Water Resistance - what you need to know
Most watches these days, and certainly almost every watch we sell is marked water resistant. Water resistance is measured either in metres or ATM (atmospheres sometimes referred to as "bar").One ATM equals 10 metres so a watch resistant to 10ATMs is water resistant to 100 metres.
But what does that mean? On the face of it, you should be able to dive to a depth of 100 metres while wearing your 100 metre water resistant watch. Unfortunately, it is not that simple. Water resistance is measured under laboratory conditions. During actual use, your watch is subjected to extra pressure due to your own movement, and the movement of the water you are in.
As a guide, we do not recommend watches rated below 5ATMs (50 metres) as suitable for swimming in. A 30 metre water resistant watch should be regarded as splash resistant, not a divers watch.
Also worth noting is the effect heat can have on any water resistant watch. In order to keep water out, watches use seals which are usually made from rubber or similar materials. Rapid changes in temperature will cause the seal to expand and contract, so wearing your watch in a hot bath is not recommended. While the watch may not show any imediate sign of damage after wearing it in the tub, over time the damage can become apparent.
Probably the best watches we sell in terms of water resistance performance, and therefore suitability for swimming in can be found in our Sector and J-Springs collections.
Labels: Watch water resistance
posted by Andy @ 5:27 AM
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