Water Resistance
As the owner of an Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch, I often have challenges with complaints of the water resistance, which is about 150 feet. In addition, other critics make complaints about the water resistance of perfectly fine watches. Personally, I only swim, in watches such as my G-Shock or one of my divers. I own a Cartier Santos ( rated at 100 meters ), but I have no intention of submerging that watch in water.
My point is, if you own, or are thinking about purchasing a watch, but have reservation about the water resistance, I think it is ideal to ask yourself " Am I going to be in a circumstance where the watch will be submerged? ". I generally ALWAYS take my watch off when I go swimming.
Most watch enthusiasts have seen charts / data regarding water resistance. However, 3 BAR / 3 ATM / 30m is still about 100 feet of depth. Some equate that to accidental splashes. Have any of you thought about this? Are you really going to go swimming wearing your Datejust, or are you going to leave it off your wrist?
Time matters / watches don’t.
Sound advice.
Isn’t water resistance rating just what the manufacturer has tested to in a controlled environment?
Like theoretically a watch rated for 50m could withstand 75 or even 100 but the manufacturer stopped at 50 because that was their goal.
Just take the gosh darn watch off when going in deep water unless you’re comfortable with damage. If you don’t care, then the WR rating doesn’t really matter. Go buck wild.
Before the internet this was never an issue.
Common sense prevailed.
Take off your watch if you're worried. Wear your watch if you're comfortable...
I just solved the WR debates. You're welcome.
I can not even begin to tell you how many chats and articles and opinions I read. I did the math and conversion and then double checked it. And then came to this same conclusion. Just because we can doesn't mean should.
Imagine all the time and stress I would have saved of I had read this first.
10 years ago I was at my nephew’s house. We were about to go swimming and I had on watch that had a 100 meter water resistance rating. He said to me “Are you going to take you watch off?”. I stated it was ok for swimming. He responded with “Anything could happen to it”. Smart words from an 11 year old kid.
10 years ago I was at my nephew’s house. We were about to go swimming and I had on watch that had a 100 meter water resistance rating. He said to me “Are you going to take you watch off?”. I stated it was ok for swimming. He responded with “Anything could happen to it”. Smart words from an 11 year old kid.
If you can't splash in the pool with your kid/nice/nephew with a "sports" watch, you bought more watch than you can afford...
It's not the watch stopping you, it's your lack of ability to afford service/repair stopping you.
Edit: I realize the tone isn't what I wanted to go for, but the idea remains. Often the rationale for not wearing a watch is " it costs a lot to repair", but really we should only be buying watches we don't have to worry about. Worrying about a repair bill ruins he experience of owning a watch.
Buy what you can afford to wear without worry.
From Omega’s FAQ:
All current OMEGA watches are water resistant to the depth defined by the model specifications, provided that the water resistant components are intact. This means that an OMEGA watch that is water resistant to 30 metres can be worn for swimming (with vigorous movement) at depths of up to 30 metres underwater for extended periods without restriction.
We would like to emphasize that the water resistance of a watch is ensured by gaskets placed between the crown, the pushers, the crystal, and the watch case. These gaskets deteriorate over time under the influence of external factors such as temperature variations, pollution or chemicals and must be regularly replaced to guarantee the water resistance of the watch.
In addition, heavy impacts on the crown, pushers or helium valve are known to affect the water resistance and should be avoided.
The following tips will help you keep your OMEGA watch water resistant:
Have the water resistance of your watch checked once a year by an OMEGA authorised service centre
Always rinse your watch with tap water after swimming in salt water
If your watch is equipped with a screw-in crown, always screw it in after handling it
If your watch is equipped with an unscrewed crown, push it back against the case in the wearing position to prevent moisture from entering the case
Avoid operating the chronograph pushers under water to prevent infiltration into the movement. Exceptions: the Seamaster 300M and 600M chronographs are equipped with pushers that can be operated under water.
https://www.omegawatches.com/en-us/customer-service/faq
My rule for this is “just because you can doesn’t mean that you should”. I know my Speedy can do 50m but I won’t go in the pool with it just in case a pusher gets hit by accident. Not worth ruining the watch when I can wear another watch like a fitness watch or a diver that I have. I don’t wear it in the shower just because I’d rather not get soap scum on it and have to clean it again. But I’m never afraid to wear it doing the dishes, giving my kiddos a bath, being out in the rain, or splashing around in the sprinklers with the kiddos.
I swim with almost all of my watches including some of the expensive ones (if they’re rated). I feel naked without one. That said everything I swim in is 10bar rated or better. The only ones I don’t swim in are chronographs and my JLC which does not have screw down crowns. Otherwise, they all get wet.
In the last decade only one of my watches has taken on water in a pool or a lake and that was a Pelagos!
I don't tend to wear a watch swimming if it's less than 100meters water resistant. Or doesn't have a screw down crown. But that is also because those watches have not been built for swimming. In reality I only wear diver watches to swim. I own watches with just 30 metres water resistance that would never stop me buying them but it would stop me swimming with them 😂
IMHO, How many people will ever take their watches deeper than 100 ft? It’s a spec people use for comparison but in all honesty not that relevant for daily use right? If I’m just swimming in a pool I would worry about my speed master getting wet. What’s more likely to happen? Losing it in the locker room or encountering water damage?
The answer is simple, unless you have a fully fledged divers, 300M+ preferably with a helium valve - don't think about swimming with it or you risk screwing up your watch.
I have a moonwatch and swam/paddled in the ocean and pool this year - no issues at all - it’s the beach sand scratches on the heselite I’m more worried about
My wealthy (& probably foolish) has gone swimming in the sea on multiple occasions wearing his Speedmaster Professional 🤯😱
As a child my Casios generally all had a 50m water resistance and I never took it off- showers, baths, swimming lessons, swimming in hotel pools and the sea when on holiday and nothing ever happened to them. Never even thought about it - they said 50m, I wasn’t going down 50m so all good! Nowadays I wouldn’t swim with less than 100m for no logical reason based on the above!
I go swimming with all of my watches that are at least 10 ATM and never had a problem.
But as others have said: If you‘re converned just leave it at home or buy one just for swimming.
I won’t take my hopefully-soon-to-be-mine SBGA211 to the pool, however. That isn’t a watch for pools if you ask me.
My SBGN003, PRX on rubber and, of course, the GShock all went swimming with me this summer.
There are two sides to this.
1. Why wear an expensive watch in the water if you don't have to?
2. This watch went to the moon. But I'm too scared to wear it in the shower. 🙄
I have no problems submerging my SMP 300M in a basin to wash with soap and water. I have an issue taking it swimming, especially in salt water. I know I know. It's supposed to be THE watch to go swimming with. However, it cost too much money not to think about possible damage (even if it's just banging it accidentally on pool tiles). For swimming, either I don't wear a watch or I use my 200M Loreo Submariner homage.
Don't get me wrong. I don't baby the SMP. I wear it everywhere, under all kinds of conditions, but I don't earn nearly enough to not worry about the cost of the SMP if anything happens to it.