My newly acquired Speedmaster could use a cleaning. Without sending it in for service, do you think it would hurt to soak the watch in a bowl of warm soapy water for a while and then brush the case and get into the nooks and crannies?
If you are not going to take the movement (with dial & hands) out of the case, then as has been said, don't do it. For incidental cleaning of grimy watches, I use Isopropyl alcohol and a cotton wool bud. Just don't force the alcohol into the case tube and pushers - IPA is very good at cleaning up the gunk left by dissolved crown gaskets.
The implication in the original post was that it is not a new watch - newly acquired, but in need of a clean. There is no way for Tom to know if the seals are intact without having the watch tested, so to immerse it in water would be somewhat reckless.
All my 1950s & 1960s Seamasters say waterproof on them...but you'll never find me submersing them in water either.
In addition, if the seals are somewhat there, any type of soap will just help them dry out or dissolve further. I don't think you need to worry if it get's wet, but you're basically setting it up for failure.
