Bullmoor 0 Posted July 22, 2019 Hi All, I'm sure everyone here has noticed on replica sites the comments from the seller to the effect of 'pressure tested to 30m in factory' etc however, 1. Has anyone ever pressure tested a watch themselves & got a result that proves the factory claim of '30m' etc true? OR 2. Taken the replica for a swim regularly and never had any problems with it? I ask this as I've pressure tested some replicas myself and the results haven't given me the peace of mind i need to actually wear the watch for a swim... If anyone has found a submariner rep that they have worn in the water without issues or successfully pressure tested then i would be keen to find out where from. Appreciate your thoughts Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flinnt 2,009 Posted July 22, 2019 Just from reading around, not personal experience, those who swim with them usually like to replace seals and freshly grease them...and check before swimming. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hanski 40 Posted July 22, 2019 It’s been hit or miss for me. Some test fine OOTB, some don’t. I’m not sure it’s so much a specific factory or TD but the luck of the draw. All of the reps I’ve modded and own (all vintage) have been sealed up and test fine at 6atm+. I take them swimming, showering, washing hands, rain, sauna, and saturation diving - you know, whatever. My recommendation is like the others, test, check/lube seals, test. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bullmoor 0 Posted July 22, 2019 thanks all, hanski: any recommendations for vintage sub reps? cheers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
black263 228 Posted July 22, 2019 You can absolutely trust the 30m rating. As long as you keep the watch 30m from the nearest moisture you should be fine. On a more seious note, a 30 m rating means the watch is safe for daily use including rain and occasional splashes. It is not enough for bathing, showering, swimming, fishing etc, so, although you should survive swimming with it, the watch probably won't. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hanski 40 Posted July 22, 2019 2 hours ago, Bullmoor said: thanks all, hanski: any recommendations for vintage sub reps? cheers. It all depends on how deep your pockets are. A good starting point is a JKF 1680. It’s affordable, easy to mod/upgrade, and decent OOTB. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Theviking 197 Posted July 22, 2019 @hanski what are you using for your pressure tester? I'm building one at the moment but having difficulty with sealing it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hinclimincli 17 Posted July 22, 2019 2 hours ago, black263 said: You can absolutely trust the 30m rating. As long as you keep the watch 30m from the nearest moisture you should be fine. On a more seious note, a 30 m rating means the watch is safe for daily use including rain and occasional splashes. It is not enough for bathing, showering, swimming, fishing etc, so, although you should survive swimming with it, the watch probably won't. Ehm... 30m is way more than enough for a bath, shower or fishing. I even dare to say there should not be any problem with swimming in a pool as it's unlikely that you go deeper than just a few feet. Might not be enough for snorkeling though. I kind of trust Omega in these cases, and this is what they say: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hanski 40 Posted July 22, 2019 6 hours ago, Theviking said: @hanski what are you using for your pressure tester? I'm building one at the moment but having difficulty with sealing it. I ended up with one of the $100 testers off eBay. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
black263 228 Posted July 22, 2019 That 30m does not account for the dymanic pressure changes when swimming. You go with Omega. I'll stick to ISO 22810 resistance rating Suitability Remarks Water Resistant 3 atm or 30 m Suitable for everyday use. Splash/rain resistant. Not suitable for showering, bathing, swimming, snorkeling, water related work, fishing, and diving. Water Resistant 5 atm or 50 m Suitable for everyday use, showering, bathing, shallow-water swimming, snorkeling, water related work, fishing. Splash/rain resistant. [5][better source needed] Not suitable for diving. Water Resistant 10 atm or 100 m Suitable for recreational surfing, swimming, snorkeling, sailing and water sports. Not suitable for diving. Water Resistant 20 atm or 200 m Suitable for professional marine activity, serious surface water sports and skin diving. Suitable for skin diving. Diver's 100 m Minimum ISO standard (ISO 6425) for scuba diving at depths not suitable for saturation diving. Diver's 100 m and 150 m watches are generally old(er) watches. Diver's 200 m or 300 m Suitable for scuba diving at depths not suitable for saturation diving. Typical ratings for contemporary diver's watches. Diver's 300+ m for mixed-gas diving Suitable for saturation diving (helium enriched environment). Watches designed for mixed-gas diving will have the DIVER'S WATCH xxx M FOR MIXED-GAS DIVING additional marking to point this out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bobandshawn 5 Posted July 22, 2019 I bought a wet-tester on Ebay as well. You can NEVER trust a watch without testing. You never know how tightly the crystal, crown, or caseback are torqued down or sealed at a factory producing thousands of watches daily... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
