Anyone go diving/swimming with their vintage skin divers?

(With a service and pressure test first, of course!)

Over the past few years of my interest in watches, I’m drawn towards the archetypal skin diver (long arching lugs, squared lug width). I’ve picked up a few along the way to wear and admire.

In a general sense, most vintage collectors do not subject their pieces to the rigor of serious action like diving or swimming. However, most of the higher end skin divers (all SS case, high water rating, etc) were made to be used!

I have a few divers that I’d like to get updated to eventually pass pressure testing (new crystals gaskets, crowns). It’s my hope I can find nos parts to update them with.

My question for discussion is: has anyone had their skin divers water proof tested to the point where they are used while diving/swimming? Say if you found a decent example that passed water testing, would you have any qualm with taking it for a swim?

I added A few images of my collection. Would one day like to get one of the Vantage divers ‘up to spec’ to take it on a swim or snorkel on holiday.

For now, the vostok is my vintage inspired watch that can take a splash too.

Please post your thoughts and skin divers!

View attachment 1353949 View attachment 1353947 View attachment 1353943 I took my 30 year old Rolex Sea Dweller scuba diving to 60 feet. I had it serviced fully at RSC in Dallas 3 months before. Maybe not a real vintage watch as only 30 years old. I put it on rubber strap to assure a snug fit over my wet suit. I also had two newer Seamasters with me that got some snorkel time in.
Also a pic of all my divers which get regular water time . The SeaGull and Sicura need to be regasketed and pressure tested before getting wet.

If it's pressure tested then I don't think it could possibly be a problem unless you expect that your watchmaker is fraudulent/incompetent. Hodinkee had a talking watches where the guest was a journalist/novelist/diver he talked about getting some of his vintage pieces brought back up to snuff and diving with them. Have a viewing of that and see if it calms your fears or gets you even more pumped up. I love taking my vintage pieces out and about. Though I live more in the mountains than near the ocean.

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/talking-watches-with-jason-heaton

thats what Invictas were made for, cheap reliable well made but ultimately disposable due to the low cost price.
These are all I wear in the water.

I have found for a car engineered and built in a snowy mountainous country my 650i really sux in the snow.

As far as Divers go, as I said in a previous discussion on the same subject. As long as it passes a water resistance test, why wouldn’t you wear it. After that was what it was made for.

Probably it all comes to the owner's philosophy and watch being pressure tested. 😀
I personally only wear a beater in or around water and a proper diver "computer" when scuba diving.

I drove a late '70s 320 on winter tyres & studs around an ice-race course once. It felt great, really easy to control, but even with its owner driving only a couple of seconds faster than my front-drive Audi Coupe on summer tyres. Audi felt awful but it was quick.