Is there a point at which you shouldn't wear your watch because the temperature is too low or does it not matter because body heat keeps it warm enough? I'm assuming diving watches get very cold
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Is there a point at which you shouldn't wear your watch because the temperature is too low or does it not matter because body heat keeps it warm enough? I'm assuming diving watches get very cold
If there is some limit, these guys must have come close:
http://www.deepseaunderthepolenews.com/event.asp
http://www.deepseaunderthepolenews.c...QUISE_BP_L.jpg
There must be a few Vostoks being tested at the moment...
I'm guessing the wearer would die before the watch
Wow.... :shock:
For sure I will never get even close to this kind of temperature. Excellent picture !
Quote:
Originally Posted by TakesALickin
my work SD goes through major temp changes as sometimes its inside my hot water covies which usually sit around 45-47 degress but then if comes under the cuff it can go down to -2 degrees depends where i am working :D
said it before and i will say it again the rolex SD can take it.
Diving is a bit of a red herring - water doesn't really get very cold. It's the air that you need to worry about.
Wore mine out an about last year on the ice and snow in Lapland, including while photogrpahing the Northern Lights at night, with no adverse issues at all.
Water may not get really cold but it dissipates heat much, much faster than air. A body warm watch dunked in ice cold water doesn't do the seals much good.
True. But it's bloody hard to dive in water colder than zero degrees...Quote:
Originally Posted by Gould
(assuming sea water)Quote:
Originally Posted by Broussard
Correct (salinity incl.) it was the rate of cooling I was referring to. Bloody cold, anyway :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Broussard
And I'll say it again. It's bloody hard to dive in water colder than zero degrees - regulators freeflow and / or just stop working, wearing myltiple layers under drysuits, gloves and hoods can make for difficulties in moving freely, and you'll probably want a Y (or H) valve on your first stage so that, in the event of a freeflow, you can switch off that reg and switch to a second... To be honest, the watch is the least of your probs: I'd want to make sure my computers / bottom timers work at -2.2 degrees!Quote:
Originally Posted by mark a.
Give me the warm waters of the Red Sea any day!
thats if your on scuba, we put the instillations in at sakhalin, in the sea of okotsk, it was -2 all the time, thats their summer, hot water suits, twice heated gas to hot water shrouded helmets, worked ok for us.Quote:
Originally Posted by Broussard
When you think about some of these horrible conditions that a rolex can keep ticking through, it makes you appreciate just how well engineered they are! Although saying that I would love to see how a seiko 5 stood in comparison.
I have to make the choice this week for a trip to Iceland with a visit to the thermal spa as well..
So it's either the sea dweller , explorer ii or the aerospace I will take with me....
Oh, I get you. I was looking at the physics of the water (it's hard to get sea water below -2ºC) as opposed to the technicality of diving equipment.Quote:
Originally Posted by Broussard
In any case, I would agree that a watch strapped to the outside of the wrist of an Arctic explorer has a harder time temperature-wise than a watch strapped to the outside of an Arctic diver.
Otherwise it wouldn´t be liquid :mrgreen:Quote:
Originally Posted by Broussard
I have frozen all sorts of watches to -22 and NONE were harmed by it.
That is a lot colder than a watch worn on the wrist will get under ´normal´ conditions.
Freeze them enough and even electrones themselves will stop....
The wiggly springs went off their performance most but then those perform least anyway so no surprises.
Predictable too is that when there is ever so little moisture in the air trapped inside th case, this will cause problems up to stopping the watch gears. Wiggly spring movemenst being a tíny bit more sensitive.
LCD becomes illegible and EPD says it is too cold, but LED seems oblivious.
Unless the button freezes up, the LED watch will work in a black, frozen night in áwesome manner.
I was wearing my watch (Seiko Tuna) while skiiing in -22C this Christmas in Lapland and it was fine. Also took it into the sauna at 80 C once and it was fine there too!
I guess the battery will run down quicker if you constantly wear it outside your clothes (which is a bit pointless - it was dark most of the time so you don't really need to check your watch very frequently!), but I guess autos would have problems with time keeping too because of the change in the rate of spring expansion and possible thicker oils.
As with most things, I suspect that any decent watch would cope with a lot more than the human body!
The oil in my Casio starts flocking at -5 but then the excersize was about WR and swimming water does not get -5.Quote:
Originally Posted by momentum
EPD is also only ´good´ to -5:
http://www.mijnalbum.nl/Foto-VRCOSIFA.jpg
To those in snowy country who have a LED watch; get it out under some snow tonight in the dark and push the button. The ´warm´ red glow through the snow is :D
Can't wait for Casio to produce a G-Shock with built in thermal emitter. :idea:
And one for Jesper:
The Synchronar, being sealed and potted, is not stopped even by freezing up buttons (slides). One can still operate ALL functions by using a magnet.
