Take the XNUMXm: what the specs of a diver's watch really mean and can you trust them

Wrist Watch

One of the questions often asked by watch owners is how adequate are the water resistance ratings in principle?

There are several aspects to this:

  • Can a diver's watch be used at the officially stated design depth?
  • Are these indicators sufficient to protect the watch under various real-world conditions?

To this we add the firm opinion that all these ratings are exclusively "static", and any movement in the water and under water increases the pressure. And that means that you need to be careful with the stated figures.

Seiko Prospex Marinemaster, 1000 meters water resistance

Reaching the bottom, take the height

How is it really? Not bad at all - in the sense that the official characteristics are quite adequate to the real ones. And even more so. But let's start in order. So, can a diver's watch be used at its officially stated design depth? As an answer - a concrete fact.

In September 2014, specialists Seiko tested the strength of the Marinemaster watch (designed for 1000 m). They placed them in a remotely controlled unmanned underwater vehicle (ROV) and lowered them into the Sea of ​​Japan. The quartz Marinemaster stopped when the ROV reached a depth of 3248 meters, and the mechanical ones completely froze at an incredible mark of 4299 meters, at which the water pressure on the hull was 440 kg per square centimeter. Agree, it's impressive. And at the same time eliminates possible doubts about the fidelity of the characteristics declared by the manufacturers.

Oris Divers Sixty-Five, 100 meters water resistance

Let's be realistic

Move on. Are these indicators sufficient to protect the watch under real conditions? Here is the Oris Divers Sixty-Five watch. Designed for a depth of 100 meters. Among watch enthusiasts there are those who are sure that this figure is inadequate. But let's be realistic: most scuba diving takes place up to the 40 meter limit, the maximum recommended for recreational diving. Anything deeper is the fun of professionals, requiring a different approach, competencies and other gadgets.

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40 meters is less than half of the nominal 100 meters for which Oris Diver's Sixty-Five are designed. Considering how small percentage of diving watch owners are actually engaged in diving, and how few of them are craftsmen who have reached the 40-meter mark, it becomes clear that claims to the notorious 100 meters are purely formal.

Casio G-Shock Frogman GWF-D1000NV-2E, 200 meters water resistance

If you are not Aquaman

At this point in the discussion, the difference between static and dynamic pressure on a watch is certainly mentioned. There is no need, they say, to be guided by the official values: all these numbers and ratings take into account only static pressure, and any hand movements while swimming seriously increase the actual pressure. Is it so?

As it turned out, movement increases the actual pressure readings, but only slightly. Even if we assume that you can move your arms very quickly, for example, 6 meters per second (at an average speed for an average person on the water - not under water - 2 meters per second), this will create a dynamic pressure of 188 cm.

Firstly, such a speed is from the realm of fantasy (unless, of course, you are Aquaman), and secondly, even if you imagine such achievements, 188 cm is less than 2% of the manufacturer's declared characteristics of 100 meters. That is, the correction is negligible.

What are the conclusions?

Indicators of 100 m are more than enough. In addition, the watch is capable of withstanding immersion deeper than expected. And finally, the thesis about the importance of dynamic pressure is a myth that should not be taken seriously.

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