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Water intrusion…having a meltdown

J
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Hi, everyone. I’m brand new to the forum and wonder if I can get some info. The helium escape valve (a part I don’t understand and have never touched, tightened or loosened) on my Omega Seamaster has come unscrewed somehow…at the same time that I ran the watch under a light stream of water in the sink (after it was in salt water earlier that day). Now there’s moisture in the watch (pic). Has anyone else experienced this before and is the Omega Full service the best solution? Is there permanent damage that may occur here? Thanks in advance!
 
02E5A191-C164-4C4F-A948-7DE82D1D54E1.jpeg
watchyouwant
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Have the back opened straight away. Until then, Unscrew crown and valve full open and leave watch in a warm place, glass up. Should be ok with non salt water. Good luck !
 
STANDY
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Several place in a bag of rice posts coming 😉


Looks like you are already at a jewellery store or Boutique so case back off as soon as possible.
 
J
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STANDY STANDY
Several place in a bag of rice posts coming 😉


Looks like you are already at a jewellery store or Boutique so case back off as soon as possible.
STANDY STANDY
Several place in a bag of rice posts coming 😉


Looks like you are already at a jewellery store or Boutique so case back off as soon as possible.
I turned it into Omega boutique for the full service (that’s what they recommended)…hope that was the best move. The wait time is a few months, I would hope that they did something like what you recommended before putting the watch aside waiting for the repair.
 
STANDY
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J JamesEdison
I turned it into Omega boutique for the full service (that’s what they recommended)…hope that was the best move. The wait time is a few months, I would hope that they did something like what you recommended before putting the watch aside waiting for the repair.

They would be full versed in what to do 👍
 
EuroDriver
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Just a tip for future reference:

If you have a gas oven, take the case back off and leave it face-down in the oven overnight. That will generally evaporate all moisture and it should be fine after that. If you don't have a gas oven, any source of warmth will do in lieu of nothing. I have done this on a couple of watches and they recovered with no damage.

Taking it in for service is the best insurance but at least you got the water out while they get to it.

If salt got into it though, it might be a very different situation...
 
Crunchie
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EuroDriver EuroDriver
Just a tip for future reference:

If you have a gas oven, take the case back off and leave it face-down in the oven overnight. That will generally evaporate all moisture and it should be fine after that. If you don't have a gas oven, any source of warmth will do in lieu of nothing. I have done this on a couple of watches and they recovered with no damage.

Can’t help thinking there’s an important piece of information missing from this advice. Are we talking pilot light only, or the full gas mark 8?
 
Duracuir1
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STANDY STANDY
Several place in a bag of rice posts coming 😉


Looks like you are already at a jewellery store or Boutique so case back off as soon as possible.
If you don’t have rice on hand is it acceptable to go to a restaurant and order take-out? Chinese perhaps? Or is the bag an important part of the process?
 
Duracuir1
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J JamesEdison
Hi, everyone. I’m brand new to the forum and wonder if I can get some info. The helium escape valve (a part I don’t understand and have never touched, tightened or loosened) on my Omega Seamaster has come unscrewed somehow…at the same time that I ran the watch under a light stream of water in the sink (after it was in salt water earlier that day). Now there’s moisture in the watch (pic). Has anyone else experienced this before and is the Omega Full service the best solution? Is there permanent damage that may occur here? Thanks in advance!
I hope you sort it out. Best of luck.
 
EuroDriver
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Crunchie Crunchie
Can’t help thinking there’s an important piece of information missing from this advice. Are we talking pilot light only, or the full gas mark 8?

I've done it with the heat of the pilot light only.

Duracuir1 Duracuir1
If you don’t have rice on hand is it acceptable to go to a restaurant and order take-out? Chinese perhaps? Or is the bag an important part of the process?

Rice needs to be uncooked. Preferably in a glass jar but any bag, bowl, etc. The raw rice will absorb the moisture.
 
D
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Forget everything you hear about bags of rice and leaving the crown open, applying a heat source etc, etc.
Just take it straight to repair by a reputable watchmaker or Omega without delay.
 
EuroDriver
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D Duckie
Forget everything you hear about bags of rice and leaving the crown open, applying a heat source etc, etc.
Just take it straight to repair by a reputable watchmaker or Omega without delay.
The problem with that is, that it's going to take Omega days - if not weeks to get to it. By then, sitting moisture may cause permanent damage.
Any remedial measure taken in the interim may prove helpful.
 
Scarecrow Boat
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Duracuir1 Duracuir1
If you don’t have rice on hand is it acceptable to go to a restaurant and order take-out? Chinese perhaps? Or is the bag an important part of the process?
EuroDriver EuroDriver
Rice needs to be uncooked. Preferably in a glass jar but any bag, bowl, etc. The raw rice will absorb the moisture.
😗 😁

856FFEE3-A4F0-4FF3-977A-7F3A8A9D430D.gif
 
DaveK
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Duracuir1 Duracuir1
If you don’t have rice on hand is it acceptable to go to a restaurant and order take-out? Chinese perhaps? Or is the bag an important part of the process?

We have Chinese take out here in Canada, not sure about other countries. The food tends to come in boxes, not bags, so this won't be of much help to the OP. Indian take out often comes in plastic containers that IMO are better quality than what you can buy at most stores.
 
PandaSPUR
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You did the right thing. I had this happen with one of my dive watches (washed my hands with crown unscrewed, watch hadn't been serviced in over 5 years) and I tried a bunch of DIY remedies to no avail.

Bag of rice, hair dryer, leaving it in the sun etc.
The service for mine (a Breitling) only took 2 months and it was way overdue anyway.
 
Scooterino36
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EuroDriver EuroDriver
Just a tip for future reference:

If you have a gas oven, take the case back off and leave it face-down in the oven overnight. That will generally evaporate all moisture and it should be fine after that. If you don't have a gas oven, any source of warmth will do in lieu of nothing. I have done this on a couple of watches and they recovered with no damage.

Taking it in for service is the best insurance but at least you got the water out while they get to it.

If salt got into it though, it might be a very different situation...

Until you wake up to your wife preheating the oven 😲
 
jsducote
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I would think that Damp-Rid or any other dessicant is better than raw rice.
 
502 to right
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If I get moisture in my multi-thousand dollar watch I am getting it properly serviced ASAP. This isn't a Seiko where you dry it out and hope for the best.
 
josiahg52
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Even with the HEV crown unscrewed, the watch has 30m (or is it 50m?) water resistance unless internal pressure unseated the relief valve at the same time the watch was being rinsed. Or the watch is past due on service and a seal failed in the interim. Unfortunate, if so, but I would open it up and let it dry out while booking a service immediately. I'd be contacting every watchmaker I could and not just rely on Omega, my AD, or a boutique.
 
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