Mineral Oil filled Dive Watch

[b1gcountry]

I like to wear a digital watch as a backup timer while deco diving. So far, I've had less than stellar luck. Has anyone experimented with filling the watch with mineral oil to help prevent leaks? I'm considering doing this to a cheap Timex Ironman and seeing what happens.

Tom

 

[matt t.]

Hey Tom, go with the Timex Ironman. All of the guys up here use them. Mine is 4 years old with a couple of hundred dives and still going strong on the original battery. Once in a while you can still find the older ones with a better layout at Target or Wal-Mart.

 

[b1gcountry]

I used a 100m ironman for trimix. It worked fine even on my 170' checkout dive, but it crapped out when I took it for a 30' dive in the local quarry. go figure. Anyway, I returned it under warranty for a free replacement. I was thinking about going for the 200m ironman, but they wouldn't credit the previous watch to a different one since I didn't have the receipt.

Do you have the 100m ironman, or the 200m ironman? Are you pressing the buttons underwater?

Tom

 

[Sam308]

I think you might as well get a cheaper 200M dive watch from Timex or Casio and use it for your dive watch. Many report using these cheaper watches with success.

I don't think the mineral oil idea would work or be practical.

On the up side, flooding a $50 watch is less painful than flooding a $1000 watch.

 

[Black Red]

Well, someone did filled his Hammerhead controller with oil so it can take the pressure. (Pls dun flame, I read it online)
Eh, since i cant post the url with less than 5 post currently, i can PM u the link.
Do let us know if u eventually try out the oil idea.
Think it should work since it should not interfer with the electronics...

 

[bleeb]

Another possibility is vacuum grease. An advantage over mineral oil is that it stays where you smear it, making it easier to install. And most types are pretty inert and don't react with much, so you can generally use it pretty liberally even with electric circuits. Just make sure you don't coat the battery electrodes and button contacts. (You still don't want to press the buttons at depth though. Didn't ruin my Timex, but it stopped working till I popped the lid and reseated everything.)

People running vacuum systems often pay attention to the expiry date, so they often have tubes they're happy to get rid. I don't think it actually degrades much over time, and it might be mainly make sure it won't outgas too much when used in a hard vacuum. Maybe 'real' users are most concerned with the goop absorbing water vapor from air once opened, which isn't much of an issue in a dive watch.

 

[scubafanatic]

....not sure if this helps but I diving a Poseidon watch....even full retail at the dive shop was under $ 150 US...it's not mineral-oil-filled, but it's rated to 500 meters....which is about 1600 ft. deep.

 

[mts0628]

Hey Tom:

This has been done before using mineral and silicone oils, both being successful. It has been called the "hydro mod" and looking on the WatchUSeek forum, you will find a lot of information on the modification. A guy named Angelo seems to be the guru, but others have done it was well. The only problem is they seem to be mystified about a trapped bubble and its need. Most say it is needed, because depending on the filling media, the thermal expandability of the material could cause the pressure to build and the front glass to pop off in an increased temperature situation. What that temperature is has seemed very subjective. Of course, if you do have an air bubble in the case, then that is an area that can be subjected to a change in pressure and more importantly it just plain annoying. A totally filled watch case without air bubbles should be worry free for even extreme human use- think of oil filled dive computers. Also keep in mind that most of the people on this forum are teenagers and foreign so the thought of a liquid filled instrument may be the holy grail in coolness. Add a G-Shock and is there anything cooler? Well, welcome to the Sinn...

Good luck and you must post pictures if or when you do it. I would also suggest as an above poster said, start cheap, and I would suggest, think agitation when filling to evacuate any bubbles.

Kind regards,
Thomas

 

[fnfalman]

Or get the Bell&Ross Hydromax. It already comes prefilled with oil and rated for 11,000-meters.

 

[b1gcountry]

I didn't get the chance to try this out this weekend, but I will report when I do.

Tom