[BlueHawaii]

Hi everyone,

I was doing some searching through the forum for info on using one's SMP for water activities. Now I know it's a dive watch, but last year I had to have mine overhauled :sad: because there were spots on the underside of the crystal. They were faint, but similar in appearance to water spots you might get on your windshield. There was no rust in the movement or anywhere else, so I have no idea how it could have happened.

These days I may swim or snorkel with my SMP but I'm still a bit skittish. Years ago when I used to dive I had a Seiko auto and never had a problem, even at 100+ feet down. I have read that swimming might be bad due to the pressure created by the hand entering the water with force. How tightly do you guys screw down your crown/helium valve? Again, any thoughts or advice is much appreciated.

 

[diver88]

hello there Mr BlueH



the He valve and the crown should be firmly "snug".

I would not tighten them as tight as you can, just snug.

over tightening can cause problems for sure but one suggestion after
a question, do you have a friendly local watchmaker?

I do and 2 or 3 times a year (not necessary) I take the watches I'm about to dive with and have him water test them, or sometimes called pressure testing. this will verify the water resistancy before you get them in water and possibly in trouble. my guy will sometime let me test my own with his equipment, otherwise he charges $5 or so per watch to test, we've not ever found a problem..

also be careful with getting the watch really hot in direct sunshine then abruptly jumping into really cool water... that is something to be careful of.

with a properly maintained and sealed watch swimming should not be a problem with a 300m depth rated watch, no worries... pressure test once a year and snug the crown ( I have never touched the He valve) and you should be fine.

have a good week ahead,:thumbup:

diver88

 

[Houston]

There you are Mr Blue Hawaii

Wise words from a man who should know about the affinity of a watch to water.


Wish you well :001_smile:

ZIN

 

[BlueHawaii]

Thank you diver88! The repair center in San Francisco ran a pressure test last spring when they serviced the watch and all is good there. I guess I just need some reassurance after getting moisture in that one time. I practically had nightmares about my most valuable watch being ruined.

That is good to know about the temperature change. I never wear my SMP is the shower, hot tubs, etc. even though I know people that do. I appreciate you taking the time to help me out. Take care!

 

[haakon59]

Omega Seamasters are pretty reliable, but when entering water I do a quick check to make sure the screw down crown is tight--this being said, it is worth being careful not to screw down too hard either and be careful not to wear out the threads either. I have several mechanical watches which are divers and several different brands and occassionally I will find the crown needs to be tightened but not quite as often as I would have thought.

The issue you had on the inside of the crystal was odd--I wonder if that was there all along? Perhaps you experienced a small amount of condensation or something like this, moving from a warm and moist environment to a cold one, etc. I am glad your watch turned out to be OK but it was smart to check anyway.

 

[LarryD]

I'm with Haakon..

I would need some serious convincing and proof that your SMP didn't already have an issue with the inside glass originally.

Either the oil vapor settling on the inside, or some already in-the-watch condensation.

If you had any water migration into the watch from swimming or diving, it would likely have to have come through the movement first..........and that is likely to have shown some rust or similar corrosion..

I use three main watches when I dive or snorkel......A Rolex Sub, a Explorer II, and a Blue SMP..........I have never had an issue with any of them..

And snug is good enough.........any more and you run the risk of deforming the "O" rings and sealing gaskets.

 

[BlueHawaii]

it would likely have to have come through the movement first..........and that is likely to have shown some rust or similar corrosion..

Good point. Interesting thought about the spots being there all along. They were minor but being a paranoid WIS it sent me into panic mode.

you run the risk of deforming the "O" rings and sealing gaskets.

I don't think that I have ever over-tightened a crown, but would you be able to tell if this has happened, and is it repairable?

Thanks again for the input.

 

[LarryD]

..............
I don't think that I have ever over-tightened a crown, but would you be able to tell if this has happened, and is it repairable?

Thanks again for the input.

You can't really tell on an SMP, unless you see bits of rubber around the threads from the upper gasket deteriorating..

Replacing these seals is standard at a routine servicing. If you use your watch for diving regularly, you should have it pressure tested every year or two. A pressure test will tell you if the seals and case gaskets are doing their job...

Any competent watchmaker can replace the "O" rings and seals, but not every place is capable of doing a pressure check on the Seamaster.. It's best to ask first if the shop you take it to is doing the test or sending it off...

 

[BlueHawaii]

Thank you for the info and tips, LarryD!

 

[onthepond]

You nailed it LarryD - "And snug is good enough.........any more and you run the risk of deforming the "O" rings and sealing gaskets." And this is the one statement of fact that is invariably missing when the question's asked. If you are diving to the depths possible 2-300 meters or more (even a hundred+ feet), I'd tighten it for the dive and relieve the compression some when surfaced.

Rubber loses it's flex / resiliency if crushed all the time, whether compressed between a shaft & tube or by a cap.

 

[carlscutt]

Being new to this forum I wasn`t sure what I would find, but I'm very happy to see such valuable answers to readers questions. Quite right, never over-tightening the crown in favor of making it snug, to seal against the O-rings and sealing gasket. Diver88 also put forward a great idea of having your watch pressure tested every couple of years depending on use. If you`re a regular water sports type, you could benefit from an annual pressure test in my view )