Which water density is suitable?
We recommend that you pay special attention to water resistance before buying a watch. To find out the water resistance class of your watch, look for a bar or ATM rating.
3-Bar: This means that the watch can withstand splashes of water without damage, so you can wear your watch while washing your hands.
5-Bar: The watch can withstand rain and snowfall as well as short showers.
10-bar: If you need a waterproof watch for skiing or swimming, you can easily choose a 10-bar model, according to the manufacturer.
20-bar: Since you can be confronted with unexpectedly strong water pressure when swimming, we recommend a waterproof wristwatch with 20 bar as a precaution. At 20 bar, watches are considered diver’s watches and can be used for diving.
100-bar: According to the required criteria, a diver’s watch must be equipped with at least 20 bar according to the manufacturer’s specifications. If you want to be on the safe side for particularly deep dives, you can also resort to a waterproof wristwatch with up to 100 bar.
Diving watches and water contact
- Do not operate the push-pieces of chronographs under water to prevent water from entering the movement.
- Wash your wristwatch with clear water as soon as possible after contact with salt water, fresh water and chlorinated water, because the salt, for example, can dry out seals and even attack stainless steel in the long term. The chlorine in swimming pool water can also attack the surface of your watch.
- Please do not change the battery of the watch on your own, as this will no longer guarantee water resistance.
4. A waterproof watch should be tested regularly using special equipment. It also makes sense to replace the sealing ring once a year.
5. Many people are also familiar with the phenomenon of condensation forming in the watch. This happens after extreme temperature differences, when you jump straight into the cool water after sunbathing, and should be removed as quickly as possible.
There should be either a special bezel…
In addition, high-quality diver’s watches should be equipped with a bezel that can only be turned to the left. Shortly before you start diving, you can turn this bezel to the left onto the minute hand and thus quickly read off the time span between the indication 0 on the bezel and the minute hand moving to the right during the dive. This is especially important when diving, as there is usually only a limited amount of time available.
or a timer to warn the diver!
In order to be able to measure the time while diving, some diving watches have a timer. However, this timer is only considered a substitute for the left-turning bezel if the measured time can be read clearly. In addition, according to the required DIN 8306 standard, a diver’s watch must be able to clearly read both the time and the measured time period from a distance of 25 cm by day and by night.
Tip: If wearing comfort during swimming or skiing activities is very important to you, we recommend waterproof wristwatches with a rubber strap, for example from Citizen or Chris Benz. This is because fabric wristbands can soak up water quite quickly and cause an uncomfortable feeling when worn. Stainless steel bracelets are suitable for water activities, but you should be aware that the friction between wet skin and stainless steel can make them feel uncomfortable to wear for a long time.