How Does the Seamaster Pro Look Without the Helium Escape Valve
Tragic. 😭
Not sure what happened, but the helium escape valve on my Seamaster Pro 300 GMT got stuck. I had to put a bit of force into unscrewing it, and it did ... right off the watch. Argh. It’s clear that something got stuck in the HEV; I really can’t imagine how that happened, as I don’t really play with it.
So to service it goes as soon as I can get to the AD. I really don’t trust the water resistance without the crown. It was serviced last summer, so fingers crossed that this is covered under the service warranty.
And for the record - i really don’t think the watch looks right without the HEV crown. The balance just looks right with it. The watch would need a significant redesign to make it look right without the 10 o’clock crown.
If divers wear dive watches, and pilots wear pilot watches, who wears tool watches? 😉
If you get a wart removed there will always be a scar! The wart crown is the seamaster trademark so needs to stay.
Hopefully it gets fixed under warranty. I am more interested in the crown guard difference between the GMT and non GMT version. With the GMT the crown is much more protected. I wonder what the reasoning is for that.
I think it looks better without it. Where you run into problems is comparing to what you know is the Seamaster profile. Once you get over that, it looks better IMHO.
Looks much better, great mod 😁
Sounds similar to a problem I had with some crowns. Turns out something, food/liquid, got spilled onto the watch then it dried and “locked” the crown in place. I used rubbing alcohol and I think dental floss to break the “seal” between the crown and the case. That loosened things up to allow for removing the crown and cleaning off the sticky residue.
Sorry you had this happen.
I agree it looks weird without it!
I was wondering about this as I recently got a SMP 300 (90s).
Is the H escape valve captive? If open does it effect WR?
If you get a wart removed there will always be a scar! The wart crown is the seamaster trademark so needs to stay.
It’s not a wart. It’s a mole 😜 And a mole can be beautiful. What would Cindy Crawford or Marilyn Monroe be without their beauty marks? It’s distinctive and needs to stay. Agreed 👍 😁
I was wondering about this as I recently got a SMP 300 (90s).
Is the H escape valve captive? If open does it effect WR?
Its a screwed in valve. The idea is to bleed excess helium during decompression (in a chamber) so expanding gasses don’t blow the crystal off the case. It’s not to be used under water, and will definitely compromise your WR if opened in a wet environment 👍. It’s a feature pretty much nobody needs as recreational divers. A novelty, but a distinctive trademark of the watch.
I think it looks better without it. Where you run into problems is comparing to what you know is the Seamaster profile. Once you get over that, it looks better IMHO.
Or you can get over your distaste for the 10 o’clock crown and recognize that the watch is designed to have the HEV as a visual counterweight and looks unbalanced on both X and Y axes without it. IMHO.
Watchmakers do a lot of subtle tricks to keep a watch visually balanced despite being asymmetric. For example, the bezel ring on my Pelagos 39 is slightly offset to the left side of the case. I’m talking a fraction of a mm. It’s very hard to see and I haven’t been able to get photo to illustrate the difference with my standard 1:1 macro setup. I didn’t even notice the feel difference until after a month+ of ownership. But run your finger on the sides and it’s very subtly noticeable. That’s a design decision to counterbalance the crown and crown guard.
Without a doubt it's all personal preference. Do what you like!
With that said, if I were in your shoes, this is the decision tree I'd engage to arrive at a conclusion:
Do I shower, swim, and/or dive with this watch? If yes: fix it via an AD. If no: see question 2.
Does the visual lack of HEV crown bother me? If yes: fix it via an AD. If no: see question 3.
Am I concerned with resale value at all or is this a keeper? If yes: fix it via and AD. If no: see question 4.
Am I willing to spend any money on this matter or not. If no: leave it alone as is. If yes: do research and connect with a proper technician who offers services like watch pitting repair and case restoration, tell them you want this HEV crown tube grinderd down and then closed up and polish/brush matched to the case as if it were a large pit in the case they were repairing... it would truly be unique and resolve the issue and (IMO) make the watch visually look better. Only do this step if you don't use this watch in a way where you particularly care about WR performance, aren't concerned with future resell value, and are willing to put a little bit of dough towards the solution.
Or you can get over your distaste for the 10 o’clock crown and recognize that the watch is designed to have the HEV as a visual counterweight and looks unbalanced on both X and Y axes without it. IMHO.
Watchmakers do a lot of subtle tricks to keep a watch visually balanced despite being asymmetric. For example, the bezel ring on my Pelagos 39 is slightly offset to the left side of the case. I’m talking a fraction of a mm. It’s very hard to see and I haven’t been able to get photo to illustrate the difference with my standard 1:1 macro setup. I didn’t even notice the feel difference until after a month+ of ownership. But run your finger on the sides and it’s very subtly noticeable. That’s a design decision to counterbalance the crown and crown guard.
No, I will not get over my distaste for it at the 10 o'clock position. I do understand reason why it is there (I am an engineer) but that does not mean that I like it.
Noooooooo