Some watches I would put in water and/or freeze. Others not.
I'm not sure exactly how cold it was, but on a climb in December, the water in my backpack froze, all my food froze, and if it's not over sharing, my urine froze on contact with the ground :shock:
The object of the climb was Mt Asama, an 8400ft high volcano. It didn't look so chilly from down here ...
http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...e/e2366670.jpg
It is very active, erupting in 2009, 2008 and 2004 in recent history. The 2009 one involved a 2Km high ash cloud, rocks landing 1Km from the crater and volcanic dust falling on Tokyo, 90 miles away. There are lots of warnings as you approach, suggesting not to climb. They go on to note that if you must climb, remember that in the event of an eruption to make your way down the volcano as quickly and orderly as possible, as, and I am not making this up, "lava is considered dangerous" 8)
We get closer ...
http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...e/78705d82.jpg
It doesn't look it, but it is much colder now as we ascend. Not only is the volcano reasonably high, it is also very exposed. There is a smell of sulphur. No one else is around. The gases continually arising from the crater are noxious, and you are not supposed to get too close. Time check ...
http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...e/74c5f93e.jpg
Near the top is this huge but narrow ridge to be traversed. The wind is immense, blowing ice up the slope of the volcano. Foolishly, a little earlier on after discovering all my water and food was frozen, I removed my outer gloves to help open a thermos of hot coffee. The coffee was good but, on this traverse, the brief exposure had frozen my hands and I could not grip my poles. I just put my hands through the pole loops and pretended.
http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...e/e4420f48.jpg
http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...e/d9c05fe2.jpg
I didn't tell my climbing companion until after we had descended, whereupon he mentioned that in fact he hadn't been able to feel his feet for a couple of hours.
http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...e/20a9843f.jpg
At the top. The watch was worn outside the jacket the whole way, and was completely fine. It was pretty icy inside the jacket and several layers of merino wool, so although I don't know the exact outside temp, I think it must have been fairly nippy :D
Paul
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tokyo Tokei
Thanks for the photos Paul :!:
No real problem here to wear my watch while the cold wind of winter is blowing...
Most of the time my watch is under the sleeves ...
Except here for a picture :
http://www.izipik.com/images/201202/...a-p1100432.jpg
Cheers,
laurent
Quote:
Originally Posted by WatchScout
http://www.mijnalbum.nl/Foto-88OILMTP.jpg
A neat trick to not loose track of time at the bar when you´ve popped over for just one drink.
:drunken:
That´s a tricky factor in most of Europe now.Quote:
Originally Posted by birdynamnam
It isn´t all thát cold here in the south, but the icey wind is still freezing half the mains in the valley/village as the houses are not built for the cold.
My Ball is rated down to -40.
Not sure about my watches though. :D
Just received a message from a friend in Poland; -39.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dougie Melville
I think I'll keep mine here in Durham.Quote:
Originally Posted by Huertecilla
ZUBROWSKA....Quote:
Originally Posted by Huertecilla
:mrgreen:
No problems here when I froze a Seiko :shock: for a RLT photo comp years ago.
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g102/TRIPLEPOT/bw.jpg
Inspired by this thread I just tested what happens to a mechanical watch in really cold conditions, left my Sinn 103 A Sa outside for a while. It's -23 c, the watch lost three seconds in two hours. It usually runs at around -3 s / day. No other effects, it's running strong. :mrgreen:
No problems ice-fishing with this one...
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5053/5...7922dea06b.jpg
Bremont ice fishing by Noodlefish, on Flickr
Probably shouldn't have used it as bait tho - couldn't catch a cold... :D
Are you talking about the Blue Lagoon? If so, don't take anything but a cheapo watch. In fact better still, don;t wear a watch. The mineral content of the Brine is very rich and there are signs suggesting you don't wear jewellery.Quote:
Originally Posted by MattH
There's a clock on the main building that you can see whilst you're swimming etc. Fantastic experience though :)
Fantastic. I will also say thanks for those photos. The highest mountain I've ever climbed is Ben Nevis (although I've probably been higher while skiing in the Alps) but the coldest I've had is windy Cairngorms. By the sounds of it, yours was rather chilly indeed. Brilliant.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tokyo Tokei
Sod diving, I'd like to see more of this sort of thing.
Thanks for the confirmation.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jonah81
Krek what I found.
