Many watches today are positioned as water-resistant. On the roof you can see the designation: 30m, 50m, 100m, 200m. The average person who is not privy to the mysteries of classification and designations, quite reasonably assumes that the specified value is the maximum depth of immersion that the watch can withstand. But it is absolutely not! This is why most of the time they come to our workshop to have the watch repaired!

Here is the actual deciphering of the markings on the watch:

• 30m – splash-proof. You can’t even wash your hands in this watch, let alone swim or dive. Showering is also forbidden. The device is protected against splashing, for example in light rain (in heavy rain, it is recommended to remove the watch from direct contact with moisture)
• 50m – the most controversial type of sealing. Producers assure that such watches can float on the surface and make small dives – up to 0.5-1 m. In practice, many models of watches do not stand such a test, although, for example, Orient is resistant even to sea water. Nevertheless, it is better not to take any chances. Guaranteed protection against splashing, you can wash your hands.
• 100m – this watch is already 100% adapted for shallow diving and surface swimming. However, winding it up, adjusting the movement, and using the pushers and crown are not recommended in water.
• 200m – a diving watch, you can dive with a scuba diver. They have a special protective mechanism against the penetration of moisture inside the structure (in the form of a screwed cover and a special transfer head). The cover should be screwed with light effort. Attempting to screw it all the way in can lead to thread breakage and depressurization
• 300m and above – Professional diver’s watches. Equipped with a helium valve that equalizes internal pressure with external pressure when surfacing. They can work at depths of up to 1500, 3000 and even 6000m!

Natural depressurization processes
All watches eventually depressurize. It usually takes 2 to 3 years for this to happen. During this time, the gaskets age and lose their performance properties. This is a natural process and cannot be prevented in any way. Every three years, it is advisable to have your watch checked for leaks by changing the gaskets. Our workshop provides this type of service as well as related glass replacement services.

So what are the dangers of a leak? It’s quite simple – moisture gets inside the case (its presence here is evidenced, for example, by fogging of the glass). Water leads to the corrosion of the individual parts. After a very short time, it can deteriorate the movement so badly that you will not have to replace its individual parts, but the whole movement. This is much more expensive than drying the movement straight away.