Stainless Steel and Saltwater

21223 Views 13 Replies 10 Participants Last post by Dave_O_Dave(Hawaii), Jun 13, 2006

Berserker

Discussion Starter · Jun 11, 2006

Hello Everybody,

somewere (maybe here at WUS?) I read that stainless steel watches can be harmed by saltwater if they are not cleaned with fresh water immediately.

Is this true? What could happen to my belowed Seatime on the holiday on Corse I plan for September? And how can I avoid it, always carry some watch cleaning water with me?

And why doesn't this forum offer a Panic Smiley?;-)

Thanks in advance for any helpfull answer,
Berserker:-|

Save

1 - 14 of 14 Posts

Brad Trent

· #2 · Jun 11, 2006 (Edited)

Hmmmm...

I dunno, but I think there's a very good reason it's called "stainless" steel! I've taken my Rolex into the drink many a time and never bothered to wash it off and there ain't a mark on it! I seriously doubt there is anything in the chemical makeup of seawater that's gonna react with stainless steel, it there was you would find 90+% of all dive watches made of the stuff!

BT

Save

ToddVNO

· #3 · Jun 11, 2006

I dive with my Rolex Seadweller and Panerai Luminor frequently. No damage to the watch ever. Sometimes I do get salt buildup on the watch and band. Like scuba gear, watches should get rinsed in fresh water after exposure to a salt water swim/dive. This gets rid of the salt deposits that can accumulate over many days of diving. Sometimes I use an old tooth brush on the band if salt deposits get real bad! (I find it to be worse on rubber bands for some reason).

Save

Reactions: 1

Nalu

· #4 · Jun 12, 2006

Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, but SS can and will rust. I've seen even surgical stainless steel rust in the saline milieu of the body :-S. The only way to avoid rust completely is to get a watch with no iron in it! Thus, the advent of Ti cases for dive watches: no rust and you can get the traditional big, pressure-resistant diver case without excessive weight.

The good news is that a simple, but vigourous, rinse in fresh water will help prevent that from happening. Post-dive/swim rinses will also prevent salt from building up around moving parts such as the bezel, which will eventually cause fouling.

I'd also recommend a service or cleaning after such a trip, unless you feel comfortable removing the bezel yourself or have a 'self-service' watch such as the Auto-zilla.

Most important of all: have fun on your hols and don't panic

:-!B-)

Save

vjb.knife

· #5 · Jun 12, 2006

Ok I am in the middle here on this issue. I agree 100% with Nalu that even 300 series stainless steels (and that includes Rolex's 904, because it is virtually the same as 316L) will corrode / rust if not taken care of. This is a fact. Go to the Mission Knives Company site and see what salt water can do to many varieties of SS. Titanium is virtually impervious to salt water corrosion but salt crystals can still build up in parts of the watch like the bezel and bracelet links so Ti watches should still be rinsed well after diving. Rinsing immediately after a dive is not required but within a day or so is a very good idea. This corrosion is not something that will happen quickly but can build up over time and cause problems. Once the steel begins to pit the corrosion accelerates. I do not think that a dive trip requires a watch to be sent in for service. I dove with several watches many many times and only did regular service intervals like five or six years. I rinse all of my watches off in fresh water on a regular basis anyway like when washing hands; remember sweat is very salty too.

Vince.

See less See more

Save

Dave_O_Dave(Hawaii)

· #6 · Jun 12, 2006

I live in Hawaii, and I can tell you I've never seen a steel that won't rust....everything rusts and pits if you give it some time. So don't tempt fate, rinse your watch off with fresh water and being exposed to salt water. You know, like the manual that came with your watch TELLS YOU TO DO.

If steel didn't rust, the use of the steel on the 212 A class subs in germany, (which has a higher corrosion resistance than normal steels) for the Sinn U1 case wouldn't be a selling point now would it?

Save

XTrooper

· #7 · Jun 12, 2006

There's really nothing I can add to what has already been said, but having grown up at the New Jersey shore and after spending years on the sea, I can attest to the fact that even the highest grade stainless steels will rust in time. All steel has some carbon content, so all steel will rust. That said, simple preventative measures (rinsing with fresh water at the first opportunity) will keep you from ever seeing a spot of rust on your 300 series stainless steel watches. B-)

Save

Dxomas

· #8 · Jun 12, 2006

I've never had a problem with any of my "Stainless" Dive watches...
But I do rinse myself and equipment after a dive...

Save

Brad Trent

· #9 · Jun 12, 2006

Ok...ok...

Guys...let's get back to reality for a moment, shall we? The original question was..."...stainless steel watches can be harmed by saltwater if they are not cleaned with fresh water immediately..."

Now I think the operative word in that sentence is immediately. I think I can stick my neck out and say that there aren't many watches made of stainless steel that are gonna show any ill effects if you were to forget to rinse them off until the next day, maybe even a couple of days later! Sure, if you leave your Double Red Sea Dweller sitting out on the deck for a month after your last deep water dive without first giving it a fresh-water bath, even that fine piece of horological history might shows some signs of pitting, but as I said, let's keep the discussion in the REAL World!

BT

Save

XTrooper

· #10 · Jun 12, 2006

I agree, Brad. "Immediately" is hardly necessary and if it is, you need a better watch. ;-)

Save

dibetu

· #11 · Jun 12, 2006

Seawater is no big deal, however more important than rinsing the watch is to make sure your screw down crowns are securely closed before going into salt water. Also, change your spring bars every few years if diving in salt water, even from sweat, which is salty, spring bars tend to corrode quite quickly. If wearing a metal braclet, a good preparation is to treat the screws in screw type bracelets with loc-tight, which will keep salt water away from the screw threats. Otherwise there should be no problem.
Sinn's Submarine Steel and Damasko's steel are completly saltwater resistant, however not all parts of the watches are made from that material, so the benefit is not really fully there.

Save

BruceS

· #12 · Jun 12, 2006

All I ever did was to wash my watch thoroughly each night after diving all day. You get a lot of grit under the bezel. Like has been said, if salt water hurts your dive watch, you should maybe think about getting another one

Save

Berserker

Discussion Starter · #13 · Jun 13, 2006

Re: Ok...ok...

Thanks everybody for your answers,

I know that every material can corrode, even titanium will -- it just takes some time. Nothing lasts forever (but this is a philosophical issue).

Brad Trent said:
Guys...let's get back to reality for a moment, shall we?

Great idea Brad, thanks ;-)

Now I know all I need to know: if I rinse my watch in fresh water at least once a day everything will be fine:-!

Thank you all,
Berserker:-|

Save

Dave_O_Dave(Hawaii)

· #14 · Jun 13, 2006

Re: Hmmmm...

Brad Trent said:
I dunno, but I think there's a very good reason it's called "stainless" steel! I've taken my Rolex into the drink many a time and never bothered to wash it off and there ain't a mark on it! I seriously doubt there is anything in the chemical makeup of seawater that's gonna react with stainless steel, it there was you would find 90+% of all dive watches made of the stuff!

BT

Well the way you answered the question made stainless steel look like it was impervious to salt water. Just didn't want berserker to get the wrong impression. Glad, he got his answer regardless. Moving along...

Aloha

Save

1 - 14 of 14 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Top Contributors this Month