What MAX official depth was SD tested at?

[rolexsubdate]

We know the dial says 4000ft but since the DSSD is good for 16,000ft, but the dial says 12,800ft
then was SD also tested at 25% greater depth than what is shown on its dial?

thnx

[GradyPhilpott]

You might find this of interest.

Diving records

The design and actual availability of diver's watches certified for more than 1,000 meters (3,281 ft) is not solely explicable by practical diving needs.

The diving depth record for actual off shore diving was achieved in 1988 by a team of professional divers of the Comex S.A. industrial deep-sea diving company performing pipe line connection exercises at a depth of 534 meters (1752 ft) of sea water (MSW) in the Mediterranean Sea. The diver's watches used were Rolex Sea-Dwellers.

In 1992 Comex diver Theo Mavrostomos achieved a record of 701 MSW (2300 ft) in an on shore hyperbaric chamber. He took 43 days to complete the dive. The watch used during this scientific record dive, where a hydrogen-helium-oxygen (hydreliox) gas mixture was used as breathing gas, was a Rolex Sea-Dweller 16600 with a 4000 ft depth rating. Rolex used this achievement in advertising campaigns. [7][8][9][10][11]

The complexity, medical problems and accompanying high costs of professional saturation diving to extreme depths and the development of deep water atmospheric diving suits and remotely operated underwater vehicles in offshore oilfield drilling and production effectively nixed the need for ever deeper non-atmospheric manned intervention in the ocean.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolex_Sea_Dweller

[dinan545bmw]

Originally Posted by rolexsubdate

We know the dial says 4000ft but since the DSSD is good for 16,000ft, but the dial says 12,800ft
then was SD also tested at 25% greater depth than what is shown on its dial?

thnx

Yes, assuming that the original Rolex SeaDweller model was also subjected by Rolex to the ISO 6425 benchmark, and I can't imagine it wasn't.

So the additional 25% margin will thus make the original SeaDweller pressure proof down to 5,000 feet, or 1,000 ft more than the 4,000 feet certified and indicated on its dial.

The standards for diving watches are regulated by the ISO 6425 international standard. The watches are tested in static or still water under 125% of the rated (water)pressure, thus a watch with a 200 meter rating will be water resistant if it is stationary and under 250 meters of static water.

The testing of the water resistance is fundamentally different from non-dive watches, because every watch has to be fully tested.

ISO 6425 water resistance testing of a diver's watch consists of:

Immersion of the watch in 30 cm of water for 50 hours.
Immersion of the watch in water under 125% of the rated pressure with a force of 5 N perpendicular to the crown and pusher buttons (if any) for 10 minutes.

Immersion of the watch in 30 cm of water at the following temperatures for 5 minutes each, 40°C, 5°C and 40°C again, with the transition between temperatures not to exceed 1 minute. No evidence of water intrusion or condensation is allowed.

Immersion of the watch in a suitable pressure vessel and subjecting it to 125% of the rated pressure for 2 hours. The pressure must be applied within 1minute. Subsequently the overpressure shall be reduced to 0.3 bar within 1 minute and maintained at this pressure for 1 hour. No evidence of water intrusion or condensation is allowed.

For mixed-gas diving the watch has to be immersed in a suitable pressure vessel and subjecting it to 125% of the rated pressure for 15 days in a (helium enriched) breathing gas mix. Subsequently the overpressure shall be reduced to normal pressure within 3 minutes. No evidence of water intrusion, condensation or problems caused by internal overpressure are allowed.

An optional test originating from the ISO 2281 tests (but not required for obtaining ISO 6425 approval) is exposing the watch to an overpressure of 2 bar, no more than 50 µg/min of air is allowed to get inside the case.

Except the thermal shock resistance test all further ISO 6425 testing should be conducted at 18 to 25°C temperature.

In summary, the required 125% test pressure provides a safety margin against dynamic pressure increase events, water density variations (seawater is 2 to 5% denser than freshwater) and degradation of the seals.

So, again, with the original SeaDweller, you have an actual rated pressure proof depth of 5,000 feet, and 16,000 feet for its successor model, the DSSD.

I know, I know. both absolutely ridiculous, insane and impractical. But both very, very cool also!

BEST REGARDS

[djhiram]

I found this link a while back and I HAD to share with everybody. Here is a French gentleman who was working for an oil company doing extreme deep sea drilling. While working in Angola he decided to test his watch! So, he decided to zip-tie the watch to an ROV and take it down to 1200 meters and see what's happens! Here is the link http://www.luxury4play.com/watches/4...under-sea.html

[Andad]

Rolex claims the triplock is good to 500 bar so that leaves the caseback construction and the crystal as the limiting factors.

[bayerische]

Awesome info guys!

"Surfacing" information like this is making me turn my DSSD into a keeper!

