Water Resistance Guide for Luxury Watch Owners

Watchuwant is now WatchBox! Subscribe for the best luxury watch content. Modern luxury watches are awesome showcases for watchmaking tech. Some have cases like a Brink’s truck and sealing systems that would impress Captain Nemo, it is appropriate to say that contemporary watches are the most water resistant premium timepieces ever offered on the consumer market. Yet, despite the march of technology, each year sees another rash of luxury watch “accidental drownings” due to basic handling mistakes. It doesn’t have to be this way. By taking a few easy precautions, your watch can survive the perils of the pool, beach, and waterpark. First, an owner should consider whether his watch really belongs in the water. If the watch is rated at five ATM (1 ATM = 10 meters) or less, the answer is a resounding “no.” These watches are designed to survive splashes, not submergence. The factory’s static testing of a system with a 3-5 ATM rating involves slowly bringing the case under pressure and gradually easing it out. It doesn’t assume the hydraulic shock of paddling, diving, or wiping out while water skiing. Any one of the above can cause a spike in pressure that surpasses the rated resistance; leave these landlubbers on shore. Second, before hitting the water, “check the crown, and screw it down.” Even a hardcore dive tool with a 4mm crystal and a helium release valve has a gap in its armor, and that’s the screw-down crown. When allowed to remain open or partially open, even the mo