At what point is pressure testing warranted? New crystal? Caseback Removal? Service? Etc.

[justudor]

Dear All,

 

As above. 

 

At what point is a pressure test warranted? 

 

Is it a matter of course that they should be done every time the watch has experienced any disassembly? 

 

Would a caseback removal and replacement using grease warrant a pressure test in your opinion/experience?

 

Thanks all,

 

dainese

[Nanuq]

This is one of those questions where 100 people will have 100 answers.  The bottom line is, how much do you depend on the watch?

 

My friend was a commercial diver and he had his 1665 checked every year, all seals replaced, and a pressure check.  He depended on his watch for his life (this was before dive computers) so he spared no expense.  Even so, after a successful pressure check, the same month he had an extended sat dive then a simple down-and-back the next week.  On the 2nd dive it flooded at 80' depth.  Some time during the long decomp it got a bit of crud in the HEV and that left it vulnerable to flooding.

 

So even regular checks and seal replacements can't guarantee it's watertight.  My divers all have domed plexi crystals and if I bang one against a door frame, it's liable to crack the plexi and compromise the seal.

 

If the only thing you're doing is removing the caseback, then inspect the o-ring before you reinstall it.  Lube it well so there's no binding between the back / o-ring / case, and make sure you screw the back on to spec.  Then you'll probably be just fine.

 

Probably.  

[FxrAndy]

I would say every time you break a seal with the exception of the crown

That is if you want to know it is still resistant but as bobs story above proves it can happen even to the best

[SSTEEL]

Whenever I do any internal work on a watch, I always grease the o-ring/s.  When waterproofing a watch, I use Marine epoxy to seal off the non-functioning He valves on reps.  

 

On some watches that fail WR testing due to the crystal seal, I first remove crystal, clean all mating surfaces, replace gasket for new, and try again, if it fails once again, then I pop the crystal, and then apply a very thin layer of Resi-Bond to the gasket, then when crystal is pressed in, leave for 48 hours, then test again.  

[SSTEEL]

Just to touch on the above post from myself, regarding the sealing of a watch crystal, you can also use UV activated glue which is quite a popular choice in watchmaking.

[justudor]

Dear All,

 

Sorry about the delayed reply, forgot about this!

 

Thanks for the insight everyone.

 

I will NOT be diving so I think the necessary precautions as mentioned will hopefully suffice.

 

Thanks again