Water resistance/proofing howto?

timecube · Apr 18, 2020

I'm looking toward buying a vintage Omega soon and one of the things I've troubled about is that fleeting yet ever-so-useful property of being able to keep water out of the innards. From what I understand, vintage watches are not, in general, the best at being water-safe; and if this is a priority, one's better off with a nice modern watch. However, I'd like to muddle through with "best effort" nonetheless.

At the outset: what "waterproof/water-resistant" means to me is being able to survive an accidental dousing or rainstorm, or steam without too much injury; I won't be diving with one or even swimming. I'm accident prone and occasionally drop sensitive things in the tub, or the toilet. Sometimes I forget and wear things into the shower only to panic and remove them a little too late. I'm incautious washing dishes sometimes. Less frequent trips to the watch-maker after these sorts of incidents would be my goal.

From what I gather: the most important thing one can do with a vintage watch is to have it serviced and regularly have its seals checked. But there are a few things I haven't been able to discern even after searching numerous threads here on OF.

Is "standard vintage watch servicing" good enough?
Should I request something extra? I imagine a pressure test would be prudent. Is this part of the typical package?

How much does sub-brand or case type matter?
I'm thinking I'd be better off with a Seamaster. Are properly-maintained vintage Seamasters notably better at this than others? Seamaster-Geneve? Do some case types seal better, or more reliably?

How much do original/correct parts matter?
I'm thinking original (or correct replacement) crystal and crown would help. But do they? Are properly fitting generics okay? I suspect an improper signed or generic crown/crystal would be Bad.

Is age a factor?
Would a decent 1940s-era watch hold it's water as well as a decent 1970s one? Is warping/erosion/deformation a concern? ---- assuming the watch case isn't already a total dog.

Are there other substantial issues I should look out for?
Thanks...

Canuck · Apr 18, 2020

I’m not sure there is a simple answer that will put your mind at rest regarding water resistance. If you were to use the message board archives, and research water resistance, you will likely be busy for the rest of this confinement business, and still not have the answers that you are looking for.

ZIELSZIEK · Apr 18, 2020

1. I don't know what you mean by "vintage watch servicing". My Watchmaker services all pieces that come in the same. He treats new and vintage pieces with the same level of care. There is a thread here regarding how often a watch should be checked where Archer explained the basics of gaskets and how often a watch should be vacuum tested.
2. If it matters as in sealing properties? Nope. I hope you're comparing apples to apples and not a diver to a dress watch. I guess it matters only if the case is made out of gold, since gold does not corrode easily and it does so only under very specific circumstances. All well-maintained watches will have no trouble keeping the moisture out if they had water resistance to begin with.
3. They matter very much. I guess the crystal is the only one that sort of gets a pass if it's of the proper dimension as there are quality non oem crystals but don't take my word on that one. Correct crowns matter. Proper mainspring matters and so on.., if you're referring to other parts not involved in the sealing aspect.
4. Age is the biggest factor. Due to corrosion and other types of damage to the sealing surfaces a 70 year old watch will not seal as good as new one. One key thing to remember is that this kind damage can be microscopic and therefore hard to spot.

I have a 50 year old diver that has not seen any water since in my possession. I'm guessing the former owners didn't subject it to diving either, or took great care of it since the dial lume shows no swelling and movement is very clean.
I'm also guessing that a proper maintained vintage watch that had WR from the factory and has no damage to the sealing surfaces will survive a splash or a drop in the water. Again, don't take my word for this one. For example, If it rains outside I won't wear a vintage piece therefore I don't know what the odds of survival are. Your problems sound like they would be solved by either having a beater or a modern reissue of a vintage watch and that's why I own a SKX.

timecube · Apr 18, 2020

Canuck
I’m not sure there is a simple answer that will put your mind at rest regarding water resistance. If you were to use the message board archives, and research water resistance, you will likely be busy for the rest of this confinement business, and still not have the answers that you are looking for.

That's very helpful.
Trying to avoid missing something "obvious" if there's one likely to deliver me a massive facepalm five minutes after pulling the trigger. Or at least, reduce the magnitude of the inevitable noob tax.

