Sunday, January 15, 2017

Watch Water Resistance Testing And How It Is Done

By Nancy Allen


A watch which is being considered as water resistant can be wet by water but only up to an extent and not for so long. Most of the watches are being categorized to different degrees of the depth of immersion. Thus, one must always remember that the ratings of resistances provided by the manufacturers are based on the controlled conditions from laboratories.

Resistances of the watches are going to decrease over time since there are constant changes of aging and conditions. And so people must need to understand that being waterproof and resistant have two different meanings. For example, when there is a need for a battery to be changed, putting back the seal may not protect the watch anymore just like before. For this reason, doing watch water resistance testing Cambridge is very important.

Manufacturers in Cambridge, MA are suggesting the owners to have their watches tested every once in a year and after changing the battery to ensure that the covering is properly sealed to avoid waters from entering the case. The tests are going to be done in the manufacturers laboratories under some controlled conditions. But do not expect that these tests will have the same results as in real life actions.

The main equipment to be used in testing is a chamber. This will be filled with a half amount of water and a half air. The item is going to be taken out from the chamber and while the air pressure is being increased, the watch is slowly immersed while releasing the air pressure slowly. If bubbles are coming out, meaning, your watch is not water resistant.

The temperatures of waters in hot tubs or in hot showers can affect the gasket seals shape. This will most likely happen when the item is being taken out from a hot temperature and is immediately placed into a cold one. An example to this is from the hot tub to the pool. Rapid pressure changes can stress the gaskets, causing them to be ruptured.

The watches resistance is obtained by 3 factors that need to be considered importantly. These factors include the crown, gaskets, and case back. The case backs attachment to watches are implying two different levels on resistances. These include the snap on and the screw in.

The snap on type is sealed by a pressure and is considered to be the least resistant. And the second level which is the screw in type that allows tighter seal to case back. The screw in types will be threaded before being screwed to a case. And with the use of threading and gasket as its seal, a double seal is created.

Another factor is the crown which also includes 2 important types such as the stem of crown and the screw down crown. Similar to screw in type, a screw down type is threaded as well but this is screwed, matching the threaded tubes, the type is essential for the watches being submerged into water.

Another term for gaskets is O rings. These are made of nylon, Teflon, or rubber. These will form as watertight seals in the joints wherein the caseback, crown, and crystal meet the case of watch. Gaskets would break down and erode eventually that will diminish the resistance.




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