Jump to content
When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
  • Current Donation Goals

Waterproof Watch Testers


Recommended Posts

My gen Breitling chrono has non-screw pushers and is rated to 10atm/100m. tbh it doesn't feel right that the pushers still work under water, but I have used them to reset at 22 metres with no problems.

I wonder about this:

You heat up the watch, thereby heating and expanding the air inside it, if there is a leak it leaks out and the pressure equilibrates with the outside pressure.

Then you drop it into cold water. The cold cools the case and thus the air inside it, which contracts and allows air pressure to force water into the case.

It sounds to me as though you will fill your watch with water.

I agree, I think the tactic is to put a cold watch in a glass of hot water and look for air escaping, there will probably be some bubbles from the air trapped under the bezel but it should be quick and shallow enough to give a basic idea of any weak spots.

Edited by TommyB
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As I am not a science student, I can only go by what the "experts" say.

Henry Fried, in "Waterproofing watches" proposes a similar test, so we can only bow to their expertise, I suppose.

I think it makes a difference, if there is a "big" leak, then all the air pressure would have escaped before the watch got to the water....?maybe?

Good opportunity for a reasoned discussion, anyway!

Offshore

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
My gen Breitling chrono has non-screw pushers and is rated to 10atm/100m. tbh it doesn't feel right that the pushers still work under water, but I have used them to reset at 22 metres with no problems.

I on the other hand had a Tag diver chrono in the early 90's which I took diving (no idea what model it was). Damn thing was about as water resistant as a piece of blotting paper. Went back to be re-sealed twice before I gave up on it completely. I've sneered at T-H's ever since, which is probably most unjust.

Excellent thread. Funny because I popped in today to look up this very subject...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
Guest carlsbadrolex

TJ, I have to tell you... I was on the edge of my seat reading your article about the Blue Hole.

I have spent some time underwater as well as in the sky and most places in between and I completely respect your adventurism and diligence in doing such a great dive! That was simply incredible and sounds like it could be the basis for one of these new fangled adventure horror stories like THE CAVE.

Awesome dive and awesome story!

T

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • 7 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Interesting post on the pressure testing. I just completed my franken sub and I thought I better make sure its water proof sinse it has a $1500.00 movement in it and I am on the boat a lot and I wear it swimming. All I did was remove the movement and close it back up. Then I tied a string to it and lowered the empty case into the deep end of the pool and left it over night over night.

No leaks. Now I know the results could be different if I were scuba diving but I haven't dove in 12 years and don't plan to. But if I do I will just wear my gen 14060. But for what I do which is light swimming I am pretty confident that a leak test at 8 feet deep for 24 hours is good enough.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@KKS,

I have/had one of the Bulova testers, and they will give you an understanding that a watch leaks ( or doesn't) I have however seen someone post a simple test @ NAWCC, which is so easy, and achieves exactly what a Bulova test does.

1 Place your watch in the sun and get it hot.

2 Immerse the watch in cool water in a glass.

3 Look for a stream of bubbles, if you see same, immediately remove the watch from the water.

4 You have identified a leak... fix it.

This does not give you a "pressure" at which tested, just identifies a leak, as does the Bulova tester.

Simple physics, you have increased the internal pressure of the watch by putting it in the sun, immersing it in cold water, whilst reducing the pressure, creates a initially a differential of pressure internal vs external, ( until the cold water reduces and balances the internal pressure)

The differential ... SHOULD... create a stream of bubbles if the watch has a leak point. And as soon as that is seen, get the watch outa there, before the pressure balances, and water has an opportunity to start moving into the watch.

There you go, simple , easy, no guarantees, and certainly no ability to say " tested to X mtrs" or " X ft"

But a better test than no test, and you would have to be confident if it didn't leak, that you could shower, or surface swim with it. Or as Eddie puts it " Good for a 100m dash in the rain"

Offshore

Offshore,

Seems this is backwards. You put the watch in the sun and it heats up and expands the air inside where it leaks out. As soon as it hits the cold water the air inside would shrink bringing in water.

I've heard you heat up a glass of water and drop the watch in. As the air inside the case expands it would be forced out. I would imagine this wouldn't show up much more than a <1 atm pressure change, though. Have to be a pretty good leak to show up.

EDIT: i see this was discussed and I missed it. Sorry.

Edited by kbh
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...

Interesting post on the pressure testing. I just completed my franken sub and I thought I better make sure its water proof sinse it has a $1500.00 movement in it and I am on the boat a lot and I wear it swimming. All I did was remove the movement and close it back up. Then I tied a string to it and lowered the empty case into the deep end of the pool and left it over night over night.

No leaks. Now I know the results could be different if I were scuba diving but I haven't dove in 12 years and don't plan to. But if I do I will just wear my gen 14060. But for what I do which is light swimming I am pretty confident that a leak test at 8 feet deep for 24 hours is good enough.

I've been looking into this. Whilst "10m" kind of implies it'll be fine to have a bath with, or to go to the swimming pool, it's probably not. The movement of your hands swimming and hitting the water means it's not static. I think 3-5 ATM is what you'd need to feel safe doing a bit of swimming in it, and definitely more if you're a diver.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
  • 2 months later...
  • 8 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 months later...

i have 2 machines in my shop

It is true that our current stable of modders is badly over-worked and a high quality watch smith would be welcome. I also have to say that in the past some questionable modders have vanished with a whole lotta watches never returned SO .. if you could get vetted with the admin team, you would probably see all the work you could handle ..

Current modders here have a 2 month backlog of work so it would be worth your while to be "trusted" on the Forum.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is true that our current stable of modders is badly over-worked and a high quality watch smith would be welcome. I also have to say that in the past some questionable modders have vanished with a whole lotta watches never returned SO .. if you could get vetted with the admin team, you would probably see all the work you could handle ..

Current modders here have a 2 month backlog of work so it would be worth your while to be "trusted" on the Forum.

how do i do that ? :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I see that the "So you want to be a dealer" post was un-pinned in the General Discussion forum .. I suggest you start a topic in the general discussion area stating your intention and asking for guidance .. a moderator or an administrator will find you.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was suggested that I repost this for the knowledge base so I have revised it

Here we go.

e reading this, you will report back that they all leak. Not so.

A couple of bubbles at the crown... Should I be worried?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...
Please Sign In or Sign Up