thomasng Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Can anyone help me on this? It's incredibly humid in Hong Kong, and my Swiss Daytona fogged up really badly today, the humidity was 97% earlier today. It looked really bad in the end, the dial and the entire crystal was covered with fog. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornerstone Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Not really a solution, but perhaps this discussion on alt horology might help point you in the right direction: Omega condensation problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Toss the watch in a ziplock baggy with a packet of silica. The silica will pull the condensation right out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystalcranium Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Not really a solution, but perhaps this discussion on alt horology might help point you in the right direction: Omega condensation problem I'm not a watchsmith but I don't think the humidity is having a direct effect on your watch fogging but perhaps, your forearm sweating from the heat is. It sounds like a loose caseback or perhaps an incorrectly seated and greased o-ring in the caseback. If the back can be unscrewed by hand without tools, it probably is inadequetely tightened. Open it and remove it carefully keeping the dial and crystal of the watch pointed to the floor always and set the watch down in the sun, indoors of course, for several hours. I have also used a drafting lamp with a 75 watt bulb hovering about 8-10 inches above the open watch back for several hours to dry out the movement. If the caseback is tight, de-fogging can be achieved by opening the crown and using both of these methods but the bottom line is the source of infiltration must be determined or the watch will fog again. Remember, if there is enough moisture in the watch to fog, there is enough to corrode the movement. Quick drying and not exposing the watch to moisture until the cause of the breech is determined is manditory to avoid ruining the movement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomasng Posted July 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Hmm, caseback is very tight, and my %#@*ing hands can't get it to open, neither can a rubber ball or the sticky tape or sticky tack. My theory is that I was washing my hands today and the chrono pushers were not screwed down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Well, the screw down collars on the pushers don't provide any water resistance, per se; they're only there to prevent you from pushing them in while under water. The gaskets around the pushers are what provide the sealing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystalcranium Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Hmm, caseback is very tight, and my %#@*ing hands can't get it to open, neither can a rubber ball or the sticky tape or sticky tack. My theory is that I was washing my hands today and the chrono pushers were not screwed down. Well here's my old mantra about replicas. I NEVER assume any sort of water resistance about them no matter how much they look like a water resistant genuine. Spalshes from washing hands near wide open chrono pushers would explain it. Dry it out ASAP and never get it near water again!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomasng Posted July 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Guess I've learned my lesson. I used to swim, shower with my reps, many Panerai especially and didn't have a problem with them at any time and I guess I took that for granted...... Thanks for reminding me why I buy genuines too. I found a few silica packs from Korean seaweed I had lying around the apartment, threw 2 of the packs in a ziploc bag with the watch and I'm praying that it won't happen again, and that in the morning everything will be fine. Another question, why did the moisture keep appearing on and off? I would go inside, the moisture would disappear, then reappear, then disappear again, and when I went outside reappear again, and disappear and reappear again. Sometimes the moisture was so bad that I couldn't even read the bloody time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 The moisture probably only appears when there is a high level of heat/humidity. Once you go into a cooler atmosphere with a/c, the condensation disappears from the crystal... Maybe re-appearing from the heat of your body temp. Hard to say. Just keep a close eye on your dial- Sometimes that moisture can cause the surface paint to bubble up... And, of course, it isn't good for your movement either... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swdivad Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Thanks for reminding me why I buy genuines too. It's shocking when this happens (and embarrasing too lol)... My genuine PAM 091's crystal fogged up one day Almost crapped myself! I took the caseback off and left it on the window sill by the sun for a few hours... The silica should work fine too. Brought it to my watchmaker and it's been good since! Have a watchmaker pressure test it and regrease the seals, you should be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groobash Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 (edited) Yes, I have a couple reps that fog up in the humidity here in Florida. After it happens the first time, I keep those to use on nicer days only. One is a Cartier 100 Santos, the other is an Omega Railmaster. Edited July 27, 2006 by groobash Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomasng Posted July 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 The silica gel did the trick Problem is to find a watchmaker here in Hong Kong who will work on reps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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