Hi guys,
How shock resistant is a Speedmaster Professional (moonwatch)?

Reason I ask is: I love doing outdoor activities like backpacking, hiking and bushcrafting. When backpacking (and camping) I often baton wood (prepare wood for fire) using a knife. I hold the knife with my left hand (my watch hand) and hit the spine of the knife with a stick of wood (baton it) to split wood for fire.
Will this (impact or jolt) cause any damage to the the speedy?
Thanks in advance

 

Don't snap off a pusher! Ask me how I know! I have two Speedmasters, and we camp a lot during the summer. I wear a beater on those occasions. Shock resistance on most watches generally only protects the balance staff. As strong as the rest of the watch might be, repairing a damaged Speedmaster can be expensive. You can turf a beater.

 

Outdoor activities = G-Shock time

 

Thank you very much guys. I will wear my G shock then

 

I dropped by Speedy Pro by accident once two feet above the ground onto carpeted floor. Damn thing was then running at +3 mins/hour (+2160 s/d). Had to get it regulated.

I banged by Submariner Ceramic against the frame part of B-pillar (once the door is open) of my car once on accident. That part is made with solid steel and the bump actually left a large dent and chipped the paint. Watch still ran exactly the same.

 

Wow, what a shock. A movement from the 40s isn't as shock resistant as one from the modern generation?

Next you'll tell me that modern Porsches are faster than a 60s Porsche.

Fwiw Omega's modern movement will be just as shock resistant as it has a free sprung balance as well.

 

This doesn't necessarily follow. From memory the MW is rated for 5000g of shock whereas the X33 which is in theory about 40 years more advanced is rated for 3500g. Those figures sound great but are likely to represent a drop onto a hard floor of around 4 feet.

Oh and I have a strong suspicion that the 1969 developed 917 would show a clean pair of tailpipes to my 911/997

Regardless, the best advice is don't drop your watch!

 

I wouldn't worry about it. Been batoning wood for ages with a Speedy. On a Velcro strap, not the bracelet. With an ESEE 6.

 

Thanks and good to hear that Tubber. Great knife you have there, I myself use a Falkniven F1 and a custom made one.

 

Fallkniven make good quality knives. I have been meaning to buy an A1 for a while, I don't have any knives that use VG-10. The 1095 that ESEE use really takes an edge and holds it. Never seen a custom made Fallkniven. Do you have any photos handy?

 

Tubber, sorry,, what I
mean is a custom made knife, not a custom made Falkniven.

 

Never had an issue with this with my Speedy.

 

That's because Rolex crafts their watches out of 904L steel forged in the the fires of Mount Doom! It's nigh-indestructible! Any Rolex used as a knuckle duster, like James Bond in Casino Royale, it will INSTANTLY KILL any opponment; Mike Tyson circa 1988. Chuck Norris, Vladimir Putin?... no match!
And if you are stranded in a foreign land and find yourself broke and alone and without a way home, you can use your Rolex as fiat currency at any airport to buy tickets. They have to take it as payment, it's like international law.

 

It can't hurt to use one of these for the rough activities.

 

Hello old thread.

I am trying to understand what 5000g shock resistance means.

On the data pages for the new Seamaster, it says,
"A selection of test watches face shock-resistance examinations that are equivalent to 5,000 g (1 g is equal to the force of gravity at the Earth's surface)"

However, what does that even mean? Looking around, there are suggestions in forums saying it's the 1m onto a hard wooden surface. That is equivalent to International Standard ISO 1413.

Why then doesn't Omega just say that, if it's true. This page by another watch manufacturer does. http://www.ballwatch.com/global/en/technology/shock-resistance---53.html
They say, quote,
"Built with the highest quality standards in mind, every BALL watch undergoes rigorous testing procedures to verify its impeccable shock resistance up to 5,000Gs. The shock resistance test is conducted according to the International Standard ISO 1413 using a pendulum impact-testing machine. The mechanism sets off a circular movement that brings the weighted pendulum to hit the watch from one meter."



The reason I ask is because I had a Seamaster automatic before, and it did like the person above said. drop of under two feet onto carpet, and it went mad. Gaining minutes per day. Hence believe it or not, I now own the black version of the Casio MR-G, pictured above. G1000B.

I am looking at the Seamaster again though, because that had to be a faulty model that I had. However I can't relate to the Omega specifications.

(I think the Ball watch website definition is probably the definitive answer though.)

 

I'm a drummer, and I beat the crap out of the drums, all while wearing my Speedy. And nothing is wrong.

 

Googling, What does 5000g mean in watch shock reistance" and other variations. Stuff like "what g is International Standard ISO 1413".

All I get is folk in forums saying 5000g is 1m onto hard wooden surface. No actual official definition like that. However that is what International Standard ISO 1413 regulation is. Just no direct connection between International Standard ISO 1413, and 5000g.

Am going round in circles.

 

I expect that a Speedy can take the shock, but why would you risk that with a 5k watch? Get a g-shock or a quartz Swiss army watch for outdoor activities.

 

I don't even put on any watch till after I brush my teeth to avoid any unnecessary shaking of the movement

But seriously, I'm sure if it can handle the violent shaking of the space shuttle exiting our earth's atmosphere it can take the daily wear we'd expose it to. It's like buying a new luxury car, you can't avoid all the pot holes but it's okay to hit some here and there. If it gets beat up you can always service it down the road.