloveless). Watch did fine.

A reliable brand should be, well, reliable.

 

I regularly swim with my 3bar snk on. No problems.

 

Like already said...there is absolutely no need for a screw down crown if you're just doing "normal" water sports.
Know what I did with my Seiko 5 30 years ago?...I jumped from 10m tower into the pool, did some low dive (5m), swam with them the whole day long, played waterball...all that without any issues and as far as I remember my first Seiko 5 I had back in 80ies was only water resitant up to 3bar.
I did the same with some swatches on the wrist and the only issue I had with one of them was a cracked crystal after a 10m jump...well...it wasn't a Seiko

 

Like already said...there is absolutely no need for a screw down crown if you're just doing "normal" water sports.
Know what I did with my Seiko 5 30 years ago?...I jumped from 10m tower into the pool, did some low dive (5m), swam with them the whole day long, played waterball...all that without any issues and as far as I remember my first Seiko 5 I had back in 80ies was only water resitant up to 3bar.
I did the same with some swatches on the wrist and the only issue I had with one of them was a cracked crystal after a 10m jump...well...it wasn't a Seiko

Would you take the risk and do the same activities with Seiko 3bar, $3,000 watch?

 

I dived to 30m with my 100m WR non-screwdown Seiko quartz x 20 times. No leaks [emoji2].

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another vote of confidence for my 5bar Seiko 5. I routinely shower and swim with it with nary an issue

 

You can swim but do not wear it in the shower or sauna, at least regularly. Hot water+soap or shampoo=death sentence for gaskets.

 

Oh boy, here we go...

 

I would, and do, trust the watertightness of my 100M watches implicitly. Look at it another way. Watch companies spend piles of money pushing their wares. Can you imagine how Seiko's rep would suffer if their 100M watches let water in?

 

I really can't believe I'm even about to do this, but...

From the thread: https://www.watchuseek.com/f2/sigh-myth-busting-again-610734.html

"2) The Hot Tubs, and other hot places.


MYTH - Heat from hot tubs, showers and the suchlike will cook the internal parts of my watch, the gas will expand and blow out the crystal and generally wreak havoc....


a. Heat hurting things:

Oils - The major US watch oil producer, Nye Lubricants, states the service temperature range for their oils is from -40 to 212 deg F (-40 to 100 deg C), Mobius and other Swiss oils are just as good. The oils will lose some ability to lubricate, but not enough that will affect performance of the oil.

Elastomeric gaskets (ie rubber o-rings) - Silicon rubber will maintain it elastic properties up to 450 deg F (232 deg C), Fluorocarbon Rubber (Viton) is good to 390 deg F (200 deg C). High temperatures, and by high I mean above 200 deg F, will shorten the life of elastomerics, but temperatures in the normal expected range of a worn watchwill have little or no affect on the life. "

Quotes added by me for emphasis...

I would also like to add that the gasket is lubed. The lube is very resilient and only a very very SMALL part of the gasket faces "the elements". The rest of it is firmly smashed ever so lovingly between two pieces of metal under pressure and as such, it is *quite* resistant to water ingress.

 

You found the link! Wow.

I write from my own experience. Those who want to pay to watchmaker for repairs can do it. It's not my money.

 

What is the solubility of Si-based watch grease as typically used in watch case and stem O-rings in a range of aqueous solutions with detergent and salt concentrations typical for domestic and recreational scenarios?

Test from 15C to 45C in 5C increments using at least 3 serial dilutions of each detergent. Use an expensive watch; don't waste my time with a Tudor. Have a few dozen Blancpains around.

Somebody PM me when the statistical analyses are done.

Meanwhile coffee please.

OK thanks bye.

 

What is the solubility of Si-based watch grease as typically used in watch case and stem O-rings in a range of aqueous solutions with detergent and salt concentrations typical for domestic and recreational scenarios?

Test from 15C to 45C in 5C increments using at least 3 serial dilutions of each detergent. Use an expensive watch; don't waste my time with a Tudor. Have a few dozen Blancpains around.

Somebody PM me when the statistical analyses are done.

Meanwhile coffee please.

OK thanks bye.

That's cute. But you don't have to test the whole watch to see if your little "solutions" will harm the gaskets. Let's just be honest here guys: shampoo and Dove soap ain't gonna make your gaskets rot. Write that down.