black263 228 Posted July 22, 2019 If you don't like my choice of chart, here's a selection to choose from. https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=omega+water+resistance+chart&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg:CV9ICeDZ_1gSIIjhiPLvGQgzIsqgs2UTkpR0C4W_1bwwuisSbgXzY72JMv-L4VyBIU7gmNSnCmjRrbiwRa9uHJBG0KqCoSCWI8u8ZCDMiyEa-yPNnumOoUKhIJqCzZROSlHQIR7LZTkeGdxugqEgnhb9vDC6KxJhH6okf9Or-htCoSCeBfNjvYky_14Efz7hMq7CehcKhIJvhXIEhTuCY0RspS7ML16xJ4qEglKcKaNGtuLBBFuYsnOqbhQFCoSCVr24ckEbQqoEWb_1uCtLrDYS&tbo=u&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjUorP80cjjAhUQx4UKHdydC0oQ9C96BAgBEBs&biw=1163&bih=525&dpr=1.65 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Theviking 197 Posted July 22, 2019 I'll do a post if I ever manage to get my homemade one working. Cheers @hanski x Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NFleischer 4,355 Posted July 22, 2019 I would not swim with any reps unless they were checked, sealed and greased. Or you van get an inexpensive gen like Seiko, good to go right away. Most at least 100 Meter WR Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteveA 309 Posted July 22, 2019 I’ve got a DSSD that I bought in Turkey about 8yrs ago,it’s been knocked all over,bezel replaced,pearl replaced,date stopped flipping over so got it fixed.zin the early days go it superlumed off Kenny and got him to grease the seals etc. I have snorkelled and swam with it regularly,I’ve replaced ,greased and resealed once more a couple of years ago and still fine for swimming.Its my go to beach/ pool daily beater and never lets me down,luck of the draw I think. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blueoysterboy 17 Posted July 22, 2019 10 hours ago, black263 said: You can absolutely trust the 30m rating. As long as you keep the watch 30m from the nearest moisture you should be fine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hinclimincli 17 Posted July 22, 2019 I'm afraid the dynamic pressure myth has been long debunked. I can't believe it's still around in 2019. https://forums.watchuseek.com/f17/water-resistance-myth-vs-reality-159142.html You don't need to worry about dynamic pressure unless you flap your arms faster than a hummingbird. On the general topic, I have been swimming in the sea and pool with many reps: Regmariners, Sub noob v6s, BP Submariner, ARF Submariner, AP JF 15450, PF Patri Philippe Nautilus, V6F Patek Philippe Aquanaut, etc. None had any problems at all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Glaude 1,615 Posted July 22, 2019 4 hours ago, Hinclimincli said: I'm afraid the dynamic pressure myth has been long debunked. I can't believe it's still around in 2019. https://forums.watchuseek.com/f17/water-resistance-myth-vs-reality-159142.html You don't need to worry about dynamic pressure unless you flap your arms faster than a hummingbird. On the general topic, I have been swimming in the sea and pool with many reps: Regmariners, Sub noob v6s, BP Submariner, ARF Submariner, AP JF 15450, PF Patri Philippe Nautilus, V6F Patek Philippe Aquanaut, etc. None had any problems at all. Excellent info man, thanks for sharing that link ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrZoSo 15 Posted July 22, 2019 Lot's of nice pictures of guys using there pressure testing gadgets to follow im sure. but the truth is no watch is waterproof. Resistant yeah. Waterproof? Nah. You can't waterproof a watch that was not built to be resistant from inception. Doesn't work that way. Can you take preventative measures? Of course. Will it work? Iffy at best. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FudgyDocker 3,509 Posted July 22, 2019 My simple rule is the same rule as gambling. Swim in it, only if you're prepared to lose it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hinclimincli 17 Posted July 23, 2019 11 hours ago, MrZoSo said: Lot's of nice pictures of guys using there pressure testing gadgets to follow im sure. but the truth is no watch is waterproof. Resistant yeah. Waterproof? Nah. You can't waterproof a watch that was not built to be resistant from inception. Doesn't work that way. Can you take preventative measures? Of course. Will it work? Iffy at best. Hmmm... You can always epoxy the crystal and case back on an oyster case, lol. On a serious note, you are right. If a watch is not designed to have at least some minimal features that protect it from water damage (screw in crown, etc.) there's not much you can do. You just can't lubricate a Calatrava's back gasket and expect to have zero problems swimming with it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DeeKa 0 Posted September 1, 2019 I have been diving with a Casio rated to 50 m and also with a rep SeaDweller for which the seller gave the 100 m proofing. No issues... When diving with a gen SD one time it was too long since last pressure testing and I got water in it, fortunately not much, but the dial was damaged. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
