Water Resistance: Regular vs. METAS?

JimInOz

It's quite obvious that METAS 50M testing is also accounting for dynamic pressure, not just the standard SI standard fifty metres, so it's another step above the old fashioned 50M testing.

I'd prefer a 50M METAS watch over a standard watch that could sustain integrity to 50 metres depth any day.

YY77

But wouldn't Metas testing of 50m in Switzerland be like -50m in the Southern hemisphere.

JimInOz

Where in the Southern Hemisphere? There are no watch manufacturing/testing facilities at 47º South (the antipodean equivalent of Switzerland), the closest is Nick Hacko in Sydney at 33.8º South.

If the Swiss were really serious about depth testing and certification they would do it at the Equator, where forces are centrifugally multiplied, especially dynamic water forces, but "Oh No", the easier thing to do is use "Swiss" calculations.

STANDY

Come to Darwin for your 50m water testing. I will take you out to 50meters

JimInOz

50 metres off Darwin?

The Noah's would get you before the crocs had time to warm up after their last breakfast.

STANDY

Box jellyfish will make you pray for either 😗

T TacmedRN

Hello all!

I recently got into a small argument on another website with a person claiming their 3861 Speedy Pro had better water resistance than my 1861 Speedy Pro because of the METAS certification. I explained to this person that while METAS verifies the 50m of water resistance, 50m is 50m no matter where it’s tested, as long as the test is done properly. The way I see it, Omega saying a watch has 50m water resistance is just as good as METAS saying it. Of course METAS certification carries a lot of other benefits, but when it comes to WR, 50m is 50m.

Is my thinking completely wrong?

PATRICK JP

Interesting. How do they implement the dynamic pressure ? Are the watches moved in any way whilst submerged and under pressure ?

PATRICK JP

In physics dynamic and static pressure are real, different and measurable. The way I imagine a watches batch could be tested for dynamic pressure would be to submerge at atmospheric pressure and rotate at a velocity which would create a 5 bar dynamic pressure.

The static pressure test could be done by just submerging a watch batch and increasing the pressure to 5 bar gauge.

Another test would be to combine both… but I digress as I do not fathom how a diver would cause a significant dynamic pressure when completely under water, even at a low depth. This however can be done whilst slapping the water from the surface.