 

To be fair, I've flooded a 200m dive watch. OTOH I've used 100m watch for dives. Either way I don't worry. I used to have my watches pressure tested before every season; now I just use whatever I'm wearing. Not worth the worry.

 

What happened? And what watch was it if you don't mind mentioning?

 

I know this thread is about Seikos...

But I've had multiple 30m and 50m wr Timex watches that have gone in lakes, oceans, pools and saunas without any issue whatsoever. Just this summer, I've spent weekends practically living in a pool and my lowly Timex Weekender and it's 30m wr rating hasn't let me down.

With that said, I do understand being hesitant with nicer watches around water, even if they are rated for the activity and totally suited for it. It's irrational, but I get it.

 

I know this thread is about Seikos...

But I've had multiple 30m and 50m wr Timex watches that have gone in lakes, oceans, pools and saunas without any issue whatsoever. Just this summer, I've spent weekends practically living in a pool and my lowly Timex Weekender and it's 30m wr rating hasn't let me down.

With that said, I do understand being hesitant with nicer watches around water, even if they are rated for the activity and totally suited for it. It's irrational, but I get it.

See, I don't though. Cause if you paid more for it, then you should be able to expect it to perform. The company spends a lot of money engineering their product so that it doesn't fail; why would you expect it to?

 

Scratches and dents are a more rational concern in my view.

 

My Seiko 5 mini-monster 100wr I have taken down to 20m+ on my scuba dives never had an issue. I just make sure I soak it in fresh water for about an hour after the day has ended. The Seiko mini-monsters are rated 100wr with no screwdown, just a push-pull crown with a crown guard to prevent accidental knocking. I will continue to dive with my Seiko 5 100wr without a moments doubt.

I bought it because I believed it was a divers watch. I later learned that it is not rated for scuba. It looks exactly like their divers 200M watch except that the crown is at the 3 position (Seiko Divers are located at the 4 position) and has no screw down which pee'd me off since they do nothing to really distinguish from their divers and non-divers except for that small detail. I just thought screw it and took it diving with me anyway and if it flooded then I wouldn't buy another Seiko again.

It's now been going for about 30 dives and still ticking away. Seiko's are over-engineered watches and they have my total respect.

Having said that if you are doing serious diving for a living and the timer is critical then you really should be using a properly rated divers watch.

 

Came across this cause I'm thinking about getting the SRP275 and don't like to baby my gear. Read through all the funny posts and seems like people break into 2 basic camps: those who like watches that just happen to be WR rated and those that need their watch to actually live up to it. Nothing wrong with wearing a "tough" watch just for it's style. My buddy's Submariner never see but a splash of wine....however now I'm wondering if the acidity will wreck the seal

For me, WR should mean just that. I consider my watch a tool. I won't abuse it, nor baby it. So if a watch rated 10bar fails from swimming then I'll give it to the kids to use as a toy....since that's pretty much what it is.

 

Great info

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You bumped an almost year old thread to say great info? Do you not have a WR related story to add at least?
I have swam with everything from a non screw down 50m fossil to a 1,000m saturation diver never had a watch flood. Too many WR myths out there with too many people believing them.

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Yeah exactly, security blanket is the best way to describe it! Your SARG is very nice!


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I owned two Zodiac Sea Wolves. They were made in 1965, 1967. Neither had a screw down crown or a screw down case back. They were rated to 200m. I abused the living hell out of both. They never failed. I own a SARB 035, rated to 100m a Grand SEIKO SBGX063 rated to 100m. I have no fear that they not will remain water tight in my activities.
When I was in the USN, the dive pool for training divers was 40 feet because 40 feet is considered unsafe dive depth. Because at 40 feet nitrogen will invade the red blood cells. Red blood cells transfer oxygen to the organs and muscle tissue. Nitrogen will replace the oxygen and this is when bad things happen. I had two dive instructors who wore a Casio G Shocks. Some bright eyed mommys boy showed up wearing a Submariner. Not good.
The old grizzled instructor who's first set of orders was on a "Brown Water Lucy" that was a river boat in Vietnam looked at him and said, nice jewelry, that piece of Swiss .... will not get you through this school.
I laughed.
I'm not going to dive 40 feet or greater at my age. The only activity that gets to close to water is a shower and fly fishing.
So I have no fear that any of my SEIKO's will fail.
So how deep to you plan on on diving? 100m is way deep, so deep you will feel wasted at that atomosphere.