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Helium Relief Valve on Omega Seamaster Professional... have you ever used it?

Rado63
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The Omega He valve is still hand turned so I guess if you are bored you can open and close it just for the fun. Doubtful most people who own one ever needed one in the average diving experience since you only need this in a decompression chamber. The modern Rolex He valve can't be opened by the user and the owners manual gives no instructions on how to use so I guess it opens automatically on a Rolex.
 
dsio
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Rado63 Rado63
The Omega He valve is still hand turned so I guess if you are bored you can open and close it just for the fun. Doubtful most people who own one ever needed one in the average diving experience since you only need this in a decompression chamber. The modern Rolex He valve can't be opened by the user and the owners manual gives no instructions on how to use so I guess it opens automatically on a Rolex.
The Ploprof one is also automatic so Omega has the ability to do it they just don’t on the Seamaster or Planet Ocean. The extra crown looking thing at 10 o’clock has become a part of their look in a sense so I don’t think they really would replace it with a hidden one, if anything the external manual valve serves a more useful purpose than the hidden one for most people in that it creates an aesthetic and is visible.

And fun to fiddle with.
 
cvalue13
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dsio dsio
if anything the external manual valve serves a more useful purpose than the hidden one for most people in that it creates an aesthetic and is visible

except functionally, as apparently it means the watch blows up if not manually opened - whereas the Ploprof/Rolex take care of themselves

not that the risk effects anyone...
 
dsio
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cvalue13 cvalue13
except functionally, as apparently it means the watch blows up if not manually opened - whereas the Ploprof/Rolex take care of themselves

not that the risk effects anyone...
True but as watch collectors we tend not to let functionality get in the way of a good story 😀
 
STANDY
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dsio dsio
I think the other part of this is it was a technology designed for that type of diving back when it was a thing. Now underwater ROVs are a thing and are far cheaper and safer than risking lives like that. You’d have to have a really good reason to want to send people to those depths these days.

Gas and Oil, have a fishing buddy up here that makes a very healthy pay check for a few turns of a wrench a couple of hundred meters under water......
Still is a bigger industry than you would think but not as many companies doing it as 30-40 odd years ago out the back of a 30ft boat.

(And Seiko is his preferred choice)
 
Dan S
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Rado63 Rado63
The Omega He valve is still hand turned so I guess if you are bored you can open and close it just for the fun. Doubtful most people who own one ever needed one in the average diving experience since you only need this in a decompression chamber. The modern Rolex He valve can't be opened by the user and the owners manual gives no instructions on how to use so I guess it opens automatically on a Rolex.

The valve is a one-way overpressure valve, and doesn't require the screw-down crown. I have never understood why Omega adds the backup screw down crown. If you forget to unscrew it, the valve won't operate.
 
cvalue13
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Years ago my uncle was a nurse (ER trained) on these saturation dive “barges”

If I remember correctly, he’d have to be ready to descend in the dive bell if something went pear-shaped at depth, and then give medical while ascending/decompressing.

Details are fuzzy, but I distinctly remember thinking: Jesus, I feel sorry for whoever has to spend 30 days on a small ship with my uncle.
 
Blackdog
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redpcar redpcar
.............but Rolex has one..... 😀
Yes. On one model, on which it is historically significant.
 
Blackdog
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I somehow came to terms with the generally useless Omega HEV. I understand it is now part of the design ethos of the modern Seamasters.
But why did they have to make it bigger on the latest 300M !?!?

Ah, I remember now ! It's a new design that can now be operated under water.... Wait, what ?

I read it as Omega's admission that there was a measurable number of water ingress incidents caused by people messing with the HEV valve....
 
Archer
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Blackdog Blackdog
I read it as Omega's admission that there was a measurable number of water ingress incidents caused by people messing with the HEV valve....

