Frequent pressure testing your Rolex diver . . . really?

[El Cascarrabias]

Seems I've read threads that if your Sub/SD/DSSD hasn't been tested in over a year and you're going diving that it needs to be pressure tested just to make sure it's OK.

Rolex now includes a 5 year warranty. I can see having it tested before the warranty ends just so it can be fixed under warranty. That would be prudent.

But has Rolex ever recommended a pressure testing interval? Are the seals that fragile?

Where's the documentation for this practice?

[madmole]

I used to run the largest dive club in the UK for 12 years, seen thousands of watches go in freezing UK water. Never seen one leak through age between services (unless it was a really long gap and the rubber could have perished). Most leaks are after the battery change or a service, an impact or other predictable event. Once the O rings are compressed and sealed they stay that way till they are disturbed or perish

Apart from the tag Heuer dive watches that stop in cold water!

[El Cascarrabias]

Originally Posted by madmole

Once the O rings are compressed and sealed they stay that way till they are disturbed or perish

That's what I would think.

If the o-rings are sealed inside the case it seems it would be a very long time before they perish. And now that Rolex recommends servicing at 10 years would it be unreasonable to expect that may be the approximate lifetime for the o-rings?

[Sublover2166]

Originally Posted by El Cascarrabias

That's what I would think.

If the o-rings are sealed inside the case it seems it would be a very long time before they perish. And now that Rolex recommends servicing at 10 years would it be unreasonable to expect that may be the approximate lifetime for the o-rings?

O-rings harden and become brittle over time.
The Delrin crystal gasket deteriorates over time from exposure to the suns U.V. rays.
If you are going to submerge the watch in water and not risk flooding the case, a pressure test at least every 3 to 5 years is a prudent task to undertake.
It is inexpensive and gives peace of mind when you wear the watch in the pool or ocean.

[El Cascarrabias]

Originally Posted by Sublover2166

O-rings harden and become brittle over time.
The Delrin crystal gasket deteriorates over time from exposure to the suns U.V. rays.
If you are going to submerge the watch in water and not risk flooding the case, a pressure test at least every 3 to 5 years is a prudent task to undertake.
It is inexpensive and gives peace of mind when you wear the watch in the pool or ocean.

Well, hadn't thought about UV through the crystal.

But, has Rolex ever made a statement about pressure testing?

Great avatar, BTW!

[Fredrik]

I pressure test my vintage Rolexes every season, but they have plexi crystals that might have gotten microcracks after bumping into things. I do not worry about the gaskets.

[madmole]

Loads of life supporting dive stuff is made from Delrin. It survives salt environments and double UV exposure fine (on a dive boat you get the UV on the way down and the reflection from the water, very easy to get toasted even in UK.

I would imaging the greatest danger to a watch is Oxygen. O2 and rubber is not a great combo (it can ignite!) and the rubber is oxidised. Not an issue for normal PADI type divers but for us mixed gas guys it could happen. Modern dive equipment uses Nitrile and other O2 safe gaskets. Having said that my Subc, Chris Ward tridents and other watches that go diving are all fine, including my trusty Seiko kinetic diver, that went on every dive with me for 15 years on the original set of o rings (around 2000 dives, no service either) and has definitely seen its fair share of O2 (and helium)

[Sublover2166]

Originally Posted by madmole

Loads of life supporting dive stuff is made from Delrin. It survives salt environments and double UV exposure fine (on a dive boat you get the UV on the way down and the reflection from the water, very easy to get toasted even in UK.

I would imaging the greatest danger to a watch is Oxygen. O2 and rubber is not a great combo (it can ignite!) and the rubber is oxidised. Not an issue for normal PADI type divers but for us mixed gas guys it could happen. Modern dive equipment uses Nitrile and other O2 safe gaskets. Having said that my Subc, Chris Ward tridents and other watches that go diving are all fine, including my trusty Seiko kinetic diver, that went on every dive with me for 15 years on the original set of o rings (around 2000 dives, no service either) and has definitely seen its fair share of O2 (and helium)

You may be a diver, but unless you are a CW21 watchmaker you cannot refute my claim about UV rays breaking down the Delrin crystal gasket seal. This fact was told to me over the phone by Rik Dietel who has been a watchmaker for 30 plus years and knows what happens to gaskets and seals over time. The man is a highly respected member here and one of the best CW21 watchmakers in the US. When he presses out a crystal on a watch that has not seen service for 10 years give or take, that gasket literally crumbles into pieces.

[El Cascarrabias]

Originally Posted by madmole

Loads of life supporting dive stuff is made from Delrin. It survives salt environments and double UV exposure fine (on a dive boat you get the UV on the way down and the reflection from the water, very easy to get toasted even in UK.

