Originally Posted by
walkerwek1958
I have a fair collection of 50s and 60s Omegas, all of which were designed to be water-resistant to 30 metres. With the right care and attention these type of watches can usually be made waterproof again to an extent where they will keep splashed water out adequately. Most of mine are fine up to 30 metres, I`ve tested them when I`ve had them apart.
Deterioration of the rubber seal in the crown is the usual reason for a waterproof watch to leak. Pitting around the caseback and crystal seal areas are the other causes, but there are ways and means to address these problems.
Dealers like to spend as little as possible on watches for sale, so they use the disclaimer that old watches aren`t waterproof rather than spend money getting them right. Sad but true.
I`ve worked on old watches that have lost their WR, owners say they're not bothered because they 'won't get it wet' but I invariably persuade them otherwise, in my view it's bad practice for a repairer to send a watch back without addressing the WR issues. If the watch was never designed to be waterproof that's different, many old watches were supposedly dustproof and that's all, I take the view that these watches aren't really suited to routine daily wear.