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Nearly every high-quality wristwatch today carries an indication of its water resistance. But what does it really mean in practice? Can you truly snorkel or dive in seawater without any problems wearing a luxury watch from Breitling, Chopard, Omega, Rolex, or another renowned brand? Watch enthusiasts should know how to interpret these ratings correctly so they don't mistakenly expose their watches to stresses they were never designed for.
What Does "Water-Resistant" Actually Mean for Wristwatches?
Materials, components, devices, or other products are considered watertight when certain properties sufficiently prevent water from getting in. Complete watertightness is possible, but it can only be achieved with relatively high technical effort and would therefore be uneconomical in most cases.
With watches and similar technical devices, the degree to which they are protected against the ingress of water and moisture depends primarily on their construction.
The materials typically used in watchmaking, such as stainless steel, glass, or gold, are inherently watertight, but the points where the individual case components are joined must be sealed against water ingress if the watch as a whole is to be water-resistant.
Since greater water resistance entails higher manufacturing costs and also requires additional maintenance, the water resistance of a wristwatch is matched to its intended use. While high water resistance is a particular mark of quality in a wristwatch, water resistance and a watch's value are by no means necessarily proportional. In fact, there is no need for a particularly high-end dress watch with a gold case and sophisticated complications, usually worn only on special occasions, to be as water-resistant as, say, a sporty luxury watch meant to let its wearer keep it on while swimming or diving.
The latter, in turn, will be more expensive than a sister model with lower water resistance – assuming otherwise roughly identical specifications and material properties.
Water Resistance Becomes a Selling Point in Watch Advertising
Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf undoubtedly set a milestone for water resistance as a selling point when he sent swimmer Mercedes Gleitze, who set out to swim the English Channel on October 7, 1927, into the waves wearing an "Oyster." Although Gleitze's crossing ultimately fell just short due to poor weather that day, her Rolex had survived hours in seawater without any trouble and afterward ran just as reliably as before. A few weeks later, Wilsdorf ran his first major advertisements highlighting this fact, which contributed significantly to the rise of his brand.
Today, many luxury watches and mid-range models are water-resistant. Particularly for wristwatches from distinctly sporty lines and those explicitly marketed as dive watches, water resistance ranks alongside accuracy and robustness as one of the most important product features.
Splash-Proof or Suitable for Diving?
If you want to know what your watch can really handle, take a very close look at its water resistance rating. However, different units of measurement are sometimes used for this information on watches. As a rule of thumb, values given in bar or atmospheres (atm) – two physical units of pressure – roughly correspond to each other, while for ratings in meters you add a zero to express approximately the same resistance to water ingress.
One bar thus corresponds roughly to one atmosphere and at the same time approximately to the air pressure at the Earth's surface, or to the overpressure of water at a depth of ten meters. Officially, ratings should really only be given in bar, but for traditional reasons, many luxury watches in particular still state them in atmospheres or meters.
Be Careful with Ratings in Meters
Ratings in meters call for particular caution so they aren't misinterpreted. Watches rated to 50 meters, such as the Chopard Grand Prix de Monaco Historique or the Chopard Mille Miglia GMT Chrono, must by no means be used for diving at that depth. Rather, while you don't necessarily have to take these watches off to wash your hands or take a quick shower, they are better left on dry land even when you go swimming.
This is because the pressure actually acting on the watch while bathing, swimming, or diving is in many situations considerably higher than that of a 50-meter water column. The reason is pressure spikes, which can occur with movement in the water or from an impacting jet of water. Watches rated to 3 bar, 3 atm, or 30 meters are considered splash-proof, but not water-resistant in the true sense. That only applies from 5 bar or 50 meters. For swimming or snorkeling, however, the watch must be able to withstand water pressure of at least 10 bar, or a 100-meter water column.
This is the case, for example, with a Tag Heuer Grand Carrera Automatic, a Rolex Oyster Perpetual, or a Breitling Cockpit B50.
True Dive Watches
Only wristwatches tested to a pressure of at least 20 bar are suitable as dive watches and can be worn without risk while free diving at shallow depths. Besides models that are explicitly designed as dive watches and marketed as such, some other luxury watches also fall into this water resistance category, such as Breitling's Chronomat 44 GMT or models from TAG Heuer's Formula 1 line.
Extreme Models
If you swim and dive especially often, or like to venture to greater depths when diving, you need a watch with even more robust sealing against water.
For example, the TAG Heuer Aquaracer, Oris Aquis, and Omega Seamaster lines include a number of watches that withstand a test pressure of up to 30 bar, or 300 meters or 1,000 feet.
Omega, Rolex, and several other luxury watchmakers also offer models with water resistance that goes well beyond this.
Admittedly, most highly water-resistant watches rarely have to prove their resilience in everyday use. Their original role has today largely been taken over by purpose-built dive computers. Yet for many diving watch enthusiasts, it's reassuring to have a mechanical dive watch with them on their dives as a backup instrument.
Then there's the image factor: a dive watch is, not least, an accessory prized by many men that stands for sportiness and a sense of adventure. That's why some dive watch classics are now quite commonly worn with business attire as well.
Regular Servicing and Water Resistance Testing Are Essential
No watch stays water-resistant to the same degree forever. Wear from daily use and material aging mean that the built-in seals can only partially meet the demands placed on them, or not at all. Water-resistant watches should therefore be serviced and pressure-tested again every one to two years.
Particular care is needed when wearing a watch in salt water. Because it is comparatively aggressive, can damage rubber gaskets, and promotes corrosion, it's advisable to always rinse your watch with fresh water after every contact with seawater.