I would imaging the greatest danger to a watch is Oxygen. O2 and rubber is not a great combo (it can ignite!) and the rubber is oxidised. Not an issue for normal PADI type divers but for us mixed gas guys it could happen. Modern dive equipment uses Nitrile and other O2 safe gaskets. Having said that my Subc, Chris Ward tridents and other watches that go diving are all fine, including my trusty Seiko kinetic diver, that went on every dive with me for 15 years on the original set of o rings (around 2000 dives, no service either) and has definitely seen its fair share of O2 (and helium)

Originally Posted by Sublover2166

You may be a diver, but unless you are a CW21 watchmaker you cannot refute my claim about UV rays breaking down the Delrin crystal gasket seal. This fact was told to me over the phone by Rik Dietel who has been a watchmaker for 30 plus years and knows what happens to gaskets and seals over time. The man is a highly respected member here and one of the best CW21 watchmakers in the US. When he presses out a crystal on a watch that has not seen service for 10 years give or take, that gasket literally crumbles into pieces.

Well, that's encouraging!

Still wondering if there's any documentation from Rolex regarding pressure testing frequency.

I found one source that recommended pressure testing every six months!
LINK (next to last sentence)

That seems outrageous!

[SpaceWanderer]

Originally Posted by Sublover2166

You may be a diver, but unless you are a CW21 watchmaker you cannot refute my claim about UV rays breaking down the Delrin crystal gasket seal. This fact was told to me over the phone by Rik Dietel who has been a watchmaker for 30 plus years and knows what happens to gaskets and seals over time. The man is a highly respected member here and one of the best CW21 watchmakers in the US. When he presses out a crystal on a watch that has not seen service for 10 years give or take, that gasket literally crumbles into pieces.

Based on what is readily available about Delrin, exposure to chemicals of various types such as ammonia and, interestingly, chlorine in higher concentrations is far more detrimental than sunlight depending on the particular type of Delrin used. Dupont for example has all kinds of Delrin mixes that can be tailored to specific applications. I seriously doubt Rolex uses a version of Delrin the that would be overly compromised by exposure to sunlight, especially since a key reason they went to cerachrome is to stop bezel insert fading due to sunlight. That said, I totally agree with you about checking the watch every 3-5 years if you're diving a lot (and yes I am a diver). It's really cheap insurance. But going to the OPs question, theoretically if your watch leaked within 5 years and there's no obvious physical damage, Rolex would likely cover it I think. I don't remember anything in my Sub's owner's manual stating you should have the watch pressure tested at any set interval. But it's like checking the screws in the bracelet from time to time. It just makes sense to do so.

[Ironstark]

Rolex general advice on this, if the watch is being used regularly for diving, repeatedly immersed and subject to the knocks, impacts etc... associated with diving then it is advisable to have it pressure tested once a year.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Ironstark

Rolex general advice on this, if the watch is being used regularly for diving, repeatedly immersed and subject to the knocks, impacts etc... associated with diving then it is advisable to have it pressure tested once a year.

Have to agree 100%.

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by Sublover2166

O-rings harden and become brittle over time.
The Delrin crystal gasket deteriorates over time from exposure to the suns U.V. rays.
If you are going to submerge the watch in water and not risk flooding the case, a pressure test at least every 3 to 5 years is a prudent task to undertake.
It is inexpensive and gives peace of mind when you wear the watch in the pool or ocean.

What grade of Delrin is used? The outdoor industrial grades are usually fairly UV resistant, which would make sense for watch manufacturers given the excellent UV transmission of sapphire.

[SearChart]

Originally Posted by Ironstark

Rolex general advice on this, if the watch is being used regularly for diving, repeatedly immersed and subject to the knocks, impacts etc... associated with diving then it is advisable to have it pressure tested once a year.

Good to know

[ROLLiWORKS]

So much chatter about the case gasket. 99% of the time in a wet tester leaks are from the tube gasket, crown gasket, and crystal gasket.

[Runnin' Rebel]

I would think climate where you live might make a difference. Here the humidity is about 8-10% which would dry things out at a faster rate then maybe Florida. Not to mention summer heat.. I have gaskets changed every 3-4 years, lots of water time for mine 8 months a year.

[onthepond]

Originally Posted by Runnin' Rebel

I would think climate where you live might make a difference. Here the humidity is about 8-10% which would dry things out at a faster rate then maybe Florida. Not to mention summer heat.. I have gaskets changed every 3-4 years, lots of water time for mine 8 months a year.

Agreed! It is all about environment and use, be it a watch (even a Rolex) or an aircraft. 20 years plus and still ticking.