Reply With QuoteThe movement shouldn't need serviced until around 8 to 10 yearsOriginally Posted by Liam1288
EDIT - If its still under warranty, you don't have anything to worry about.
Hi guys, does anyone have any suggestions on what to do?
I noticed condensation this afternoon and checked the crowns, HE was open.
I've called swatch and they are sending me a pack out to get it sent back to them but she mentioned on the phone it may need a service... Now it's less than 4 years old so I said it shouldn't need one as the valve was open, not like it was shut and moisture still got in.
Anyway she said it's 3-5 years for a service but I have a strong feeling it's more like 5-7 for an coaxial am I right?
Thanks
The movement shouldn't need serviced until around 8 to 10 years
EDIT - If its still under warranty, you don't have anything to worry about.
It should have a service due to the moisture exposure - you don't want parts rusting. I'd get it serviced if that's what they advise.
At the minute it's in a bag if rice with the HE valve open but yeah it's still under warranty.
But I can see what you say about it needing one if moisture is in there now...
I quickly read somewhere that even if tge HE valve is open it should still have 50m water resistance.
If that's the case then yeah the seal isn't too good
The watch is still supposed to be water resistant when the HE valve is open as you say. I would say it sounds like a warranty claim and your best bet should be to take it to an AD with your warranty card. Omega are pretty quick at turning round warranty claims and should take about 3-4 weeks.
All they would do is send it to swatch though right?
I do t have the cards on me but I have photos if them which were sufficient enough dralinf with swatch group in the past.
Yes they would send it on your behalf. AFAIK, you would need to have the physical warranty card if you're taking it to an AD or sending it to Swatch yourself.
That shouldn't be a problem... They've done a bezel chànge in the past and were happy to do so with just a picture if my warranty cards via email as they're at home and the watch is down south with me at work
Crack on then
Just to test if the rice worked how would I bring the condensation to fog up?
Have it in the sun?
If it doesn't show then the rice drew the moisture out but it'll be worth looking over as was mentioned I don't want rusty parts in the mechanism
Commen occurrence with the PO's here offshore, not sure why but they have a habit of leaking/ misting, then further down the line the bloody indices start falling off!!!
Wouldnt have one if you paid me.
I've had condensation issues with all 3 of my PO s, 1 was a SS 8500, the other a SS 9300 and finally also with a Ti 9300. I came to my own conclusion that there is either a design flaw with the PO series or poor quality control.
Swatch were excellent in sorting things out but it has totally shaken my confidence in the model (all 3 of my watches having the same issue - come on!) and I still remember the retailer giving me a cock and bull story about how I shouldn't be wearing a 600m rated dive watch in the shower because of the 'water pressure' despite the fact every other waterproof watch from any other brand has 'survived' just fine in the shower.
I have had the same problem with both my SMPs and the He valve which was inadvertently partially opened.
Seems a design fault. Pretty inexcusable from such a brand. The first time I sent the watch in for service, second I did the rice trick which has worked.
Did you have any problems with the service? Eg was it covered under warranty and if so did they try make you pay for it?
I really don't understand why Omega went with the He valve design. An auto valve is surely easier for the user, and does the 2nd crown really look better?
It isn't really needed, is it, certainly for the 300m models? My SeMP GMT is 300m rated and does NOT have the crown so introducing a potential point of failure for a non-functional reason seems very silly.
My 3 months old LM says hi
I had had the watch about 8 years so it was due a service anyway so I didn't pursue the 'leak' angle. In hindsight I probably should have but it was my first good watch.
So you think it "Seems a design fault. Pretty inexcusable from such a brand." because a serviceable part (the seal) failed at a time point past the recommended service interval (8 years).
Yeah, those Omega guys really suck don't they?
Yes I think this is one of those threads where you will only read about people mentioning that they had problems with the HE valve, but in actual real life I am sure there are more owners where the Valve is fine?
Come on, it's pretty poor really. And it has to be said that drilling another (pointless for 99.999999% of owners) hole in the side of a case which needs an extra seal etc is a bit silly. Basically someone thinks it looks cool and makes it more 'technical'. Not as neat a solution as Rolex or Seiko offer - and the He valve on my old bond seamaster and PO used to somehow come unscrewed over time. Your obviously a big Omega fan, but just like Rolex and everyone else they make a few duff decisions. I've never had a divers watch leak, or even mist up, so it's got to be disappointing. I thought these could go 10 years without a service anyway?
