Are there any vintage watches (non diver) wearable when it's rainy?

Syrte · Aug 8, 2016

U ulackfocus
Man, I love when somebody can't tell the difference between my sarcasm and actual advice. Lets me know I'm good at being facetious. 😜 Of course, being from Noo Joizey / Philly it comes naturally.

It was hilarious no matter what 😜
And you sure put a lot of effort into it !

Larry S · Aug 8, 2016

Screamingly funny and great build up!

Archer · Aug 8, 2016

Syrte
So it seems the "takeaway" as they say is that certain but not all vintage watches from the late 60s or 70s may be able to withstand bad weather if they are tested as such...
Thanks for the suggestions gents, better safe than sorry though.

As I try to get across to people on WUS about topics like service intervals, the key take away is really that applying the same set of rules for all situations is a bad idea.

There are plenty of vintage watches that either are water resistant, or can be made to be. It really depends on the watch. A watch made in the 20's likely doesn't even have seals to begin with and was never designed to be worn in damp or wet conditions. But I service plenty of vintage Omegas that if I am allowed to change all the seals (people who for example aren't concerned with keeping some hardened, ineffective yellow seal 🤨) then as long as the case is not severely pitted, they seal fine.

So it depends on the original design, plus what parts are changed, and the condition of the case. There are times when replacing every seal on the watch still doesn't seal the watch.

Then of course there's the entirely different question of whether you should even risk getting some watches wet, no matter if they pass a pressure test or not. That is a risk v reward thing that each person has to decide for themselves.

Hope this helps.

Cheers, Al

VetPsychWars · Aug 9, 2016

Archer
Unsealed watches + water = bad idea. You have been lucky. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns as they say...

No doubt true but many of these older watches are not as fragile as they appear. As long as you don't drop them onto a solid surface, they'll work well for you within the service interval, which is of course a lot shorter because of the unsealed case.

Tom

Archer · Aug 9, 2016

VetPsychWars
No doubt true but many of these older watches are not as fragile as they appear. As long as you don't drop them onto a solid surface, they'll work well for you within the service interval, which is of course a lot shorter because of the unsealed case.

Tom

Totally irrelevant to the thread and my post, but okay...

VetPsychWars · Aug 9, 2016

Archer
Totally irrelevant to the thread and my post, but okay...

Not totally.

Let's use, for sake of argument, a WWI-vintage watch I have, a 15-jewel Fererro SA, commonly called a trench watch. Has the lovely domed thin glass crystal. Not broken. The case is not sealed but at least it has a crown tube.

Wearing it during a rainstorm with a jacket covering the watch doesn't appear to have created any issues. Sometimes some raindrops get on it, but they usually bead on the dial or case, the water isn't running into the crown tube.

This does not concern me. The case and crystal are unaffected. The movement is not rusting away. No fog on the inside. I've had this watch for years and have never had an environmental issue.

If your point, Al, is "don't wear it in the rain," I guess that's fine. I've never had an issue with it.

Tom

Archer · Aug 9, 2016

VetPsychWars
If your point, Al, is "don't wear it in the rain," I guess that's fine. I've never had an issue with it.

Tom

My point is pretty clear as I stated in my first reply to you - because you have gotten away with it in the past doesn't mean you always will. Additionally, implying to others that no particular care is required with unsealed vintage watches is a bad idea.

I know you always want to be the contrarian, but I can assure you that your small sample size is not indicative of the risks involved. I see enough rusted watches cross my bench to know this first hand.

I don't care if you get your watch wet and it rusts personally, so wear it in the rain all you like. But spreading misleading information...well...

Cheers, Al

VetPsychWars · Aug 9, 2016

Archer
Then of course there's the entirely different question of whether you should even risk getting some watches wet, no matter if they pass a pressure test or not. That is a risk v reward thing that each person has to decide for themselves.

This is what I was attempting to explain.

Archer
My point is pretty clear as I stated in my first reply to you - because you have gotten away with it in the past doesn't mean you always will. Additionally, implying to others that no particular care is required with unsealed vintage watches is a bad idea.

I'll grant you that my brevity sometimes gives the wrong expression.

Wearing an unsealed watch in a monsoon on your bare wrist with no covering is pretty much a bad idea. No argument there. A badly-sealed water resistant watch is frequently worse than unsealed because it won't dry out.

Where I live, no salt in the air. Largest freshwater lakes, etc.

And, again, it is surprising how sturdy some of these older watches are. They survived WWI, after all, though of course the fact that you can find a few now means some thousands or hundreds of thousands buried in lost trenches.

Ah well, I never intended to imply that no care is required. Keep your watch in your sleeve if it starts to rain. Don't go swimming with it.

Tom

AveConscientia · Aug 9, 2016

I will tell a story about a month ago I was wearing my 1936 Trench watch as we were visiting the local falls around an hour from home we went to the base of the falls it was like a shower I shoved my wrist into my pocket and I was lucky it was fine

bitt3n · Aug 10, 2016

Larry S
Ps Dropping the watch in a bag of rice for a few days will draw out the moisture.

those $5 bags with the silica gel beads inside they sell to dry out cell phones would probably work even better