Swim in Timex Ironman watch?

The two times I wore my Timex Ironman HR Monitor watch in the water (once in a pool to do laps, once in a lake to do 750 meters in a sprint), it toasted the battery. The second time, it destroyed the watch entirely. I brought it back to REI for a full refund and recently bought myself a Garmin 405. I have a cheap Timex that I got from Target that I wear in the pool and it's never leaked. I'll just wear that for races.

I've had bad experiences with Timex Ironman watches.  Two have died on me recently, one just before the start of a race and another just after a swim.  I would avoid pressing any buttons on the watch while it is submerged.  I'm begining to wonder if that's what caused mine to die. 

I've been wearing the same Timex Ironman 50 lap watch from Target for years now and almost exclusively in the pool.  Now, granted, I am not swimming a zillion laps a week.  But I get in a few times a week.  The pretty light blue band is a disgusting green now, but it works fine.

Yes, cardinal rule of underwater watches - try not to press the lap (or any) button underwater.  That is usually stated in the manual. 

Mine was fine in the water UNTIL I pushed buttons under water.  After that, some moisture collected on the face.

Correct.  I don't think I can swim "in" it, I'm kinda tall.

Great trick on the CDR timer as a pacing tool!

BTW, I've had many of them over the years.  The only way I've ever had one fail is driving a forklift over it or loosing it.  Current swimming watch has been with me 12 years.

My husband spent a large amount of time looking for a watch for me to NEVER have to take off (since if I take it off, I lose it).  This is what we found out.  Will likely explain the varied answers.  Btw, I have been swimming in a Timex Ironman for a few months, but my "all the time, even scuba diving watch is a Tag Heuer with a screw down crown.


What does "Water Resistant" really mean? (per Chronometric.com)

Here's the real scoop: Water resistance of watches is rated based on a laboratory pressure tests comparable to a swimmer or diver sitting still at that pressure level. But many water-based activities involve a lot of movement and other environmental changes. These exceptions to how the watch was rated may challenge or defeat the water protection features of a water resistant watch.

In particular, the water resistance rating of a watch does not take in to account:

• Sudden, rapid, and repeated water pressure changes experienced by the wrist of a surface swimmer. The force of plunging your arm into the water while swimming can for a fraction of a second greatly exceed the static pressures the watch was rated for.
• High water temperatures experienced in a hot tub. Normal diving and water activities are done in temperate to very cold waters--not water exceeding body temperature. Such high temperatures can damage the water protection seals of a watch.
• Sudden changes of temperature experienced going from a hot tub to a cold swimming pool. In diving and swimming, temperature changes are usually fairly gradual. A sudden transition from the 100º F of a hot tub to the 70º F of a cold pool causes a contraction of the rubber seals in a watch--which may allow water to leak in.
• The ability of the watch to STAY water resistant as it ages. The seals that prevent water from entering the watch will weaken and fail with age. For use in water, water resistant watches should be pressure checked every year. The seals should be replaced at least every two or three years.

Even taking a shower or bath with your watch on can be bad for it. Besides the hot water issues already mentioned, many people do not realize that bath soap is a fine level abrasive. Soap can build up in the small, precision joints of the watch bracelet links. Over time this can wear down the link joints, ruining the bracelet. This is a greater issue with softer metals, such as gold. But steel can also be worn down this way too.