Mine all happened with watches 3 months old or less
And you're very anti luxury watches, so I'm guessing that makes us even ;)
Omega have never stated their watches can go for 10 years without a service. They recommend 4-5 years with a seal check every year for water resistance: http://www.omegawatches.com/customer...vice-intervals
I've had 5 Omegas with an HE valve, plus my wife has one, and we've never had an issue. Inelegant a solution or not, it's part of the design of the modern Seamaster range.
How many watches have you had an issue with?
3 of them unfortunately. Real shame as the PO is a belting watch.
Wow, that's very odd. Never heard of anything like that.
Yes I think it is really poor. It has happened in 100% of the SMPs I have owned. Judging from this thread I am not alone.So you think it "Seems a design fault. Pretty inexcusable from such a brand." because a serviceable part (the seal) failed at a time point past the recommended service interval (8 years).
Yeah, those Omega guys really suck don't they?
To put it in context I have owned 20+ dive watches with helium release valves from other Swiss Manufacturers (Rolex, GP, Breitling) with not one occasion of water ingress.
Your idea of quality differs from mine.
Last edited by proby24; 11th December 2014 at 11:55.
Yet another thread tainted by contentious bickering..........how dare ANYONE diss Omega!
I take these things apart, and I`ve only seen any evidence of seal deterioration on very early SMPs that are >15yrs old. Even then, it's only a slight loss of elasticity and the seal was probably still functioning without problems. Over a period of a few years I really wouldn`t expect any deterioration in the seals, particularly the small 0-ring inside the valve. The He valve crown seal is a relatively large 0-ring (similar to the main crown) and they don`t deteriorate much at all.
I think the issue has to be around the design, and how watertight the watch is when the He valve is unscrewed. I really can`t see how the watch can leak if the He valve is tight, but I can see how there may be problems when it's opened. I`ve never tried pressure testing a case with the He valve open.....I might just do that out of curiosity (without a movement in the case!)
Mike's (Seadog) comments are telling; he's seen issues with these watches when they're used in anger by serious divers and that's good enough for me. I think the message is clear; keep that He valve closed. When the crown is screwed down the crown seal compresses, and that definitely shouldn`t leak.
The Rolex Seadweller manages to incorporate an effective He valve that's automatic and concealed in the case. The Omega design is very prominent, and maybe that was the factor that influenced the design, rather than the technical efficacy. Omega wanted the valve to be a feature of the watch's appearance. Personally, I think it's a bad idea and it's the one single aspect that spoils the look of the otherwise excellent SMP.
Paul
My 3 months old LM says hi
Just wow... QC at Omega must be really poor these days. Probably rushing out units to satisfy the Asian markets.
I'll stick with Rolex, they have QC down to a T. ;)
I am not entirely sure what's the reason for my "leak", I did dive with the watch and had no problems, one Sunday evening I was putting my 14 months old son to sleep so I gave him the watch to kind a play and see something new and interesting, with a hope he will be easy to go to bed, it did work, but I think he loosened the HEV crown, but I am not 100% sure if it was himFew hours later I took a shower and the watch was 100% fine, but next morning when I put on my jacket and entered my car after 20 minutes or so the watch had condensation below the crystal with the HEV crown open.
On the other hand, I have dived to 40 meters with older POs which were checked for WR and none had a problem, ever.
I have no problem with negative comments against Omega, it's when it's 'unfair' I have an issue! I think expecting an 8 year old watch with the HE valve out to be fully watertight is asking a bit much.
From Omega themselves, the HE valve, crown and pushers (on the 9300 Planet Ocean) are resistant to 50m when unscrewed, and the pushers can be used underwater to 600m:
I think you answered your own problem. Nothing to do with Omega's QC that one! 50m resistance is the same as a Speedy Pro, and I reckon if you showered in one they'd leak too....
I absolutely don't blame Omega on this one, I am just not exactly 100% sure how it happened, but it doesn't really matter anyway. Although a 50m WR should survive a shower, but anyway. It's a funny story now so maybe I keep it to give it to my son one day, lol.
The PO is probably one of my favorite watches, I think I have had over 30 of them from all different ref numbers. I still have 4 that I keep. For the money there isn't a better watch out there.
Yep, as you can probably guess - I agree
Whenever I am going to swim in my SMP I always check both the HEV and the crown are screwed in tight just as a precaution.