The Synchronar was advertised as tested in boiling brine so would be a good choice.Quote:
Originally Posted by W44NNE
Great shot of the Bremont in action. My shot of the Big9 taken during the daily trip to work on the pedal bike does not quite compare :lol: :wink:Quote:
Originally Posted by Broussard
http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/...g/watch/11.jpg
There wasn't really that much "action" to be honest...Quote:
Originally Posted by WatchScout
BTW, do you have carbon fibre knuckles on those Oakleys? :shock:
Cheers for that.. Hmm best leave it somewhere safe whilst I swim then :)Quote:
Originally Posted by W44NNE
You bet :lol: :mrgreen:Quote:
Originally Posted by Broussard
http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/...g/watch/1a.jpg
Riding this (or rather my new bike like it, because the one in the pic got stolen) can be hazadous to your health....and hands (gloves were bought for another purpose, I just use them for cycling these days).
http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/...g/watch/1b.jpg
Especially as I ride every day year round and people in motors cause a few spills from time to time. With the snow, it is even worse. Cars brake too late and slide out in front of you etc.
Strange actually. Not so many cyclists out in the cold, but it is as if some drivers ignore the remaining few.
Not too bad this year .....yet. But I do remember having the choice of trying to make it over the bonnet of some motor in a roundabout or putting the bike down on the slippery ice and sliding a bit. My Evel Knievel days being behind me, I did not opt for the over-the-bonnet stunt.
....actually the choice was made for me as I zig-zagged trying to deceide and simply slipped and went aXX over tea kettle :mrgreen:
Thank you, very kind. Some more of the same climb then ...Quote:
Originally Posted by mark a.
Frozen waterfall at the start, before the ascent. Usually a good indicator that things are going to get chilly 8)
http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...e/6d85af5f.jpg
About 2.5km from the crater we pass this mountain hut, the last building before the summit
http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...e/72ed3dcb.jpg
It turns out to be deceptive. The log-cabin outside is hiding a steel structure inside, acting as a shelter
http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...e/782c8e78.jpg
A little further on, at 2Km from the crater, the last warning sign
http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...e/88a350ce.jpg
Although equipped with crampons, we don't use them. The snow is fresh and with no other people around to tread it down, provides reasonable grip as we ascend into the clouds
http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...e/975d5537.jpg
Approaching the vast windswept ridge at around 8000ft, we find these upturned iron cylinders. The isolation and otherwise barren terrain make this feel like a lunar shelter.
http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...e/0eba980b.jpg
Inside the shelter, realising all my provisions and water are frozen solid, I foolishly take off my outer gloves to manipulate a thermos flask of coffee
http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...e/e85fb4d2.jpg
On the ridge, near to the summit, pretending to grip my poles. The pain in my hands a little later as the circulation slowly returns is phenomenal. I am almost delirious. It is as though each bare hand is being pressed hard between two steam irons. There is nothing to be done. My screams are inaudible above the noise of the wind.
http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/u...e/d83fdbc6.jpg
It occurs to me, and back to subject of watches, that most of these photos were taken by my climbing companion. My own camera, a small digital, showed weak battery at the base of the mountain, and no battery as we got higher. It had had a full charge overnight prior to the ascent. As we descended in the afternoon sun, the battery progressively "came back" to a full charge. I wonder if the effect of cold on rechargeable batteries such as those used in solar watches is similar ?
Paul
hmmmm...speedmaster, i gather it's a bit cold in space and on the moon,.,....
I've lived in Alaska all my life and have exposed my watches to many nights camping out to -40F with no problems. Seadwellers seem to do just fine in the snow:
http://www.nanuq-alaska.net/images/w...dr_in_snow.jpg
A Gigandet triple-date chrono perfectly happy at -25F:
http://www.nanuq-alaska.net/images/onelap/wristie.jpg
A Sub on a frosty -5F morning:
http://www.nanuq-alaska.net/images/w.../1680/2_sm.jpg
A Doxa SUB 300 on a glacier:
http://www.nanuq-alaska.net/images/w...ie_glacier.jpg
...and they all live happily ever after in the high arctic.
Speedmaster pro down to -40 deg C .
Cold test chambers at MIRA
Worked for the 30 mins I was in there for on multiple
occasions.
Same watch to 44deg C ambient in Arizona.
Nice !
Was the wátch that cold? or comfie under the sleeve on the skin?Quote:
Originally Posted by Logun1
If the watch was cooled to -40, then how much time did it lose?
The Nasa temp specs were provided on here by Lysanderxii for which I would like to thank him agaín. Factual info is :bounce: (imo)Quote:
Originally Posted by ktmog6uk
Yes, not only that. You can take your watch in a hot shower and then dunk the watch in cold wintertime water over and over again. Wintertime tap water is almost at freezing, 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Your body temperature is always 98 degrees Fahrenheit. If your shower is not hot enough to burn you. Then the water is about is 110 degrees Fahrenheit. It is not that much of a difference to affect a good watch.Quote:
Originally Posted by Foxy100
Watch was gaffer taped on the outside of an arctic survival suit, clasp open.Quote:
Originally Posted by Huertecilla
No noticeable loss of time.
I was cold testing an Aston Martin so was not totally focused on a few secs
here and there.
The Speedmaster was accurate enough for this work and did not drop..
Cheers
Darren