[padi56]

No matter what its tested at man or future man will never use it and watches like the SD
DSSD are of use mainly to saturation divers breathing high helium gases.If I remember the deepest recorded dive just on scuba gear was in the Red Sea a few years back ,by a guy called Nuno Gomes total depth was just over 318m.Now it only took him about 20/30 minutes to reach that depth,but because of breathing different gasses at that depth and pressure.A little over 12 hours with all the safety stops to finally return to the surface safe, and without any decompression treatment.Now at these extreme depths,there are several diving related problems to overcome nitrogen decompression sickness, oxygen toxicity,sheer dehydration and the different affects of the gases when changing over tanks containing the different gas mixtures.Now while breathing the high helium mix the gas wants to leave the blood while the nitrogen wants to rush in.A very specialise and highly trained divers with plenty of experience using and breathing different breathing gases.

Now this dive would have not been possible without a huge back up and very careful planning.Gomes is in a very small group of guys that have gone over 250m with just scuba gear.Plain fact there have been more guys to go to the moon,that have got past 250m underwater just on scuba. But most recreational divers today stick to around 40m max depth on just air.

[dinan545bmw]

Originally Posted by padi56

No matter what its tested at man or future man will never use it and watches like the SD
DSSD are of use mainly to saturation divers breathing high helium gases.

yes, definitely no argument here by anyone!! like we shared numerous times prior, the original SD and it's DSSD successors are COMPLETE overkills.

both versions are absolutely ridiculous, insane and beyond impractical. Like you shared, most dives don't even venture beyond a few hundred feet, let alone 1,000ft.

We realize and aren't denying these facts. This said, it doesn't make the SD or the DSSD any LESS uber cool in term of engineering advances, design and functionality.

It's truly a crowning achievement on the part of Rolex. For those who appreciate these facts alone, this is what makes the DS or DSSD such worthy and compelling timepieces to own.

BEST REGARDS

[GradyPhilpott]

I think in the case of the SD the level of overkill is justifiable.

Comex worked directly with Rolex in the development of the SD.

They wanted a device that was fail-safe.

For the DSSD, I'd like to hear from those who use the watch for its intended purpose and find out what they think about it.

I know that huge watches are in style and that for those folks who are wild about huge watches, a huge Rolex is a great turn-on and I say more power to them and Rolex.

However, I'd still like to hear from the diving community that the DSSD fills a void that hitherto has been left unfilled.

I realize that the DSSD is an engineering accomplishment, but is it for its own sake?

[Andad]

All the posts hold water (NPI) but based on facts would it make a difference to Rolex sales if their watches were only good for 30 meters.
Any diver wanting to go deeper would most likely use a dive computer or other monitoring equipment far more sophisticated than an elapsed time bezel.

[rolexsubdate]

Originally Posted by directioneng

All the posts hold water (NPI) but based on facts would it make a difference to Rolex sales if their watches were only good for 30 meters.
Any diver wanting to go deeper would most likely use a dive computer or other monitoring equipment far more sophisticated than an elapsed time bezel.

It is the history of the Rolex that sells their diving watches.... if Rolex was a 5 yr old company, no way in hell will their sub be worth thousands. .... you are only paying for history plus sub can survive those depths but no one would pay that kiind of change for a tool watch .... and simply put, it is pretty darrn stupid to be diving deep with a Rolex .... or any other analog watch .... you want dive computers at those depths ....

Tool watches today are archaic and literally useless....

[padi56]

Originally Posted by rolexsubdate

It is the history of the Rolex that sells their diving watches.... if Rolex was a 5 yr old company, no way in hell will their sub be worth thousands. .... you are only paying for history plus sub can survive those depths but no one would pay that kiind of change for a tool watch .... and simply put, it is pretty darrn stupid to be diving deep with a Rolex .... or any other analog watch .... you want dive computers at those depths ....

Tool watches today are archaic and literally useless....

Well not completely useless myself would never dive without a back up watch,whether mechanical or quartz.Yes today most use computers but even those fail low battery etc.So with all diving safety is the priority to yourself and your buddy, so always carry a back up whether air plus a reliable watch and a set of dive tables.

[Jason71]

Originally Posted by rolexsubdate

It is the history of the Rolex that sells their diving watches.... if Rolex was a 5 yr old company, no way in hell will their sub be worth thousands. .... you are only paying for history plus sub can survive those depths but no one would pay that kiind of change for a tool watch .... and simply put, it is pretty darrn stupid to be diving deep with a Rolex .... or any other analog watch .... you want dive computers at those depths ....

Tool watches today are archaic and literally useless....

All of my friends that dive to depths > 150ft DO NOT use a computer. Instead, they use a good analog bottom timer (i.e. a Rolex diver) and plan their dive on the surface on a slate. There is no need for a dive computer for deep dives.

And yes..........several of them DO use a Rolex diver for this purpose.