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Old 4 December 2007, 12:51 PM   #1
Mike734
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Waterproof even for steam?

Spoke to a "watchmaker" today and during the course of our conversation he talked about how people with waterproof watches like Rolex are really blowing it when they wear their watches in the shower, hot tubs or ever expose them to hot water. He says the hot/cold drys out the seals and ruins the waterproofing. He was especially cautioning about exposing the watch to steam. He says no watch can be waterproof if exposed to steam.

I don't think he is right. I'm pretty sure most any 100 ATM watch can withstand a little steam and certainly withstand showers, washing dishes etc...

What do you think? He is replacing the crystal on my cheapo Seiko. I don't think I'm going to let him near my Omega when It needs service.
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Old 4 December 2007, 12:59 PM   #2
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I wore my Tag for 10 years and showered with it every day and went diving with it on a regular basis without any probelms. Before that I had a Seiko diver and I did the same thing with no issues. I guess we will see with my SD but I'm not too worried.
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Old 5 December 2007, 12:10 AM   #3
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I hope this thread gains traction and gets some input from someone with first hand knowledge. I just bought my first SD and am getting ready to fill the hot tub for winter and would really rather not learn the hard way. I've had my old 100 M seiko and 50 M timex in the hot tub before with no problems, so I had not even considered there could be an issue with a SD and steam.
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Old 5 December 2007, 12:28 AM   #4
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I don't wear my watches in our Hot Tub..

Between the Bromine tablets, spa shock and swings in the Ph, I won't chance the o-ring's getting damaged. It's only 20-40 minutes...our babies will survive without us for that long
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Old 5 December 2007, 05:06 AM   #5
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I can't really answer the steam question, but I have heard from reliable sources that a watch should not be subjected to the water temps created in a hot tub as it can compromise the lubricants. Besides why do you need to wear your watch in a hot tub for anyway?
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Old 5 December 2007, 06:49 AM   #6
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I think that a rolex can hold up steam pretty well but i think that it's not advicable to use the watch in hot saunas.
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Old 5 December 2007, 07:03 AM   #7
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This sure seems to come around a lot lately..

Your Rolex Watch can hold up under anything you can wear it in....Period. It's tougher than you are....

A hot shower isn't any more than 95 degrees, a hot tub.....a really hot tub, is only 104 degrees...

These temperatures occur all day long in the summer time and your watch is not smart enough to know if it is in the water or not...

If your watch can go down to the pressures at 100 meters in the ocean, which most of us can't, it can take a warm bath in a 36 inch deep hot tub...

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Old 5 December 2007, 09:51 AM   #8
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Tools your numbers are right on the money!

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a really hot tub, is only 104 degrees...

it can take a warm bath in a 36 inch deep hot tub...
Sounds like you have a tub
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Old 12 December 2007, 10:12 AM   #9
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Quote:
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This sure seems to come around a lot lately..

Your Rolex Watch can hold up under anything you can wear it in....Period. It's tougher than you are....

A hot shower isn't any more than 95 degrees, a hot tub.....a really hot tub, is only 104 degrees...

These temperatures occur all day long in the summer time and your watch is not smart enough to know if it is in the water or not...

If your watch can go down to the pressures at 100 meters in the ocean, which most of us can't, it can take a warm bath in a 36 inch deep hot tub...

To follow up on this topic, I just did a little backyard experiment and the Sea Dweller came out unscathed! In fact, I could have sworn I heard it singing...anything you can do, I can do better. I can do anything better than you...as I plunged it repeatedly underwater and held it's face in the steam coming off the 103 F water.

I think the damn thing was mocking me!!!
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Old 12 December 2007, 10:41 AM   #10
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To follow up on this topic, I just did a little backyard experiment and the Sea Dweller came out unscathed! In fact, I could have sworn I heard it singing...anything you can do, I can do better. I can do anything better than you...as I plunged it repeatedly underwater and held it's face in the steam coming off the 103 F water.

I think the damn thing was mocking me!!!


You could always try this next.

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Old 13 December 2007, 12:50 AM   #11
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Quote:
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You could always try this next.

That's a good ad
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Old 5 December 2007, 10:03 AM   #12
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Seriously I have worn my Rolexes in hot tub hot and cold showers with never a cloud under the crystal.
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Old 5 December 2007, 10:34 AM   #13
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Personally I'm glad to hear that my watch can handle these things because it would seem that taking off a Rolex before entering a public hot tub or sauna would not seem very safe.
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Old 5 December 2007, 10:38 AM   #14
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Personally I'm glad to hear that my watch can handle these things because it would seem that taking off a Rolex before entering a public hot tub or sauna would not seem very safe.
Yep... The chances of it being gone when you get back to it are probably much higher than the risk of water damage..

If Rolexes were getting consistently damaged from hot tubs and swimming, I think the whole world would know about this problem....

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Old 5 December 2007, 11:34 AM   #15
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If you think about it, watchmakers get to see all the problems all day long, day after day. For the most part, nobody takes their watch to the watchmaker when it's working fine. It's no wonder that usually the advise is to not shower, wash dishes, dive, golf, shoot, play baseball, etc. while wearing your mechanical watch. Personally, I have always done all those things and have never had any failure of any kind. Failures do happen but IMO they are the exception, not the rule...
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Old 5 December 2007, 11:45 AM   #16
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Quote:
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If you think about it, watchmakers get to see all the problems all day long, day after day. For the most part, nobody takes their watch to the watchmaker when it's working fine. It's no wonder that usually the advise is to not shower, wash dishes, dive, golf, shoot, play baseball, etc. while wearing your mechanical watch. Personally, I have always done all those things and have never had any failure of any kind. Failures do happen but IMO they are the exception, not the rule...

Good point.
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Old 12 December 2007, 02:30 PM   #17
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Case closed
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Old 12 December 2007, 02:39 PM   #18
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I would, however, caution against using a TT or Gold in the pool or hot tub if chlorine is high...
http://www.jewelry1.com/CHLORINE.HTM
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Old 12 December 2007, 02:58 PM   #19
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I would, however, caution against using a TT or Gold in the pool or hot tub if chlorine is high...
http://www.jewelry1.com/CHLORINE.HTM
Unless of course it's the Rolex Everose Gold, which is reported not to change color from contact with these chemcials.

http://www.rolex.com/en/collection/e...s/everose-gold
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Old 13 December 2007, 01:46 AM   #20
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[QUOTE=rogerfromco;378780]Unless of course it's the Rolex Everose Gold, which is reported not to change color from contact with these chemcials.

I'm not going to be the one to test this with my wife's new watch, though!
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