Reply With QuoteI've long been waiting on Hodinkee to break their silence on this matter.
An article copied from Hodinkee, which should reassure everyone who worries about whether they can safely wear their DSSD when they’re doing the washing up...
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100 meters of water resistance is not enough for diving?
Overkill is a good thing when it comes to gear that gets used in harsh environments, but let’s consider the numbers. PADI, the largest professional dive instructor organization, states that 60 feet, or about 20 meters, is the depth to which basic Open Water certification cardholders should dive. Get your Advanced Open Water certification and PADI divemasters will take you to 130 feet, or 40 meters. A 100-meter watch is more than double that depth, and so will be just fine. It also will likely be slimmer, lighter, and less expensive than one rated to the absurd depths we see nowadays on many divers. In fact, I’ve seen more than a few divers wearing plastic 50-meter water resistant Timex Ironman watches as a backup timer.
The earliest dive watches had relatively modest depth ratings, and that was in the 1950s – an era when watches were worn regularly as necessary underwater instruments. The first Rolex Submariner was rated to 100 meters and the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms was so named because it was thought that the maximum depth to which a diver could safely descend was 50 fathoms, or 300 feet (a little less than 100 meters). In actuality, deeper than 187 feet, the partial pressure of the oxygen in compressed air becomes dangerously high and can become toxic.
But don’t take my word for it. ISO 6425 – the international standard that lays down specifications for what can be called a “dive watch”– states that the minimum water resistance should be no less than 100 meters. So while we all appreciate a 1,220-meter dive watch for its impressive engineering, let’s not pretend that an Oris Diver 65 or Rado Captain Cook won’t time a dive as well as a Sea-Dweller. Even if you flail your arms underwater!
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I've long been waiting on Hodinkee to break their silence on this matter.
No need to thank me...Originally Posted by Papa Hotel
Now, just you go off and splash your DSSD as much as you want!
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Thank goodness - I'll be wearing my Nautilus on my next PADI holiday.
While I don't disagree that a decent 100m watch will do fine, the idea that meters on the dial equates to meters underwater still doesn't work for me.
Sorry but according to them I can become a PADI qualified diver with a 30m dress watch that the manufacturer recommends doesn't get submerged.... I don't buy it!
But I've read about/ seen on Youtube several experiments where people have subjected WR30 watches to pressure tests, or even dived to 30M and beyond with them, and they've always survived entirely unscathed. Of course, this isn't to say that every WR30 watch would be successful - the tests I've seen were from proper brands - Casio F91 & Seiko, fashion brands might be a different story! I was quite impressed that someone gave a very old & seriously battered F91 a pressure test to 6ATM and it still worked fine!
By coincidence I just read elsewhere that the earliest dive watches were only 50M WR, and pro divers used them in their jobs, and no dive computers in those days!
I'm not convinced by the breath and rigour of these tests
My Patek Annual Calendar is rated 25m. I guess I’ll start snorkelling with it (not).
I find this a useful guide.
https://neal.fun/deep-sea/
Good to know I can Scuba dive on the wreck of the Titanic and my DSSD will still tell me the time.
Forget the depth rating on your watch - the biggest concern is it crashing into all that heavy dive gear, weight belts, gas cylinders, and other dive kit - that's before you have even got wet.
Once you are in the water there is all the rock, coral and worst of all rusty sharped edged wrecks that you want to explore.
Or possibly hidden cuttlery beneath the soapy surface...
M
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Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
You are not wrong there Snowman a harsh environment!
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