Water Resistance Testing
Watches are more than just a stylish accessory; they can be essential tools, particularly when it comes to water resistance. Whether you're a seasoned diver, an athlete, or simply someone who doesn't want to worry about their watch during every day activities, at Brufords, our range of water resistance testing services ensure that your timepiece is perfectly equipped to handle any environment.
What "Water Resistance" Means
The water resistance of a watch refers to its ability to withstand exposure to water under specific conditions. This measure is usually indicated in meters (m), atmospheres (ATM), or bars, with 1 ATM being equal to 1 bar, which are both equivalent to 10 meters of static water pressure. However, it is important to note that these ratings are based on laboratory tests, which do not always reflect real life conditions. In real life conditions, your watch will also be subject to dynamic pressures, such as those caused by moving your arms through water or changes in temperature, which can then cause your watch to become subjected to pressure levels higher than just those exerted by depth alone. Subsequently, this can lead to your watch exceeding its recommended limits and cause problems with its water resistance. This is why often we recommend a 100m/ 10 ATM or greater watch for water sports and why a 30m watch is only suitable for everyday tasks.
Common water resistance ratings include:
30m (3 ATM): Suitable for everyday activities such as washing your hands, and light rain. Not recommended for swimming or submersion.
50m (5 ATM): The watch can handle brief submersion and swimming in shallow water, but still not ideal for extensive water activities.
100m (10 ATM): Suitable for swimming and snorkelling. This is a good choice for more active water sports, but not for diving.
200m (20 ATM) and beyond: These watches are built to withstand significant pressure. Ideal for professional marine activity, serious surface water sports, and scuba diving.
The Importance of a Maintenance Service
The water resistance of a watch isn’t a permanent feature and can diminish over time due to various factors including general wear and tear, environmental factors such as exposure to chlorine, saltwater, and extreme temperatures, and physical impact from accidental shocks and drops. Therefore, the regular replacement of the water-resistant elements of your watch is crucial - we recommend this procedure takes place roughly every 5 years, and even more frequently if the watch is often used in water activities. We also advise to you have your watch tested immediately after it has been subjected to potential stress such as a significant drop, or exposure to harsh chemicals.
In our maintenance services, our watchmakers are trained to identify and replace all the water-resistant components in your watch, from gaskets and seals to brand new replacement crowns and chronograph pushers as well. This not only ensures the watch is water resistant on the day it leaves our workshop, but for years to come. The watch then undergoes strenuous testing to ensure that the watch meets its water resistance specifications. There a several methods to carry out testing, each designed to assess the integrity of the watch’s seals, gaskets and overall construction stability, with the two most common being the dry test, and the wet test – both of which we can carry out at Brufords.
Dry Testing
Dry testing is a non-invasive method that uses air pressure to test the watch’s water resistance without exposing it to water, dry testing typically involves placing the watch in a sealed chamber, in which the pressure is increased to a specific level, corresponding to the watch’s water resistance rating. During this process, sensors measure any changes in the watch case’s shape or volume. These changes are called deformations and are measured in micrometres, with 1000 micrometres in a single millimetre – the machine must be incredibly sensitive and accurate to measure deformations this small! If the deformations are too large, it indicates air potentially leaking into the watch and could signify a potential breach in water resistance.
Dry testing is useful tool because it avoids exposing the watch to water, which can be crucial for preserving the integrity of delicate or vintage timepieces. However, it is limited due to the fact it is very hard to achieve pressures above 100m, with air, in a standard workshop setting.
Wet Testing
Commonly used for watches expected to undergo substantial water exposure, such as diving watches, wet testing involves submerging the watch in water. Starting by placing the watch in a chamber filled with water, the pressure in the chamber is then increased to meet the watch’s water resistance rating specified by its manufacturer. It is then held at this pressure for around 5 minutes, before the pressure is released and the watch then subjected to a condensation test. The condensation test assesses whether water has entered the case, even in very small quantities. During the test, the watch case is heated up to around 50 degrees Celsius before being quickly cooled – if any moisture is present, it will then form condensation on the glass.
Choose Brufords For Your Watch's Water Resistance Testing
Whether you own a luxury watch, or a cherished family heirloom, regular maintenance is an investment in the longevity and reliability of your timepiece, so too is who you trust to care for your treasured timepiece. When choosing a service provider, it is important to select a trusted, and accredited service centre. This ensures the parts, standards and tooling all meets the requirements set out by the manufacturer.
Trusted in Eastbourne since 1886, at Brufords, we are committed to offering all of our customers a first-class aftersales service.
Situated at our Cornfield Road headquarters, our state-of-the-art watch workshop opened in 2023 and is equipped with an array of cutting-edge machinery and tools. Giving us the opportunity to offer an range of watch-focused after-sales services, our workshop is home to 4 fully trained watchmakers, a watch technician and a workshop coordinator, who all take great pride in caring for your timepieces.
As an Authorised Service Centre for several luxury watch brands including Rolex, Omega, TAG Heuer, Tudor and Tissot, we also have access to official, genuine parts and materials, and the tools required to carry out a variety of watch repair services.
Situated in The Beacon, our team of watch repair specialists are also on-hand to answer any questions you may have in relation to water resistance testing and our range of maintenance services.
For more information, visit us in-store, contact us by email to aftersales@brufords.com or by telephone on 01323 725452
