Dive Watch Failure?

[rx7diver]

Rolex factory services are recommended every 5 years but the cost often starts at about $600 or more...

My open water instructor was gifted a Rolex Sub by a group of his students years before I met him. When I took his course, he still wore the watch daily, still loved it, but he would no longer dive with it. He balked at the very expensive cost of periodic factory service.

Safe Diving,

rx7diver

 

[Centrals]

Dive watch failure? Never because I don't have one.
Dive computer failure? Yes, twice.

 

[rx7diver]

I have seen hundreds of "dive" watches flood on customers when I lived in Cayman for 5 years as a instructor...

200m is the bare min i would recommend as the depth rating for a dive watch, and for expensive ones, get serviced properly with a pressure check. i have a fondness for swiss watches and dive them..but always check the crown is tight and they get pressure tested after service.

Yes, a self-winding chronometer should have a decreased risk of these kinds of floods: no battery changes, and less of a need to screw open the crown, adjust the time, and forget to screw back down the crown.

Mine is self-winding with a solid clockworks and screw-down crown (though NOT a chronometer). I decided to take the approach a lot of Nikonos V owners took: When it comes time for a CLA, I can entertain either getting a CLA or purchasing a new copy of the watch (with a new warranty), depending on finances at the time.

Safe Diving,

rx7diver

 

[Nemrod]

All,

*** NOTE: This thread pertains to dive watches (NOT to bottom timers and PDC's). ***

A recent SB post (Post #53 in the thread Diving without computers) prompted this.

I did a quick search just now (using both Google and the SB search feature) and was unable to turn up an incidence of a dive watch failure.

So, have you ever had a dive watch fail during a dive? If so, please describe the type of watch (mechanical, quartz, etc.) and its age, the type of failure, and the dive you were on when the dive watch failed.

Thanks in advance for any detail you can supply.

Safe Diving,

rx7diver

Yeah, which is why we wore more than one. And now still do.

There are watches and there are real watches and even then they can flood. Forget to get tighten the crown down is one sure way.

I had a pre TAG Heuer ripped from my arm. I guess that was a failure. I have seen all manner of watches flood. I would say the Seiko SKX007 and the Seiko SKX781 (Monster) are some of the more reliable lower price autowinders and the Citizen Ecodrive anything in a diver rated 300m plus., such as the EcoZilla, TiZilla or the stainless version, pretty much bazooka proof.

N

 

[rx7diver]

Yeah, which is why we wore more than one. And now still do.

There are watches and there are real watches and even then they can flood. Forget to get tighten the crown down is one sure way.

@Nemrod,

IIRC, you have quite the collection. You showed it either on here or on VDH. Have you ever had a failure while on a dive? Details, please?

Safe Diving,

rx7diver

 

[Kevrumbo]

Citizen Promaster Aqualand Diver's Eco-Drive JV0000-01E Men's Watch

If in stand-by mode (sensor contacts enabled during a wet & rainy boat ride) for more than 30 min without starting an actual dive, the LCD display will show an error condition. To get it functioning again requires a four button push reset, out of the water & on the surface. . .

 

[halocline]

My plain-jane seiko is going on 10 years without a failure. I've replaced the rubber band a few times. I wear it on every dive, it's my back up timer.

 

[cerich]

My plain-jane seiko is going on 10 years without a failure. I've replaced the rubber band a few times. I wear it on every dive, it's my back up timer.

I wore a Seiko dive while in Cayman, going on 20 years and going strong still

 

[hammet]

I find it amazing that 'dive' watches based on the rolex submariner and other brands and models similar in appearance (i.e. with the rotating bezel) continue to be so popular in the watch industry considering that virtually no one dives with high end dive watches anymore.

But then again, I don't need a $30,000 yachtmaster to countdown my sailing starts or a $12,000 daytona to time my laps around the racetrack.

 

[Captain Swoop]

When I firet started in the 80s I was young and had money to spare. I got myself an Omega Seamaster Pro.
They were more affordable back then, like a Rolex Sub used to be. They were working watches, now that divers use computers they are fashion items. They are still as accurate and waterproof but they are 'blinged' with ceramic bezels, white gold markers etc.
I used my Omega until I found out how much a 'vintage' model will sell for and got myself a Seiko, I have had a couple over the years and at the moment I use a Beaver Momentum.
All mechanical automatics, no 'complications' so no push buttons etc, just a screw down crown. None have failed or flooded. One lost a spring bar but the watch wasn't lost as I use NATO straps under water and they thread through both bars so losing one isn't fatal