Water proof or not

[Parachrom]

I am not sure I understand some of this GMT, Yachtmaster waterproof to 300 feet.

It looks like a sub case, has what looks like the same spahire crystal as the sub, the same triplock crown. Why onyl waterproof to 300 feet. Is that all they test it to, or is ther anything more special about a sub as it is waterproof to 1000 ft. Why is the previous less waterproof than the later

[DSJ]

The Submariner has a thicker crystal and caseback. That said, I suspect the newer GMT's would be pressureproof to at least 200m? Don't know about the secondary buttons on the Daytona though.

[scottschoe]

I'm not vesed on the technical aspects of the cases, but if all watches had the same resistance, the Submariner wouldn't really have a claim to fame.

[Sky..]

The sub has a thicker crystal? I'm pretty sure they're the same. Only the diameter differs (like 206c for ladies, 246c for midsize, 286c for yatchmaster, 295c for subs and gmt. and a few odd sized crystals here and there). I'm more inclined to agree with scottshoe, it's to differentiate the sub from the others.


PS: Of course the DSSD would have a different crystal though.

[Z-Sub]

Daytona also 300ft or 100M.
SeaDweller has much thicker crystal to withstand the pressure.

[swatty]

Definetly rated to 100m only

[BiG JeEzY]

Unless you're a deep sea diver, the GMT and YM are water resistant to a depth that is far more than enough than we really need it to be.

I am certain that the GMT and YM are water resistant to slightly more than 330 feet with a triplock crown. However, since they are not OFFCIALLY classfied as a true divers watch like the Submariner and Sea Dweller are, the water resistance is kept listed at 330 feet. Unless the watches are classified as a diver's watch, the rating will remain the same.

That is usually a good enough water resistance for pilots and yachtsmen anyway.

[ROLEX MAN]

100 meters only

[Parachrom]

Never thought about a thinner crystal. Wonder what the tapable thickness is on a GMT/ Yachtmaster vs the Sub.

[BigHat]

Originally Posted by Parachrom

Never thought about a thinner crystal. Wonder what the tapable thickness is on a GMT/ Yachtmaster vs the Sub.

I believe Vanessa, out duty expert on these subjects (actually works on the watches), has stated these are the same crystals in the above watches. If I'm in error, please correct me.

The part numbers help explain:

29-295-1 is the gasket used for all (the men's datejusts and a few others) sapphire crystals.

29-295-2 is the gasket used for all (GMT's and Subs) sapphire crystals.

25-295-C1 is the sapphire crystal with cyclops and gasket for the datejusts, etc.

25-295-C2 is the sapphire crystal with cyclops and gasket for the GMT's and Subs.

25-295 is the sapphire crystal without the cyclops, for non-date men's watches.

25-206-C1 is the lady's sapphire crystal with cyclops for all the Lady's datejusts.

[Pathagarus]

When referring to crystals, the 295 represents a 29.5mm diameter, 206 a 20.6mm diameter. I'm not sure about the thickness but 2mm seems to ring a bell for subs.

[DSJ]

I may have misspoke about the Submariner's crystal thickness. Hopefully we can have one of our resident experts confirm or refute.

[Alcan]

The credit for this list of Rolex crystal applications goes to our own Tomi from Finland, who posted it last year.