I agree that the HEV is largely cosmetic and an auto valve would be a better solution but Omega have clearly opted to keep it for aesthetic reasons.
Oh I have no problems with omega, without a doubt it's a good watch!
Just the HE valve unscrews a little too often which and as a result came open and ended up getting moisture in... Maybe a guard would be an idea but I'm just hoping if it needs a service now then I won't have to pay as technically it still should be ok with the valve open but my only issue is having to pay but I'm hoping for the best and they'll have no problems...
The Rolex solution is more aesthetically pleasing and being automatic is presumably more reliable, given the lack of human intervention, integrity and age of seals being equal.
Is the Rolex version restricted to their watches by copyright/patent, does anyone know?
Liam1288 - Did you swim/dive/shower in it with the valve open?
dkpw - no, Kemmner has made some watches with a similar HEV.
Quality post; much appreciated.
The manual HE valve just seems like a truly bad idea; it's a case of the cure being worse than the disease. Funny that a feature intended to make the watch look more impressive or something in fact makes it weaker.
Ta
David
Well, you know what they say - the king is dead, long live the king ;).
The Helium valve is part of the not-a-Rolex design language. Although plenty of other non-Rolex brands use an automatic burp valve, so it's not a limitation and it is a conscious choice. Fair enough. Also useful as an extra button for James Bond Secrut Agent to push, if I recall rightly... anyway, having left the crown partially unscrewed on a Breitling once and spending an hour thrashing about in the pool trying to swim after it had apparently popped out altogether, I can understand how easy it might be to unscrew inadvertently if it's not cinched down tight.
As it happened, the Breitling stayed bone-dry inside, just as it's supposed to, not even the ice-cube test could elicit a hint of vapour - but it still felt like I'd dodged a bullet.
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
Breitling, Ball, TH, Oris, GP, amongst those I can recall also fit one. There's no Rolex/Doxa patent any more - it's long expired.
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
I wasn`t aware that Omega claim 50m water resistance when the He valve is open; that surprises me. In that case, the valve shouldn`t have leaked.
50M water resistance is a helluva lot, and contrary to previous comments a 50m watch in good condition will not leak during swimming, showers etc.
I have a problem with this He valve business: suppose the watch is immersed in water with the He valve open. Water gets past the crown and fills the tiny spaces where it wouldn`t normally go. If the crown is them tightened, water gets trapped. The water will then expand slightly and get past the inner seal, thus entering the movement. It's a bit like hydraulic pressure. This scenario requires the space to get entirely filled; with plain water this is less likely because the surfaces won't 'wet', but with reduced surface tension (ie soapy water) they probably would. Actually screwing the He valve closed could compress the water and force it past the weaker of the two seals, which will be the inner one.
If I`m right, that raises a question over the design........but I can`t be right because I`m a humble Yorky and not Swiss.
Paul.
My Perrelet Seacraft also has it fitted.
And Edox has a variant, with a shroud – although previous designs have the same crown design and location as Omega.
Last edited by PJ S; 11th December 2014 at 17:38.
Nope, just a quick shower and spent about an hour outside working whilst it was raining slightly...
[tangent] Wow. The pointless triple date fad is quite stupid enough, but there's a triple day window now!? [/tangent][...]
Triple date isn't stupid - useful when date obscured by hand.
I'm in offshore as well, the DSV's I've been on I saw the sat divers only wear Rolex. Plus, the Omega is per design a lot more likely to fail, if the crown on the valve is open and the watch gets wet, and the crown is tightened again you force a significant amount of water into the case. When a diver really needs the valve during decomp the watch is wet per definition, as all the gear and chamber is humid. I really don't get why they made that design this way.
I like the Seamaster a lot, but it's not a dive watch, not until they fit a proper He-valve, or remove it completely.
In layman's terms i've gone through loads of watches and 2 out of approx 40 have gone back to the manufacturer for repair under warranty. One a PloProf 1200m and the other a 300m SMP.Never had to send any other watch back whether cheaper or more expensive. I'd still have another PloProf even though Omega are a pile of crap.
I have a serious question: Why are you opening the HEV in the first place?
You should be able to shower or swim in a Speedy Pro. I do shower in mine and haven't had a problem; and a friend wears his 1969 model all the time - even in the surf. It's also been through war in the Vietnamese jungle, and plenty of exercises in the desert, bush and tropics, over the years.
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