Can you wear a Rolex in HOT water ?

[Bahnstormer109]

Hi all,
As I have mentioned in my first post about luminous hands/dials I am doing some research re getting my first Rolex.

This is the first watch forum ive looked at and im slowly working out all the jargon like WIS, coke, pepsi, SEL etc etc.

One thing I read in a post deep in the forum someone mentioned they had not taken off their Rolex for several months. In theory, a Rolex being waterproof and self-winding you could wear it 24/7 and never take it off.

A watch guru once told me not to let a Rolex in hot water such as in the shower or in a spa or sauna as the heat softens the rubber seals and can cause the watch to leak ?

Can anyone confirm or deny this? Do you wear your Rolex in the shower or in a spa bath/ sauna?

At home its easy enough to take off a watch to shower, but if you are out at a party and jump in a spa or are having a shower at a public gym or something it would be safer to keep your watch on and not take it off and leave it anywhere.

[capote]

I have a feeling your Rolex can take all heat your body can

[dddrees]

Evidently you haven't seen the add which shows an oyster being boiled?

To be honest however, I don't think I am in a rush to place my Rolex in boiling water.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Bahnstormer109

Hi all,
As I have mentioned in my first post about luminous hands/dials I am doing some research re getting my first Rolex.

This is the first watch forum ive looked at and im slowly working out all the jargon like WIS, coke, pepsi, SEL etc etc.

One thing I read in a post deep in the forum someone mentioned they had not taken off their Rolex for several months. In theory, a Rolex being waterproof and self-winding you could wear it 24/7 and never take it off.

A watch guru once told me not to let a Rolex in hot water such as in the shower or in a spa or sauna as the heat softens the rubber seals and can cause the watch to leak ?

Can anyone confirm or deny this? Do you wear your Rolex in the shower or in a spa bath/ sauna?

At home its easy enough to take off a watch to shower, but if you are out at a party and jump in a spa or are having a shower at a public gym or something it would be safer to keep your watch on and not take it off and leave it anywhere.

If your body can take it I am sure your Rolex will take a lot more.

[Time2time]

I'm in very hot water with the wife at the moment and my Sub-C seems to be working fine!

[ExpII]

I frequently find myself in boiling water and my Milgauss looks fine after. My skin on the other hand, not so much.

If you can take it, your watch can too.

[Bahnstormer109]

That is awesome, and so is the word "deleterious" !

The guru said it was something to do with the steam, as water in vapour form is finer than liquid and got past the seals once they were softened by the heat. Hes seen thousands of Rolex's over the years as a watchmaker and dealer so he would not have dreamt this up.

Has anyone often had hot showers without taking off their Rolex and not had any issues after several years ?

This might be more of an issue with old ones more than new ones?

[ExpII]

Originally Posted by Bahnstormer109

That is awesome, and so is the word "deleterious" !

The guru said it was something to do with the steam, as water in vapour form is finer than liquid and got past the seals once they were softened by the heat. Hes seen thousands of Rolex's over the years as a watchmaker and dealer so he would not have dreamt this up.

Has anyone often had hot showers without taking off their Rolex and not had any issues after several years ?

This might be more of an issue with old ones more than new ones?

You can shower with your Rolex just not your friend's wife. Well, don't get caught anyway.

[GeoGio Greece]

Just for your info, being a young bastard, ( 18 with a Rolex Sub ), and wanting to make a show-off to my friends, I had boiled my Sub and I have put it also in the deep freeze ( -18 C).

Not to mention that I was rubbing it with sea sand, to take the shine off, as to my stories, all in my imagination and driven by the ads of Rolex, I have gone to the jungle, to the poles, to the oceans, to space.

The watch, never showed any signs of wear or malfuctioning, still works after all these years at the wrist of one of my friends.

I got ruined by the years, even though I have not been boiled or got frozen, the watch didn' t.

After many years with these watches, I can assure you that they can follow you everywhere, if you can take it, they can take it as well.

I take good care of my present watches, use them but care for them as well, and I do not do the stupid acts I did back in the '70 s.

[SWIMPRUF]

Yes you can.

[paddy_crow]

The guru said it was something to do with the steam, as water in vapour form is finer than liquid and got past the seals once they were softened by the heat. Hes seen thousands of Rolex's over the years as a watchmaker and dealer so he would not have dreamt this up.

A steam molecule is precisely the same size as a water molecule, although macroscopically it is significantly less viscous. I sincerely doubt you're exposing your watch to steam, however, as it would quickly cause third degree burns to your skin.

Generally speaking, elastomeric seals work better when they are soft, not worse. They are more able to conform to surface irregularities. Within reason, of course, but most modern elastomers are good to above 300F. It's actually extreme cold (-30F) where they become hard and lose their ability to seal. Exposure to incompatible liquids can make them swell and extrude out of the seal volume, but hot water won't do that.

Misinformation remains just that, regardless of how old the person is that tells it to you.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Bahnstormer109

That is awesome, and so is the word "deleterious" !

The guru said it was something to do with the steam, as water in vapour form is finer than liquid and got past the seals once they were softened by the heat. Hes seen thousands of Rolex's over the years as a watchmaker and dealer so he would not have dreamt this up.

Has anyone often had hot showers without taking off their Rolex and not had any issues after several years ?

This might be more of an issue with old ones more than new ones?

Might I suggest that your Guru was just blowing hot air or perhaps it was steam.And would seriously doubt if he had seen like you say thousands of Rolex watches that were ever effected by water steam or any other liquid form.

[The Joker]

You should keep it away from bright light and water, and what ever you do, do not feed it after midnight.

[Byrdguy]

I have a TT Sub that never came off my arm (except for being in for service) for about six years. It's in a rotation with two others now, but they all go in the shower with me or any other water I happen to be in. Don't worry about it.