TROPIC 3: 6503-6526, 6615-6623, 6706-6724, 6800-6807, 7936
TROPIC 5: 6418, 7902, 7932
TROPIC 6: 6220, 6221, 7910
TROPIC 7: 6266, 6546
TROPIC 8: 6434, 6546
TROPIC 9: 6244, 6246, 6444, 7903, 7913, 7927, 7933, 7955
TROPIC 12: 1002-1011, 1014, 1022-1039, 5500, 5501, 5506, 5520,
5552, 5590, 6422, 6423, 6426, 6427, 6429, 6480, 6500,
6502, 6528, 6532, 6552, 6556 Trubeat, 6558, 6564, 6565,
6566, 6567, 6569, 6580-6587, 6590-6593, 6634, 7934,
7949, 7950, 7959, 7984A, 7986A, 7987A, 7991A, 7993,
7995A, 9000, 9020, 9021, 9022, 9023, 9031, 9033, 9041
TROPIC 13: 5502, 5516, 6594, 7926, 7963, 7965, 7967
TROPIC 14: 6512
TROPIC 16: 5508, 6204, 6205, 6536-1, 6541,6543, 7922, 7923
TROPIC 17: 5510, 6200, 6536, 6538
TROPIC 19: 5510, 5512, 5513, 5517, 6538A, 6540, 7016, 7928, 9401,
94010
TROPIC 21: 6262, 6263, 6239
TROPIC 22: 6610, 1016
TROPIC 29: 1012, 1013
TROPIC 30: 6420, 6421, 6430, 6431, 6432, 6544 / 6549, 6551, 6553,
6554, 6555, 6557, 6559, 6571, 6744, 6747, 6748, 6749,
6751, 6753, 6754, 6757, 6771, 66466
TROPIC 31: 7975, 7980
TROPIC 33: 7590A, 7597, 7599A, 7614, 7615, 9220, 9221, 92200,
92201,92203, 92208, 92211, 92213, 92214, 92218
TROPIC 39: 1665
TROPIC 111: 6530
CYCLOPE 100: 6406
CYCLOPE 101: 6513, 6514, 6516, 6517, 6519, 6520, 6521, 6524, 6527,
6529,6531,6533,6626,6700,6701,6702,6703,6704,6705, 6917
CYCLOPE 104: 6466,6624,6625,6627,6628,6629,6630,6631,6632,6633, 6635,
6636,6638,6639,6824,6825,6827,6828,6829,6830,6831, 6832,
6833,6835,6839
CYCLOPE 107: 9090
CYCLOPE 108: 6122-6127, 6294, 6494, 6515, 6518, 6694, 7914, 7919, 7929, 9294
CYCLOPE 109: 6309
CYCLOPE 110: 6510, 6511
CYCLOPE 111: 1625
CYCLOPE 112: 7962A, 7964, 7966, 7968
CYCLOPE 113: 6304, 6305, 6307, 6498, 6604, 6605
CYCLOPE 114 1802-1815, 1831, 16014, 18000, 1802-1815, 1831, 6611, 6612, 6613
CYCLOPE 115: 6542
CYCLOPE 116: 1655, 1675, 16750, 16753, 6542
CYCLOPE 117: 1500-1514, 1550, 1625, 5700, 5701, 6535, 6537, 6602, 6609, 6646
CYCLOPE 118: 1600-1605, 1607, 1610, 1611
CYCLOPE 119: 7974
CYCLOPE 121: 7596A, 7600A, 7601A, 7602A, 7616, 7637, 7982, 9240, 9241, 92400,
92401, 92403, 92408, 92411, 92413, 92414, 92418
CYCLOPE 122: 7606, 7607, 9230, 9231, 92300, 92301, 92303, 92308, 92311,
92313, 92314, 92318
CYCLOPE 123: 7106, 7206, 9010, 9050, 9051, 9061, 9071, 9101, 9111, 9121,
9130, 9140
CYCLOPE 125: 9411, 94110
CYCLOPE 127: 1680
CYCLOPE 128: 7149, 7159, 7169
CYCLOPE 129: 6900 to 6907, 6913, 6914, 6916, 6917, 6919, 6920, 6921, 6924,
6927, 6929, 6933
CYCLOPE 130: 9420, 9421, 9430, 94200, 94210, 94300
CYCLOPE 135: 16000, 16003, 16013, 16014, 16030, 16250, 16253
CYCLOPE 143: 74000, 74001, 74003, 74008, 75000, 75100, 75201, 75203, 75204,
75205, 75208
CYCLOPE 145: 15000, 15003, 15505, 15007, 15008, 15010, 15017, 15018, 15033,
15037, 15038, 15148, 15053
25-39 1665
25-206-C: 69008, 69008A, 69018, 69018A, 69068, 69068A, 69069, 69069A,
69078, 69078A, 69079, 69079A, 69088, 69088A, 69089, 69089A,
69108A, 69118A, 69128A 69138, 69138A, 69139, 69139A, 69148,
69148A, 69160A, 69163A, 69168, 69168A, 69169, 69169A, 69173A,
69174A, 69178, 69178A, 69179, 69179A, 69190A, 69240, 69278,
69279, 69279A
25-246-C 68240, 68243, 68248, 68273, 68274, 68278, 68279, 68288, 68289
25-295-C 1530, 1630, 16008, 16009, 16018, 16019, 16058, 16078, 16200,
16203, 16220, 16233, 16234, 16238, 16248, 16258, 16263, 16264,
17000, 17013, 17014, 18026, 18028, 18029, 18038, 18039, 18046,
18048, 18049, 18078, 18079, 18178, 18206, 18206B, 18208, 18238,
18239, 18248, 18249, 18308, 18346, 18348, 18349, 18368, 18369,
18388, 18389, 19018, 19019

[f16570]

Alcan, think the point was lost on me.

[Alcan]

Originally Posted by f16570

Alcan, think the point was lost on me.

Well, I did a quick search for crystal thickness info, and came across this post from last year. Although it doesn't provide thickness it does give application info. Seemed like this would be a likely place to put it.

[f16570]

Bugger, and here was me sitting adding it all up.

[Alcan]

Originally Posted by f16570

Bugger, and here was me sitting adding it all up.

Fraser, you're killing me!


Seriously though, stuff like that info should find its way into an appropriate resource area. Hey Steve..............

[acce1999]

All men's Oyster models have 2 mm thick crystals, whith two exceptions: Sea-Dweller: 3 mm, Deepsea: 5.5 mm. All sport models with 2 mm crystal have the same gaskets. The difference is the thickness of the caseback, and the crown.

A submariner has a 1.5 mm thick caseback, and the rest have something like 0.8 mm thick casebacks (perhaps Vanessa will comment on this). The caseback is also not completely flat, which improves its ability to take high pressure.

A triplock crown is good for 500 bars of pressure. I do not know what a twinlock is good for - but if it is "only" good for 50 bars... that is guite good...

If I did my math correctly (I am not into materials science) all Oyster models will most likely be able to take 30 bars of pressure. The submariner will go way beyond 300 meters...

I read once on some of the Rolex forums of a guy pressure testing his YM to 30 bars without any problems.

30 bars of pressure equals some 220 kilograms of pressure on the 30 mm big sapphire crystal. So in theory you can stand on your watch without it being damaged.

The Deepsea is tested to almost 500 bars which equals 3500 kilograms on the crystal...

The challenges for all Rolexes when it comes to being water proof are:

1. Shattered crystal (due to impact).
2. Leaking gaskets - but as pressure increases with depth, both the crystal and the caseback are pressured closer.

Best,

A