Water resistance for Dive Watches

[emalebiga]

Hello I was just wondering if Scubatoys could shed some light on some conflicting information I have been getting.

Alright so most companies say that a water resistance of 200m is recommended for scuba, but watches that are "dive watches" are only rated to 100m. I just asked the people at scuba.com and they said that 100m resistance is far passed what a diver would need.

I am assuming that the scuba.com guy doesn't know how dive watches are rated for water resistance because 100m water is what a watch can withstand if the 100m rated watch is held perfectly still under 100m of water, and I would have assumed he would at least tell me about the 200m recommendation if he had some knowledge on the matter.

So in the end I know that 200m is recommended, but is 100m sufficient?

Has anyone had problems diving with a 100m watch?

[Seniordiver]

I'm not able to get into comparative depth claims, but I remain concerned over the terms, "resistant" and "proof". A watchmaker friend tells me that in his termenology, water "resistant" means take it into the shower, if it doesn't have a leather band. Water "proof" (i.e. my Submariner) means it will prevent leakage at least to the stated depth.

[DougNR]

Here's my take on it, and it only an opinion...

100m dive watches are pretty inexpensive, and I don't personally tend to wear a dive watch except to dive. I have had good luck with my inexpensive 100m Freestyle brand watch. It's functional and rugged. I've beat the crap out of it and it's never been a problem. I spent under $50 for it on sale and if it were to fail today, I'd have gotten good value. That's not to say it's cheap or that I'm risking my safety on cheap gear (and I forget I'm not on that "other board").

If I wore a dive watch day in and out, I'd probably spend more and it would likely be a 200m watch just because of the higher price tag, but I have never had reason to think a 100m is less than up to the task.

Good luck.

[CompuDude]

Here's the scoop.

Obviously even 50m (over 150') is far deeper than what most divers will ever do in their lifetime.

The problem lies with how watches are rated. They are stuck into a pressure jar compressed, sitting there on the bottom. They aren't touched, they aren't moved around, and they aren't played with. This is a hydrostatic pressure test, meaning the water is still and doesn't move.

Basic physics, however, makes it clear that the second you move a watch under pressure, you greatly increase the pressure the watch is getting on one side, while decreasing it on the other. So essentially, the second you move, you have just multiplied the pressure by many times. Now hit it on a rock at 90'. Imagine how much pressure there must there there!

The reality is even though less than 1% will ever actually go to 100m, let alone 200m, you need a higher rated watch for scuba because of the stresses and movement it goes through at depth, which are very different from the stresses the watch got sitting at the bottom of a pressure pot.

All that said, I know a number of divers that squeak by with 100m watches. They do so with full realization that the watch could go at any time, however... so I wouldn't recommend doing this with a watch you actually like and can't afford to replace.

Another thing to consider is the buttons. Watches rated to 100m often do not have buttons that can be actuated underwater. 200m watches are designed so you can push the buttons underwater and still maintain the pressure seal.

Long story short, unless you are a starving student who literally can't afford the minor price jump of a 200m watch over a 100m watch, you'd be better served with a 200m watch if you're intending it for scuba.

FWIW, I recently picked up a 200m Casio G-Shock for $45 at Walmart. They don't have to be expensive to work well as dive watches. (It's not my regular dive watch since I got my Citizen, but I've used them with great success in the past.)

You may be better off still with greater than 200m is you plan to start extreme depth technical diving, and are considering just how tough those records are to break.

Btw: There's no such thing as water "proof" anymore (although there could be some 5-figure high end watch that still makes that statement). They're all water-resistant to various depths.

[Penguino]

Originally Posted by CompuDude

Btw: There's no such thing as water "proof" anymore (although there could be some 5-figure high end watch that still makes that statement). They're all water-resistant to various depths.

Yup. Its all about the legal consequences of what you say... "resistant" adds a layer of legal protection in that if it leaks, you can't sue them for a leaking water "proof" watch. Lame, but just the way it is.

[DevilDiver]

I really don't see the need to spend more than $50 on a "dive" watch.

When I first got certified watches were more common than computers so I purchased a $100 200m watch from the shop. It leaked on the first dive...replaced it. The second one the bezel fell off after 6mo....

Ever since then it's been Walmart specials. (yes, I still wear a watch)

First one $12 had for 3-4 years, digital, back lit, stopwatch, never had a problem (The original battery never ran out) with it. Gave it to a deckhand down in Mexico for a tip, he really wanted it for some reason. The second ($15 Walmart) I have had for almost 2 years and it is still going strong. If it breaks or I lose it or the battery runs out I will be making another trip to Walmart.

[mitsuguy]

Originally Posted by Penguino

Yup. Its all about the legal consequences of what you say... "resistant" adds a layer of legal protection in that if it leaks, you can't sue them for a leaking water "proof" watch. Lame, but just the way it is.

here's another take on it:

Watches Omega Watches Tag Heuer Watches Movado Watches Invicta Watches Breitling Watches Jewelry-Watches Seiko Watches, Men's Watches, Women's Watches.

[CompuDude]

Those are Seiko's specs. Each company has their own spin, but few stray very far from what I outlined above.

[mitsuguy]

Originally Posted by CompuDude

Those are Seiko's specs. Each company has their own spin, but few stray very far from what I outlined above.

yup... I remember reading something a few years back regarding that kinda thing...

[mm2002]

Originally Posted by DevilDiver

I really don't see the need to spend more than $50 on a "dive" watch.

When I first got certified watches were more common than computers so I purchased a $100 200m watch from the shop. It leaked on the first dive...replaced it. The second one the bezel fell off after 6mo....

Ever since then it's been Walmart specials. (yes, I still wear a watch)

First one $12 had for 3-4 years, digital, back lit, stopwatch, never had a problem (The original battery never ran out) with it. Gave it to a deckhand down in Mexico for a tip, he really wanted it for some reason. The second ($15 Walmart) I have had for almost 2 years and it is still going strong. If it breaks or I lose it or the battery runs out I will be making another trip to Walmart.

yep, I've got a $12 K-mart watch that's been with me since I started OW, and on MANY lake outings. Still works perfectly, and if it goes to crap, I'll just buy another one. On the bezel it says "water 160ft resist". Chinese grammar eh?