[Deepsea Florida]

How about spraying liquid nitrogen on our Rolexes...that would be COOL !

[The Joker]

Originally Posted by Deepsea Florida

How about spraying liquid nitrogen on our Rolexes...that would be COOL !

Oh have you got some left over then?

[slcbbrown]

I'm a firm believer that your watch is safe on your wrist. The only exception is diving pressure for non-dive Rolex. Keep in mind that "hot" for your wrist may or may not be for the seals used on your watch.

[Oyster1982]

Originally Posted by padi56

If your body can take it I am sure your Rolex will take a lot more.

I love that ad, the lawyer who witnessed the boiling might have thought Rolex was off their rocker to boil an Oyster.

[BH13GMT]

I have showered with my GMT without any issues. I have worn a 16610 in steam rooms, saunas and jacuzzi's no problems.

[jamesbondOO7]

Originally Posted by capote

I have a feeling your Rolex can take all heat your body can

Exactly!

[Gagebuilder]

Originally Posted by paddy_crow

A steam molecule is precisely the same size as a water molecule, although macroscopically it is significantly less viscous. I sincerely doubt you're exposing your watch to steam, however, as it would quickly cause third degree burns to your skin.

Generally speaking, elastomeric seals work better when they are soft, not worse. They are more able to conform to surface irregularities. Within reason, of course, but most modern elastomers are good to above 300F. It's actually extreme cold (-30F) where they become hard and lose their ability to seal. Exposure to incompatible liquids can make them swell and extrude out of the seal volume, but hot water won't do that.

Misinformation remains just that, regardless of how old the person is that tells it to you.

+1

We need to GTG and geek out over watches.

Yep! My experience is in not in watches, but in industrial applications, deformation (looses elasticity) and cracks (what I see the most, hardening) are the most common long term failures.

So it's not the steam that causes the failure, but it's water that you notice in the watch after a shower that could lead you to believe the steam damaged the seal, but it's just the unfortunate result of an unserviced mechanical beast.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Deepsea Florida

How about spraying liquid nitrogen on our Rolexes...that would be COOL !

Now you have started something soon another Internet myth will be born you must spray liquid nitrogen on your Rolex after wearing.If not the natural body heat from wearing could build up in case and cause your Rolex to explode.

[skypilot]

Before I came to this forum and found out it wasn't a good idea I put my Date Just in the dish washer with the dishes many times and it always came out sparking and working very well. That DJ has proven itself to be pretty well indestructible.

[barstoolman]

Originally Posted by Bahnstormer109

Hi all,
As I have mentioned in my first post about luminous hands/dials I am doing some research re getting my first Rolex.

This is the first watch forum ive looked at and im slowly working out all the jargon like WIS, coke, pepsi, SEL etc etc.

One thing I read in a post deep in the forum someone mentioned they had not taken off their Rolex for several months. In theory, a Rolex being waterproof and self-winding you could wear it 24/7 and never take it off.

A watch guru once told me not to let a Rolex in hot water such as in the shower or in a spa or sauna as the heat softens the rubber seals and can cause the watch to leak ?

Can anyone confirm or deny this? Do you wear your Rolex in the shower or in a spa bath/ sauna?

At home its easy enough to take off a watch to shower, but if you are out at a party and jump in a spa or are having a shower at a public gym or something it would be safer to keep your watch on and not take it off and leave it anywhere.

This is a joke.............right???????

[Dob]

Originally Posted by Bahnstormer109

Hi all,
As I have mentioned in my first post about luminous hands/dials I am doing some research re getting my first Rolex.

This is the first watch forum ive looked at and im slowly working out all the jargon like WIS, coke, pepsi, SEL etc etc.

One thing I read in a post deep in the forum someone mentioned they had not taken off their Rolex for several months. In theory, a Rolex being waterproof and self-winding you could wear it 24/7 and never take it off.

A watch guru once told me not to let a Rolex in hot water such as in the shower or in a spa or sauna as the heat softens the rubber seals and can cause the watch to leak ?

Can anyone confirm or deny this? Do you wear your Rolex in the shower or in a spa bath/ sauna?

At home its easy enough to take off a watch to shower, but if you are out at a party and jump in a spa or are having a shower at a public gym or something it would be safer to keep your watch on and not take it off and leave it anywhere.

The real issue with wearing the watch in the shower, bath, etc. is that the surfactants found in soaps can, I am told, result in degradation of seals over a period of time. I am sure it would take a very long time and a lot of exposure to become an issue. Seals are made of rubber (of different types) and it is possible for certain chemicals and cleaning agents to cause premature deterioration. I doubt it is anything to be very concerned about. If you wear the watch swimming, diving, routinely - just get a pressure test once a year and you'll know you're fine.

[mtgmt]

Originally Posted by barstoolman

This is a joke.............right???????

hot showers? really?? maybe the casio forum is a better fit i hear those watches can survive in volcanos

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Dob

The real issue with wearing the watch in the shower, bath, etc. is that the surfactants found in soaps can, I am told, result in degradation of seals over a period of time. I am sure it would take a very long time and a lot of exposure to become an issue. Seals are made of rubber (of different types) and it is possible for certain chemicals and cleaning agents to cause premature deterioration. I doubt it is anything to be very concerned about. If you wear the watch swimming, diving, routinely - just get a pressure test once a year and you'll know you're fine.

And if the watch is water tight and passed its pressure check how are the chemicals or surfactants found in certain soaps going to get into the seals.

[Oyster1982]

I shower with my DJ all the time, the watch is always in and out of hot water. Rolex makes one hell of a watch.

[Rolex Junky]

As long as your skin does not peel off.....yes you can.

[brkanand]

So we all agree that Rolex is a hot watch!