[Lexxorcist]

Another example of this 'branding' idea is with the Traser watches - apparently, the p6500 (which is only rated to 30m, I think) has two o-rings in the crown opening, exactly the same as the 200m-rated versions, although it doesn't screw down. Someone on one of the other forums said he'd actually had his pressure tested to 200m, and it passed.

I've heard this too. Apparently they didn't want it to compete too much with their more expensive models.

 

[Lexxorcist]

One thing about 200M vs. 50M water resistance is that the gaskets for 200M models are usually thicker. I'm guessing a 200M watch will stay water resistant well enough to swim in the pool long after the gaskets have rotted away on the 50M model. I have no proof of this, it just makes sense.

I'm sure there's something to that. I was amazed when I saw the gasket on a 200m Vostok Amphibia, it's like a tractor tyre! (Photo from marc_wl on the Russian watch forum).

 

[Lexxorcist]

Dive was succesfull down to 15 meter or 50'. So I get more and more convinced that the 30 meter Core is indeed comparable to a 100 meter or 330' PathFinder when it comes to water resistance!:rodekaart

Remember Casio's ratings also tend to be conservative. A G-Shock survived a 318m scuba dive, which is well over it's 200m rating, rather than just half of it. It would be nice to see a Pathfinder and a Core go head to head in a depth test though. My money would be on the Casio. ;-)

 

[Lexxorcist]

Yes I know casios are also conservative rated, but not as bad as the Core. Normally a 30 m watch that follows the normal standard would be utterly useless even for swimming. And yeat people are diving with it down to 100 feet and it survives and it has a depth meter and special stinger buttons that enables button pushes under water which makes it even more suitable for diving use then a PAW-1300 that is rated to 100 m. Its just stupid!:-s

I think that the PAW-1300 and the Core would perform very evenly when it comes to maximum depth...

Well, 100 feet is about 30 metres, which is what it's rated at, so although it's impressive, a Casio survived a dive much deeper than it's rating. I'm just struggling to see how they out-strip Casio in this area. It would take a head to head contest to convince me which can survive at the greatest depth really.

Another thing that's crossed my mind is the huge, plastic crystals on Suunto watches, and how they'd hold up to pressure. How much pressure before they begin to bend? :think:

Anyway, I'm not knocking Suuntos, and a 30m rated watch that survives 30m is excellent. It's just that I've not seen evidence of what Protreks can withstand in order to make a comparison. I wouldn't be surprised at all if a Protrek survived a 100m dive. I'm not volunteering mine though... just in case. :-d

Your point about buttons is valid, although I'd never thought of Protreks/Pathfinders as diving watches.