Water resistance.

As for showers, gaskets are designed to prevent liquid water ingress -- they're not designed to keep out gasses and don't work well against steam. Additionally, because gaskets are made of rubber, they degrade over time. So, the only way to be completely sure that you haven't allowed water to enter your watch is to have it pressure tested annually. Water ingress can cause rust.

Here's an example of what can be required to repair rust:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRF95Yt4H7A

Risk mitigation and risk aversion. Everyone has their opinion. To each his own.

I ‘ve worn my Seiko in the shower for decades. No issue. My Rolex, I put on a stand.

Most the peeps complain don’t even wash there hands let alone dive lmao

Just a theory but sometimes when one is mad at one's spouse or boss but too scared to talk smack directly they bitch about watches they have no intention of owning. For everyone else there is booze.

Actually curious. I never understood the steam being bad for the watch thing. If steam (without greater air pressure) is an issue, shouldn’t folks in places like Miami or Atlanta should generally have problems because of relatively high humidity? I’m not an engineer, so I may be missing some basic science knowledge.

I can attest to this. About sixteen years ago I ruined a Seiko Kinetic with 200m WR by wearing it in a sauna.

Curious if anyone has real life stories of gaskets breaking down and causing water damage to a watch, and how old they were? I get the theory but hardly ever see actual evidence. I genuinely want to know how long modern gaskets last? I suspect decades, even showering or swimming with it.

Too many variables. In theory, waterproof is waterproof, full stop.

But sometimes materials have defects, they weren't shaped exactly right, lemons, burrs, etc, etc, etc.

For the most part and 90% of users, watches will be waterproof. But nothing is perfect, and as is always the case failure and flat out squeaky wheels will always shout louder.

"Dynamic Pressure" isn't a thing (unless, as I like to say here, you are on a one way trip strapped to the front of a torpedo).

Showering, fog, humidity, etc shouldn't affect your watch either BUT that's if your:

1. Crown is down (for extra security screwed down if an option)

2. Gaskets are doing their job

I'd honestly be more concerned with soap scum hanging out in my strap.

I could see condensation maybe forming briefly if going from extreme hot to cold or vice versa. But I haven't noticed anything like that for any watch I own, new or ebay find.

But that's just me. Ive been wearing a watch in some fairly austere environs for over a decade now, and aside from damage to the outside of cases nothing really has happened inside.

Granted I will usually drop a new-to-me watch off at a watch guy I know for a basic checkup/gasket check but after that I wear them.

I also have started asking acquaintances who get fogged up watches about their instance, so far after all the expletives and complaining, sure enough crown wasn't screwed down. Thought it was but wasn't. YMMV.

I think the "5KX hate" comes more from the scummy marketing move from Seiko - discontinuing a best-seller to re-release it at a higher price point with lesser specs - than from the watch itself.

Personally I find the dial of the 5KX more refined thanks to the steel indices, applied logo and the lovely SARB "Automatic" font, so I am happy about the refreshed look. My 5KX is also part of a rotation and not having to unscrew the crown to wind it or set the time in the morning is one less operation so I can't complain. The watch is water resistant enough for me to swim with it and wash it thoroughly without worries.

I will say, however, at the MSRP of 295€, it's poor value compared to Orient divers. In the 180-200€ range on sale on the grey market it's just alright.

The new SRPK releasing at 350€ for less watch than the SRPD is another sign of Seiko trying to gradually increase their prices. The Seiko 5 gateway to this hobby is moving further and further away from the beginner collector and that sucks.

Hindsight being 20/20, I'd have gladly given up some WR for hand winding and hacking.

Just from an enthusiast perspective, my Gen I Mako is a PIA to get setup when I'm not wearing it constantly.

I wouldnt risk some of my pricier dress watches... there's something to be said about the sheer effort and cost of having those repaired. Beaters, you wouldnt care at all

The 5KX hate mostly came from spec chasers. They were a "specs" downgrade, so they're pure garbage. I wrote it that way because I believe they got a useful specs upgrade(4R36), while downgrading a useless spec(WR).

People obsess over WR because it's an easy to compare spec. Watch A has 100m, watch B has 200M, therefore watch B is a better watch... There is also the likelihood that many people have overspent, and therefore have to baby their watches, because they can't afford to repair them if anything happens.

For me - 100m is enough and I torture test my watches with TONS of water and sweat exposure.

The catch - I still want a screw crown. I just trust it more. I feel like a seal is never quite as secure as a seal AND a thread.

Screw crown and 100m is fine for anything I do (swim, kayak, windsurf, etc)

I can do just about anything with this monster... and not have a care