Sea water leakage to a Rolex - what to do ?

[mg1953]

I have a question, for which am curious to find an answer:

Suppose you are in Maldives, enjoying blue sea and sun. You forget to lock the crown of your Rolex, and you observe that sea water has leaked into the watch.

There is no RSA at the holiday spot and the earliest time for your return home is one week.

Which is the right action to keep the watch safe until you take it to your Rolex service in your town ?

MG

[The GMT Master]

I'd unscrew the crown and keep it undone, try to let any water and condensation back out, and stop the movement from doing any more damage to itself.

[therolexguy]

You might stick it in a bowl of uncooked rice. That's was has worked for people who have dropped cell phones in water. Good luck.

[Paracentesis]

How does anyone forget to lock the crown in the first place? And not quickly check before entering the water? Just curious, is all.

[George Ab]

Sorry to hear this. With any luck your watch was close to requiring a service anyway. A cleaning by your watchmaker will bring it back to good as new. Placing the unscrewed crown watch in a container with a desiccant pack (silica) will help remove the moisture. However, any minor surface corrosion will come off with a cleaning if you address the issue within a few weeks.

[Kanger]

Hack and wait send to RSC at first opportunity

[ParisDakarBmw]

I would definately try to get the moisture out. The salt water will eat the movement rather quickly. The main way to save the movement is to open the caseback, and put it in a sealed container of dry rice.(gently so the rice stays out, but it will need a complete service anyway. The crown should be pulled out to stop the movement)

If you can't open the back at a local jewelry store, you'll need to pop the stem, and either heat the watch with a blow dryer, or lay it in the sun. This will cause the water to evaporate.

*Problems *

The movement will rust

the saline will form crystals as the water is heated, and evaporates, and could leave white lines on the dial

damage control is the name of the game right now.

Sorry to hear this!

[mg1953]

Thanks for the replies.

My question was a hypothetical one. Such an accident luckily did not happen to me. But I wanted to know what to do if such an incident would ever happen.

Stopping the watch and leave it to dry would not be sufficient, as sea water is salty and corrosion would immediately start on the mechanism after the leakage.

My local watchmaker has two recommendations in this respect:

1. Put the watch in a jar filled with kerosene and preserve it this way until getting serviced by Rolex.

2. If kerosene could not be found, put the watch in a jar filled with clear drinking water, and keep it this way until service.

Are there better recommendations ?

MG

[swiss_seth]

Originally Posted by therolexguy

You might stick it in a bowl of uncooked rice. That's was has worked for people who have dropped cell phones in water. Good luck.

+1

Or silica gel. for a temporary fix

I would just recommend an immediate service

[stockae92]

i also heard Cat Litter would do a good job in sucking up the mositure

[greekbum]

My watchmaker told me if this ever happened to me to put it in a jar or cup of water and to keep it submerged until i got it to him.

[rmfnla]

I was also thinking of immersing in fresh water to minimize the salt damage.

Maybe follow up with rubbing alcohol?

[buke45]

All these and Pray.

[Hansch99]

Are Rolexes nevertheless water resistant (if to a lesser depth) with the crown unscrewed?

[ParisDakarBmw]

My concern with kerosene wouldn't be with the movement, but the older inserts, and the dial & hands.

I don't know that the kerosene would do anything negative to the movement, or bracelet. The other parts would surely sustain damage from any saturation in any fluid.

Your in a lose lose situation if you can't remove the fagile parts before kerosene, or have to dry the salt to prevent the saline from coroding the movement.


I saw a ladies DJ come back from service. The lady was so happy, and wanted it back before vacation. She went to the beach, and changed her timezone. She changed the time right when they arrived at the hotel, and went to the saltwater pool with the children.

She returned a week later holding a watch half full of rusty colored salt water. We cracked it open to find the movement rusted, and the parts had turned to a muddy pudding, and pitted beyond repair. She forgot to push the crown in, and the seals didn't keep the water out.

[EchoBlueUK]

RSC and cross fingers.

[Rebel]

Good luck with this situation.

[chris russell]

Originally Posted by Paracentesis

How does anyone forget to lock the crown in the first place? And not quickly check before entering the water? Just curious, is all.

How does anyone stub their toe in the dark? How is it that traffic accidents happen? How does it happen that anyone, ever, cuts themselves shaving?? I mean, what is up with that?

[chris russell]

Sea water? My opinion; it's done. Call your insurance agent.

[mg1953]

I am almost certain that there is a technical approach in case of such a problem.


MG

[conrail]

Originally Posted by greekbum

My watchmaker told me if this ever happened to me to put it in a jar or cup of water and to keep it submerged until i got it to him.

Really?? Keeps it from post-water exposure to air-->rust?

[le_baroudeur]

Question: Why, if there is salt water inside, can't we open it ourselves as soon as possible in order to spray wd40 : it will prevent rust attack before the complete servicing by the AD... Radical but not inefficient?

[swiss_seth]

Next thing someones going to say bake it and 470 degree F for 1 hour

lmao

[Tools]

Originally Posted by Hansch99

Are Rolexes nevertheless water resistant (if to a lesser depth) with the crown unscrewed?

Yes, they are...

Simply forgetting to lock the crown down is not sufficient to allow water in.. The watch will have to have been neglected for years to have allowed the inside seals to deteriorate to that point..

But, as said........ this is a hypothetical case...

Bottom line though.... any evidence of a leaking seal should be immediately taken care of by a competent watchmaker.

[swiss_seth]

There are two gaskets that are in contact with the crown stem when the crown is pulled out

any depth rating in this condition is nill

The only exception may be if there is fresh silicone on the gaskets but even then water would get in easily

[Big_S]

Originally Posted by rmfnla

I was also thinking of immersing in fresh water to minimize the salt damage.

Maybe follow up with rubbing alcohol?

I believe that alcohol may damage some dials...

http://www.rolexforums.com/showthrea...hlight=alcohol

[Bisquitlips]

Originally Posted by greekbum

My watchmaker told me if this ever happened to me to put it in a jar or cup of water and to keep it submerged until i got it to him.

X10. I have heard this many times.

You do not want the movement to dry out, but do put it in fresh water and not salt for obvious reasons.

[Blue Shadow]

I was told to leave it in a cup of water fully submerged and bring it to my watchmaker

[tr4driver]

When I first read this, I was reminded of a story a surveyor told me about noticing several transits submerged in buckets of water at a surveying office down in New Orleans. The transits had apparently been exposed to seawater during a hurricane, and the owner was told to not let them dry out until they could be disassembled and properly cleaned.

As for submerging the watch exposed to seawater in fresh water... That was my first reaction as well (based on the account I'd heard regarding the transits). However, I would think that this method would only be effective if one left the crown open and allowed the watch to completely flood with fresh water.

Kurt

[Traveler]

Originally Posted by Paracentesis

How does anyone forget to lock the crown in the first place? And not quickly check before entering the water? Just curious, is all.

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VERY good point !