Explorer case from ebay (raffles?) water resistant?

[peterhorstmann]

Dear Forum,

I love watches and tinkering and thought it would be a fun project to put a watch together by myself. Since this is completely new to me I am hoping to get some help somewhere in the depths of this forum!

So my plan is to make a 36mm explorer-style watch with this case from ebay:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UNBRANDED...53.m1438.l2649

And get a seagull 2836 movement for it. I would like to find some nice old watch dial from ebay (something cheap and with lot's of patina and character!)

I'm sure I'll have a few questions as I go along and am happy to document the build here with plenty of pictures, but for now I would like to know if someone has handled the case I linked above. Is this the same case that is sold on raffles-dials? The pictures look the same and the text and price are identical. What I wonder is if this case can be made 100m (ish) water resistant? This is my main question right now. It looks like it has a screw down crown, which is great. The seller just said it would be waterproof enough for the bathtub and doing dishes, but I suspect he does not want to guarantee anything which I understand. I would love to make a watch that I can wear everywhere, at the beach, while sailing or skiing or camping or whatever and I think this is what the explorer should be used for!

I know there must be info on these cases here somewhere and I am happy to repost the question there but perhaps someone can direct me towards that area of the forum?

Thanks!

Peter

[Sogeha]

Unless there are serious manufacturing defects, waterproofing is largely a matter of decent gaskets and o rings, properly fitted and greased. Once you have that and obviously a properly seated crystal, you should be good. A lot of watch shops will pressure test a watch for a small fee

[peterhorstmann]

Thanks for the fast reply, that sounds good!

 

Does anybody have experience with that particular case and perhaps some close up pictures? The pics on ebay are not very detailed.

[Sogeha]

I have one. It’s a nice case, but not a very accurate copy of an Explorer 1. I used mine for a project not dissimilar to yours and it doesn’t matter about being accurate for that

 

Unfortunately Covid19 means I won’t be able to access it any time soon to take photo’s

[peterhorstmann]

Cool thanks. Will be interested to see fotos of your watch post-plague!