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Flooded Seamaster Planet Ocean Chrono

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Archer Archer
The reason is simple - people on watch forums spread false information that soon becomes fact, simply because it's repeated without question over and over again.

Here's is Omega's water resistance chart:



It clearly shows what ratings the watches are and what they are good for. As Ash stated, a meter is a meter...no qualifications. In my experience this sort of thinking is not brand specific, and any brand will get the "Is it safe to (insert innocuous activity here) while wearing my (insert famous or not brand here)?" kind of posts.

Cheers, Al
But for sure there is some Bull on the chart. 100m should mean 100m which should actually allow for free diving and even Scuba in most contexts as very few divers go beyond 100m to need a 200M certification before it is recommended for Scuba is perplexing...at that point don't bother with the meters.
 
Archer
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But for sure there is some Bull on the chart. 100m should mean 100m which should actually allow for free diving and even Scuba in most contexts as very few divers go beyond 100m to need a 200M certification before it is recommended for Scuba is perplexing...at that point don't bother with the meters.

Please keep in mind that depth rating is only one factor to consider when choosing a proper dive watch...there's no BS in the chart mate.
 
Foo2rama
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S Solidsnake
Cheers, quite informative. So basically at recreational dive limits there is simply no need for the HE valve to be used. Clearly you also know your dive stuff too so its always good to get another divers perspective.

I did once wreck a aquaterra gmt chrono by using the pushers whilst swimming and timing laps.

Yup the reason for the He valve in Watches with extreme depth ratings is due to the high He atmosphere they use. As a Diver you know you have to get rid of nitrogen under 3-4 atmospheres due to narcosis. Once you get into deep saturation diving your diving in a helium low Oxygen environment as He won’t react to anything due to being a nobel gas with a full outer electron shell. I believe they use He instead of argon due to costs... but oddly dry suit divers use Argon inside the suit... I think due to the lower thermal issues with Argon as He can sap heat quickly. Don’t quote me on this...

Anyway due to the the He molecules being the second smallest ( or tied with H?) they can bypass the seals in a watch and equalize pressure at depth something regular air has no issue with being mostly nitrogen and O2 comparatively larger and won’t sneak past the seals. Hence the He valve allows for a path for the Helium to escape so the crystal does not pop out as happened in early deep sat diving. The Speedy Pro which is nowhere near as sealed can go to vacuum from inside a pressurized environment as it is “leaky”. Although at least one Pro on the moon lost its crystal due to this.
 
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Archer Archer
Please keep in mind that depth rating is only one factor to consider when choosing a proper dive watch...there's no BS in the chart mate.
ok, I'm just glad I can take a shower with a 100 meter rating.
 
BlackTalon
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ok, I'm just glad I can take a shower with a 100 meter rating.
Just make sure you do not get soapy water in contact, as the soap will reduce the size of the water molecules, the wrist cheese will then draw the soapy water against the watch case, and surface tension and kinetic energy will drive the now-magically-smaller water molecules into the watch.

But on the 'plus' side you will be able to claim "movement recently cleaned"

😁
 
Archer
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ok, I'm just glad I can take a shower with a 100 meter rating.

As long as you don't time your showers with a dive bezel, then yes a 100m watch will be fine. I don't believe Omega currently makes a watch rated for only 100m with a dive bezel...

😉
 
Bushido
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ok, I'm just glad I can take a shower with a 100 meter rating.
Please take heed and make sure not to flap your arms spasmodically about whilst in the shower or this may increase the water pressure substantially. Thus, causing a cataclysmic failure in said dive watch to which I akin to "crossing the streams" from Ghostbusters.

😉
 
Starman71
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Foo2rama Foo2rama
Hey man percentage wise that’s the most pressure change exerted on the watch. 100% increase in pressure in the first 33feet. It’s only a 50% change from 33 to 66! Your in the danger zone!!! 😀
This summer I was following a turtle and swung my hand into a puffer fish. The cuts didn’t look too bad but they were to the bone!
 
S
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And for those that followed the original post, and will be as confused as i am.. the replacement titanium PO chrono now looks just like the photo following a dive at the weekend in 15 degree water, for 22 minutes at a depth of less than 8m.

2 watches, manufatured 4 years apart.. there is no logic to this.

Both watches used in Capernwray Inland Dive Centre, maximum depth 22m (of quarry) which is fresh water.

How can I now possibly have any faith in diving with a Planet Ocean? Clearly they are not fit for purpose.
 
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Foo2rama
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Did you have the He valve open?
 
S
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Foo2rama Foo2rama
Did you have the He valve open?

No mate, because of the issues before i checked, checked and checked them.. its back at Omega who have been told to keep it. I just cant figure out whats going wrong.

Cant in fairness be cold shock as the air temp was 20 deg, id been in the shallow before descending so the watch had been in the water a bit before hand. 2 days later the fog hadnt cleared either.

It arrived with Omega today (post) who confirmed it was still the same.
 
Mouse_at_Large
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Foo2rama Foo2rama
Did you have the He valve open?

From the Omega Operating Instructions - page 37 - available here

"Note: even if the valve is unscrewed, and we strongly recommend that the valve remains screwed down whenever the watch is immersed in water, the watch is still water-resistant to a relative pressure of 5 Bar (50 metres). "
 
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Also, for those who are interested, and would like to know more, Wiki has an interesting article on water resistance, testing and standards here. Really dedicated people may also want to get their hands on a copy of ISO 22810:2010. I'm not that dedicated! 😉
 
Mouse_at_Large
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Finally, always remember that waterproof and water-resistant are not synonymous.

Waterproof - "impervious to water."

Water-resistant - "able to resist the penetration of water to some degree but not entirely."
 
Foo2rama
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Mouse_at_Large Mouse_at_Large
From the Omega Operating Instructions - page 37 - available here

"Note: even if the valve is unscrewed, and we strongly recommend that the valve remains screwed down whenever the watch is immersed in water, the watch is still water-resistant to a relative pressure of 5 Bar (50 metres). "
I know but they also oddly proclaimed that as a new feature this year.
 
Nobel Prize
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This is so weird. Sorry this happened to you...twice!!!

Maybe become a pilot and get a speedmaster?
 
larryganz
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S Solidsnake
And for those that followed the original post, and will be as confused as i am.. the replacement titanium PO chrono now looks just like the photo following a dive at the weekend in 15 degree water, for 22 minutes at a depth of less than 8m.

2 watches, manufatured 4 years apart.. there is no logic to this.

Both watches used in Capernwray Inland Dive Centre, maximum depth 22m (of quarry) which is fresh water.

How can I now possibly have any faith in diving with a Planet Ocean? Clearly they are not fit for purpose.

OMG again!
 
hotwheels
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Your one of the few owners who actually use the watch for what its Designed for, how many range rovers ever leave the tarmac !!!! To be fair I have heard story’s of Rolex customers having similar issues, some of the most misleading statements in horological terms relate to water “resistance” 😗
 
S
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Yep, cant make it up. Ive had seamasters for 16 years so im familiar with them you could say.

Its not so much the blame game, but how it even happened that gets me.

Surely you should be able to just ‘dive’ wearing one of these. I understand one thermal extreme to the other but what do they expect you to do? Geadually run it under a tap at decreasing tenperatures incase it doesnt like the depths?
 
STANDY
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Dived, swam, fished and waterski'd with dive watches of 10-20 brands for over 30 years and never had one leak.
Of all the ones I have seen leaked on other peoples watches over these years I could say 80% where chronos 😗

Never have and never will own a chrono dive watch.
 
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