Then you read that wrong - the valve being unscrewed doesn't cause the watch to leak...
 
watchbie
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- The HEV has nothing to do with the depths rating or how deep a watch can go
- It is only relevant for saturation diving which most people owning a watch with a HEV won't do
- On the newer Seamaster Diver 300, the watch is still water resistant to 50M if the HEV is unscrewed
- Let's face it: It is more of a design gimmick today and unlike the Seadweller or the Pelagos, OMEGAs approach isn't subtle
- As a design element, it probably will stay....
-.... but since the Ultra Deep prototype doesn't have one, probably the next PO collection will get rid of it?
 
AntonisCy
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I remember someone in Omega saying that the Ultra Deep design is where the Planet Ocean is heading. I am convinced beyond doubt that the next generation PO will drop the HEV. But i doubt they will do it on the SMP since its a model Omega want to keep as true to the original as possible.
 
Archer
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watchbie maskwp
On the newer Seamaster Diver 300, the watch is still water resistant to 50M if the HEV is unscrewed

This has always been the case...
 
gbesq
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N Nowhere man
What a stupid pointless gimmick. Sealab is over. No one buying a seamaster or Rolex Deepsea is a working saturation diver. Helium escape valves irritate me enough to not buy any watch that has one.
Ok, it’s useless, but so what? How many Speedmaster Professional owners use their Tachymeter bezel regularly or work in outer space? The helium escape valve is part of what makes the Seamaster diver what it is - it’s essentially an element of the design that lends some distinctiveness to the watch.
 
cvalue13
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gbesq gbesq
How many Speedmaster Professional owners use their Tachymeter bezel regularly or work in outer space?

I empathize with the point that some watch features are *somewhat* useless.

But the He valve seems especially egregious. It’s both mechanical/serviceable and also virtually impossible to use.

While many people may not use the tachy, (1) could could at least play with it once if they wanted to, and (2) it is a feature that requires no mechanicals/servicing or costs.

I cannot think of another instance of a mechanical complication requiring servicing needs/costs that aren’t useful: chronograph, GMT complication, date, etc.

I certainly can’t think of an instance of a mechanical feature requiring service costs etc that
cannot be used by 99.999% of owners. Not even a foudroyante seems as useless as an He valve...

No wait. tourbillon. The He valve is less useless than a tourbillon, while being less expensive to maintain than a tourbillon - and there are at least 0.0001% of users that could benefit from an He valve.

Carry on...
 
Archer
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cvalue13 cvalue13
I empathize with the point that some watch features are *somewhat* useless.

But the He valve seems especially egregious. It’s both mechanical/serviceable and also virtually impossible to use.

While many people may not use the tachy, (1) could could at least play with it once if they wanted to, and (2) it is a feature that requires no mechanicals/servicing or costs.

I cannot think of another instance of a mechanical complication requiring servicing needs/costs that aren’t useful: chronograph, GMT complication, date, etc.

I certainly can’t think of an instance of a mechanical feature requiring service costs etc that
cannot be used by 99.999% of owners. Not even a foudroyante seems as useless as an He valve...

No wait. tourbillon. The He valve is less useless than a tourbillon, while being less expensive to maintain than a tourbillon - and there are at least 0.0001% of users that could benefit from an He valve.

Carry on...

If this was purely about functionality, we would all be wearing quartz watches...

People are free not to buy a watch with one if they don't like it.
 
Darlinboy
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Thank goodness! I was not looking forward buying a watch with a useless helium escape valve! Disaster avoided. ::psy::
 
cvalue13
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Archer Archer
If this was purely about functionality, we would all be wearing quartz watches...

Oh. Then I guess it’s a good thing Omega doesn’t make a quartz version of a watch with a useless He escape valve

🙄
 
cvalue13
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I haven’t worn this in 8 years

Before that, I wore it night and day, rain or shine, for 8 years.

I’d say it could use its first service 😬

BAA47AEE-6428-431E-AF36-82A0A02FD8AE.jpeg
 
Transitus
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I have to say that the one thing that has put me off all modern seamasters is this HEV.
It's not the integrity issue of wearing something entirely useless, (although that grates a bit), it's the aesthetics of it.
Its like a horrid wart to my eyes. And then the symmetry has gone too. Sorry all owners!
 
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