Max depths for dive watches

[Coldwater_Canuck]

This is something that has always confused me, especially since on Amazon (where I bought my watch) it says:

Water resistance 50 meters (150 feet): It is wearable around household sinks, while playing sports, and in shallow water. It should not be worn while scuba diving.

Water resistance 100 meters (333 feet): It is wearable around household sinks, while playing sports, and while swimming or poolside diving. It should not be worn while scuba diving.

Water resistance 300 meters (990 feet): It is wearable around household sinks and while playing sports, swimming, and scuba diving at depths not requiring helium gas.

So this tells me that a watch rated to a depth you can't even go to recreationally rating can't even be worn for normal swimming? Anyways, I bought a TImex Ironman Sleek, which was the middle rating (333 feet), which it says not to wear scuba diving. However, I've taken it down multiple times, once just past 60 feet, and it's been perfect.

 

[ukslim]

The labelling does seem pretty irresponsible. I have a Casio watch that's rated 50m (that is, "around the sink" rating) yet has a bezel and is styled like a diver's watch. Having said that I've worn it kite surfing, wakeboarding, snorkeling and for OW pool sessions and it has never leaked.

(Edit to add: it might look as if I intend to use that watch for scuba at depth: no way!)

I guess the point is that with scuba, not only is pressure resistance a design challenge, but timekeeping is absolutely critical to your safety. You want big tolerances.

 

[Tigerman]

Thing is that water resistant and waterproof is two different things.. Water resistant to 50m is more like MIGHT SURVIVE a quick 50m bounce

 

[Tortuga68]

200m is a good start for a dive watch

Even then, it's needs to be 'dive' rated - at least if you want any warranty support

Yeah, I was surprised too - although part of it is manufacturers wanting to protect themselves from warranty claims

Water Resistant mark - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Water resistance rating Suitability Remarks

Water Resistant 30 m or 50 m Suitable for water related work and fishing. NOT suitable for swimming or diving.

Water Resistant 100 m Suitable for recreational surfing, swimming, snorkeling, sailing and water sports. NOT suitable for diving.

Water Resistant 200 m Suitable for professional marine activity and serious surface water sports. NOT suitable for diving.

Diver's 100 m Minimum ISO standard (ISO 6425) for scuba diving at depths NOT requiring helium gas. Diver's 100 m and 150 m watches are generally old(er) watches.

Diver's 200 m or 300 m Suitable for scuba diving at depths NOT requiring helium gas. Typical ratings for contemporary diver's watches.

Diver's 300+ m for mixed-gas diving Suitable for saturation diving (helium enriched environment). Watches designed for mixed-gas diving will have the DIVERô WATCH L M FOR MIXED-GAS DIVING additional marking to point this out"

The labelling does seem pretty irresponsible. I have a Casio watch that's rated 50m (that is, "around the sink" rating) yet has a bezel and is styled like a diver's watch

Fact is, most 'dive watches' never get closer to the water than having a glass of chardonnay accidentally spilled on them

Further proof is the number of 'dive' watches that are totally unsuitable for diving - no minute marks on the bezel, no second hand, no lume on second hand, bi-directional bezel, hands and face the same colour, etc etc.

Useless except as fashion accessories, which is what most buyers want

 

[Jang]

During my AOW, our instructor told us we needed at minimum a watch (none of us had bought computers yet).

He suggested the following:
50m rated watch = you can take it in the shower
100m rated watch = you can take it in the pool
200m rated watch = you could take it scuba diving
(these rating were based on the el cheapo watches, not professional ones)

The instructor swears by them for his backup timer and has seen ~400 dives on two Timex Ironmans.

I went and spent $40 at the drug store and bought a Timex Ironman. I've taken it one a dozen or so dives up to 120ft and it's still "ticking". Now it's just a backup timer to my computer.

 

[D_B]

one thing to remember about the depth rating is that is static water pressure , not dynamic pressure ... sweep your arm around and the watch is seeing higher pressure than just the pressure at your depth

Edit: I see that String already covered this

 

[Jim Lapenta]

My pulsar is rated to divers 200m. The new citizen pro I have is rated to 300 w helium.

 

[sskasser]

My Timex Expedition (WalMart, $19.95) is rated "100M Water Resistant". It's been to 267' once, and 150'+ a few more times. It's been over 100' LOTS of times. It's also been beat to hell crawling through dry caves. It's still ticking along just fine. Maybe I'm just lucky.

 

[SkipperJohn]

I use a solar powered eco drive. 5 years on its still fine. No battery means no o-ring seal to go. Rated 200m and ive dived it down to 60 many times without incident.

I like that. My monster takes 5 batteries and until recently I had a few jewlers ruin it (until I realized I should be taking it to a dive shop for battery replacement!)

Mine says on the back it is rated for 10 BAR

 

[Walter]

This is something that has always confused me, especially since on Amazon (where I bought my watch) it says:



So this tells me that a watch rated to a depth you can't even go to recreationally rating can't even be worn for normal swimming? Anyways, I bought a TImex Ironman Sleek, which was the middle rating (333 feet), which it says not to wear scuba diving. However, I've taken it down multiple times, once just past 60 feet, and it's been perfect.

Those are common recommendations, but the recommendations for dive watches used to be in feet. When they were, the recommendation was 300 ft or less than 100 m. In spite of those recommendations, I've taken 50 m watches diving hundreds of times, many of those dives well below 100 ft and have never had a problem with a watch on a dive.