To Swim or Not To Swim? (5 ATM and Screw Down Crown)

I feel like water resistance is over hyped but honestly I have no idea.

More on the watch:

https://www.watchcrunch.com/Burton_M/posts/should-i-jump-on-it-tisell-9015-r-roman-enamel-406989

It's never impossible you'll ruin a watch swimming. It just gets less and less likely as you get more wr and more care being put into verifying it. The brand would probably tell you not to wear it swimming to be safe, which is not bad advice. That said, you'd probably be just fine. You can roll the dice if you feel like it, but know that they are rolling.

I had a cheap watch for years that my dad gifted to me, on paper it was 50m WR but no, it could handle a shower, or washing my hands. Once i accidentaly fell into a danube at fall a few years back, it was the worst experience ever, the water was cold, my watch got wet i didnt had any spear clothing that i could wear, and the plant still needed water. Sience than i prefer it without it, i dont reccomend it, but i think it could handle it

When swimming, your movement through the water increases the pressure on the watch, so I only swim with min 100Mtr, a quick dip should be OK including splashes, so kayaking would be OK.

I'm not a kayaker, but isn't it possible to bash the watch accidentally against hard objects? Kayak, paddle, God forbid, a rock?

I was just thinking about this today but with 200 and 300 meter watches. I’m not saying that 50 won’t work. I’m trying to say why don’t I enjoy that. If we’re talking about vintage or really cheap Chinese watches (under $100) then yes, I’d test it or be very careful before I take it in the water. But of the gaskets are all new on a proper watch then I would really wanna try mysef. Listen man, if you can buy it again if ut gets ruined then just enjoy. At least you will know for a fact. If you can’t but are willing to see if it will handle it then do. The fact is, every real water resistant spec has a 20% buffer for margin of error. So if I’m gonna speak my mind out. I’d say “5 atmospheres are never a coulle of splashes and a maximum of 2 meters under water. I think manufacturers are just telling you not to swim with 5 ATM watches just so you’d buy their 20 ATM one (unfortunately I don’t know but this is what I personally think).

For reference: there is a gentleman here that accidentally ruin his vintage seiko dive watch by just having it in the shower with him (he wasn’t wearit the steam got in)

And here’s a video of a water resistance test for a g shock: https://youtu.be/_2wGjokbPJo?si=ERpMlyq-uJccHSFA

Try to check if someone did a water resistance test on the one you wanna buy ✌️

I only swim with watches with a steel bracelet. Or rubber. Or a material that is made to get wet. Leather tends to get smelly after days of swimming/sweating/sporting etc.

50m and screw down crown, should be sufficient.

But then again. I once (25 years ago) ruined a watch by swimming that was rated 100m WR and had a screw down crown.

I flooded a 5 ATM watch while swimming before. So you gotta ask yourself:

If I don’t need the watch I’ll take it off. But say I’m going surfing/coasteering/kayaking and want to keep an eye on the time l, I’ll wear a G-shock or a diver but not an expensive one. At the end of the day that’s what those watches are made for.

I guess my answer is 50m is fine for kayaking and swimming so crack on with it! As long as you’re okay with the fact that the watch is being exposed to conditions that could damage it.

I wouldn't unless the company has statements and guarantees backing it as a swimming and ocean capable watch. I would email them to get a written response.

5atm is only 50 meters. I wouldn't trust it kayaking.

I'd probably replace it with a Perylon Strap.

I have no prob swimming with my 600m Tissot SeaStar or 200m Orient Ray, but I don’t think I’d swim with anything rated only to 50m

For me screw down crown and 200m Resistant as minimum

I think you should ask the brand what they consider to be swim-worthy.

5 atm isn't that great a rating. It'll keep you safe while washing hands but otherwise....

Don't swim with it.

Here's a meme.

Based on a watchmaker knwolegdge (Mr Mory), you can swim.

Hand movements do not increase pressure gaskets in a measurable amount.

The real issue is if you dive, the gasket would not support coming back to the surface (it will allow water to enter).

For normal swimming at the surface, no issue.

I say 5ATM and a screw down crown should be fine for swimming and kayaking. But granted, it isn't my watch.

5 isn’t instilling confidence in me. I wouldn’t risk getting it wet, because I don’t see a good reason to do so. Just what I think.

A 5 ATM is rated for 50 metres of water resistant. You can swim with this periodically. But it's advised not to participate in any water sports. That style and design of watch I personally wouldn't wear it swimming or kayaking. But if you choose to do so, make sure the caseback and any screw down mechanism are all tight. Good luck with your decision and choice 🤙🏽

The question you have to answer is: "am I confident that this watch is actually water resistant to a depth of 5 meters, literally?"

The answer could be "no" if,

1. You don't trust the maker to give a true rating of the watch's spec

2. You don't trust the maker's quality control process to screen out watches that have defective water resistance

If you're not sure, you could try asking Tisell and see if THEY are confident that their 5m rated watch will pass a 5m depth test. Either way, their response will tell you a lot.

If you are using an American credit card, I believe your cc company will protect you from defective goods. You just have to discover the defect within the specified protection period. So buy the watch, take it swimming a couple times right away and do a condensation test (or skip the swimming and just have your watchmaker do a proper pressure test) and then if there's a problem, attempt to get Tisell to resolve the problem at no cost to you. If they won't, or if they're unreachable, the credit card company will give you your money back.

***PSA****

Does moving or swimming while you're in the water require a higher water resistance than if you stay still? Not too a meaningful degree, no.

"Dynamic pressure" is real, but the idea that it has an impact on real life water resistance... is a myth that has been debunked many times over.

Don’t get that strap wet

On my last cruise, I swam in the ocean with an inexpensive watch rated at 3ATM, or 30 meters. It was perfectly fine. I just made sure the crown was fully pushed in.

That said, YMMV, and your watch is fancier than mine, although yours has even better water resistance. Can you afford to easily replace it? If so, then sure, take it swimming.

I would err in the side of caution ⚠️

I like having a screw down crown. It's like a security blanket...

Screw down is not a guarantee of water resistance. It's all about the gaskets preventing water seepage into the case. When a screw down crown is made correctly and proper gaskets are in place, then you can have some comfort that water will not penetrate the case.

However, 50M of WR is pretty weak and I would not expect it to be safe for submersion.

Generally, you want at least 100M WR before you dive into the water.

It's not just about screwing something down...it's about the pressure of the water on the watch when you are submerged. The deeper you go...the more pressure. The more pressure...the greater the risk of water penetration.

I would recommend saving yourself about $170 and picking up a Casio Duro instead. 200M WR and with the savings you can purchase a really nice silicone or rubber strap for it for about $20 or less.

5atm is rated for swimming.

https://www.watchresearcher.com/wp-content/uploads/Watch-water-resistance-chart-e1645523171935.jpg