ZIELSZIEK
1. I don't know what you mean by "vintage watch servicing". My Watchmaker services all pieces that come in the same. He treats new and vintage pieces with the same level of care. There is a thread here regarding how often a watch should be checked where Archer explained the basics of gaskets and how often a watch should be vacuum tested.
2. If it matters as in sealing properties? Nope. I hope you're comparing apples to apples and not a diver to a dress watch. I guess it matters only if the case is made out of gold, since gold does not corrode easily and it does so only under very specific circumstances. All well-maintained watches will have no trouble keeping the moisture out if they had water resistance to begin with.
3. They matter very much. I guess the crystal is the only one that sort of gets a pass if it's of the proper dimension as there are quality non oem crystals but don't take my word on that one. Correct crowns matter. Proper mainspring matters and so on.., if you're referring to other parts not involved in the sealing aspect.
4. Age is the biggest factor. Due to corrosion and other types of damage to the sealing surfaces a 70 year old watch will not seal as good as new one. One key thing to remember is that this kind damage can be microscopic and therefore hard to spot.

I have a 50 year old diver that has not seen any water since in my possession. I'm guessing the former owners didn't subject it to diving either, or took great care of it since the dial lume shows no swelling and movement is very clean.
I'm also guessing that a proper maintained vintage watch that had WR from the factory and has no damage to the sealing surfaces will survive a splash or a drop in the water. Again, don't take my word for this one. For example, If it rains outside I won't wear a vintage piece therefore I don't know what the odds of survival are. Your problems sound like they would be solved by either having a beater or a modern reissue of a vintage watch and that's why I own a SKX.

Thank you very much. It suggests I'm at least headed in the right direction.

ZIELSZIEK · Apr 18, 2020

As Canuck said, it's not an easy question to answer because most collectors keep their vintage pieces away from water.
Sorry for the double post, but here's a good thread, the one I was talking about, on the topic of water resistance that will give you a better grasp of it:
https://omegaforums.net/threads/sealing-waterproofness-control-frequency.111847/#post-1477805

timecube · Apr 18, 2020

ZIELSZIEK
As Canuck said, it's not an easy question to answer because most collectors keep their vintage pieces away from water.
Sorry for the double post, but here's a good thread, the one I was talking about, on the topic of water resistance that will give you a better grasp of it:
https://omegaforums.net/threads/sealing-waterproofness-control-frequency.111847/#post-1477805

Thank you for the double-post, if you can forgive me double-reply.

STANDY · Apr 18, 2020

If you buy the best condition vintage watch it is quiet possible to have them at least a little waterproof.
Have several vintage watches that might catch a tropical down pour and have never been a issue.
Have several that I know probably wouldn’t. ( like the ones I have not had the crown changed due to not being available and wanting to keep authenticity )

Many here wear vintage watches day in day out.

There is more threads about newer watches being fogged up than vintage.

Archer · Apr 19, 2020

timecube
Is "standard vintage watch servicing" good enough?

You need to have a detailed conversation with whoever you deal with for service, to fully understand what their capabilities area, and what they normally include in a service. I would be looking for someone who has a dry testing machine, because that is virtually risk free in terms of testing the watch. Details of that can be seen here:

https://omegaforums.net/threads/pressure-testing-a-watchco-sm300.45375/

timecube
How much does sub-brand or case type matter?

It matters in that some watches were never designed to have any water resistance to begin with. These are watches that generally only snap together, and often don't have seals on the case back or bezel, and maybe only one seal on the crown. But if the watch is from a reputable brand, and is advertised to have a specific water resistance, then that is a good start,

timecube
How much do original/correct parts matter?

If you are going to keep the "original" parts on the watch, such as "original" crowns and pushers, then it will be unlikely that water resistance will be achieved. Wen you can see the seal squirting out from under the pusher cap, you can be pretty confident it is no longer dong it's job...

Same when you can see the crown seal (or what's left of it) smeared on the post of the crown:

timecube
Is age a factor?

It can be, from a couple of perspectives. One is that truly water resistant watches didn't exist for a long time, so anything of a certain age is going to be suspect no matter the condition. The other is how well the watch was maintained over it's lifetime, and age can be a factor.

The bottom line is that if the watch was designed to be water resistant in the first place, and if the sealing surfaces are not corroded/pitted, and if you change the sealing parts, there's no reason why a vintage watch can't be made to be water resistant to the level it was when brand new. I do it all the time...

Cheers, Al

Water resistance/proofing howto?

timecube

Canuck

ZIELSZIEK

timecube

ZIELSZIEK

timecube

STANDY

Archer

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