Since there seems to be no water ingress after submerging the watch could it be moisture that somehow got in at the factory? Seems like the only viable explanation, right?

 

Try getting the watch cold and then warm it up. I had a watch that would fog when I came indoors from the cold. It turned out to be a leaky crown seal.

 

I think you have it backwards. Get the watch warm, then put an ice cube on the crystal. If there is moisture inside the watch, it will condense on the inside of the crystal. If you see condensation, have it serviced.

Also, to the OP, if you were concerned about moisture leaking into the watch, why would you then submerge the watch? Were you trying make sure it was truly dead?

 

i think youve a damaged seal or theres moisture in your watch, id be sending it in while its under warranty.

 

It could be a leaky crown seal as mentioned. Or it could be the watch case was last closed in a humid environment. You could remove the back and store the watch in a ziploc bag with bagged desiccant. Or send it in for service and let Seiko do the same thing. Or wear the watch under a sleeve and ignore it.

 

It was a fair old temperature change so I would be inclined to keep it under my sleeve next time it's cold outside and see how it gets on. I suspect that if it's something like a leaky crown seal even keeping it warmer won't help.

 

If there's any water in the case, after holding an ice cube on the crystal for a minute or two then removing it, condensation should form...

 

Thanks guys for the helpful replies, appreciate it.

I think the chance is small of water having come in since I haven't really had it near water before the event. Maybe water was already in. But what about the almost instant disappearance of the condensation? I was still outside, so no temperature change. Just went away.

 

My feeling is that ANY amount of water capable of showing easily visible amounts of condensate on the crystal is cause for concern - I don't care when, where, or how it got there. Eventually something is going to show damage from the water.

We've all seen vintage watches w/ those little spots on the dial, off color lume, and so on. Don't tempt fate.

Since watches are not routinely cased in zero humidity rooms in Death Valley I can't see it being there from that cause. A sink may not be able to generate enough pressure to force water past a faulty seal - but getting water around the crown and putting your hands under a commercial hand dryer might and I'm sure there are others.

But who wants to walk around with a diver that has questionable water resistance?
At the very least I'd find a watchmaker who could test it to a reasonable depth, 50-100 meters, and if it passes just dry it out with the dessicant and baggy method, if not, seals, cheap fix to prevent a big bill.

 

This is what I always worry about when I read about the people who get a new watch and want to see the movement. Open in up in humid conditions and later moisture. Or those who leave the crown pulled to conserve battery leaving it open for just enough moisture to cause fogging later. In this case I would suggest pulling the crown out and putting it in a jar of dessicant for a week or so then closing the stem. Does moisture appear again? If yes you have a bad stem gasket.

 

Unless you have it serviced in an area with near zero atmospheric humidity, the potential of condensation is still there if exposed to cold.

Check out Long Island Watches YouTube video series. One in particular address this.

sent from your mamma's house

 

UPDATE:

Opened up the watch and let the case dry. Did the ice cube test again, this time only a very small (~3mm) condensation spot appeared, which disappeared in about 10 s after removing ice.

While the case was drying, I found some similar experiences on WUS and on other forums that made me think that perhaps I worried for nothing: 18 to -7 degrees C seems like a potent enough shock to cause typical small areas of condensation in most watches. Both Tag Heuer and Sinn seem to be implying that transient fogging is normal with sudden temperature changes.

Indeed, Tag Heuer even states that:

"If the temperature changes suddenly, a slight amount condensation may appear under the crystal of your watch. The mist will disappear by itself and will not affect the functioning of the watch. If the condensation persists, please see your official Tag Heuer dealer."

From a user on another forum (edited for brevity):

"I have tried the ice cube test with all of my water resistant watches, including a brand new IWC Ingenieur (rated to 120 meters) my Explorer I (1.5 years old after purchase from AD) and my year old AP Royal Oak (water resistant to 50 meters).

I tested all of these, because I wanted a comparison to a watch whose results had gotten me nervous: my recently serviced GMT-Master II, which after doing the cube test, I noticed a very light "fog" [...] after the ice cube application[...]. This fog evaporated extremely quickly after the cube was removed and left no trace of it being there at all. Anxious, and thinking that the GMT had not been resealed properly after its recent service, I tried the same with all of the above listed watches as a control measure [and a similar fog appeared]. I highly doubt all of a sudden, ALL my water resistant watches have either become permeable to moisture simultaneously, or were not tested properly. [...]"

And from WUS, on Sinn:

People get confused with resistance to liquid water and water vapour. Watches are not resistant to water vapour as gaskets are permeable to it.

Molecules of water vapour are very small and of a shape that can penetrate rubber/polyurethane gaskets. Given enough time and it can be a long time, humidity will always equalise between the outside and inside of the watch due to Vapour Pressure. If you live in a high humidity climate eventually you will have high humidity in your watch no matter how dry an environment it was constructed in, and vice versa also.

Molecules in liquid water have a very strong bond between each other and this means they cannot pass through the gaskets. This strong attraction between water molecules can be seen as drops of water will pull themselves into a spherical shape if possible.

Sudden changes of temperature to the outside of the crystal can cause condensation but it is only fleeting and will quickly go away. So unless you are specifically looking for it you will not notice it. The higher the humidity in the watch the more condensation there will be.

Sinn produce watches that have an anti humidity capsule built in but eventually this capsule will have to be replaced as water vapour will still be permeating into the watch.

"The case features a copper sulphate capsule which reacts with moisture to diffuse and absorb humidity in the watch. This capsule may be viewed through a porthole in the left lug, and over time will turn a deep blue as humidity is absorbed. This technology not only provides a more stable environment for the movement, but also helps to prevent fogging of the crystal when going from hot to cold environments or from humid to non-humid conditions (such air conditioned buildings"

What are your thoughts on the above?

Thanks everyone for your advice!

 

You will ALWAYS have some humidity unless they somehow have an extreme dehumidifier that will remove every last mg of water from the air. Nobody actually does this. No reasonable watchmaker will even bother. Just don’t get it freezing cold or if youre really scared run it in front of a dehumidifier output before you close the caseback.
Anyone who tells you that there is a way to close a watch with absolutely zero water dissolved in the air doesnt Know what they are talking about. I work in the field of air quality.
That being said, it will only ever appear if you use an ice cube on it or its extremely cold outside.