Question on sport watches

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2008-08-07 4:25 PM

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Master
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Riverside, IL
Subject: Question on sport watches
So I'm in the market for a new sport watch. Nothing fancy...just something basic, like the trusty Timex Ironman that's been around for years. What exactly does it mean when the description says "water resistant to 100 meters"? Not to sound completely stupid here, but that does mean that it's water resistant to a DEPTH of 100 meters, correct? As in...if I were going deep-sea diving or something along those lines right? Of course, I don't plan on going deep-sea diving anytime soon...but I would like the watch to not crap out after swimming laps. Can I assume that the Ironman watches are capable of holding up fine while doing laps, OWS, and such?


2008-08-07 4:41 PM
in reply to: #1588578

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Pro
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the Alabama part of Pennsylvania
Subject: RE: Question on sport watches
You're understanding is correct.  They won't label a watch as "water-proof" because it implies a warranty/standard that can't be met (at least, that's how I understand it). So a 50 or 100M water-resistant watch will do you fine.
2008-08-07 5:16 PM
in reply to: #1588578

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Subject: RE: Question on sport watches

50-100M  - can be splashed and surface swimming

100-200M - snorkling and limited diving

>200M - SCUBA diving

 

I swim with a 50M and a 100M Ironman regularly.  I feel more comfortable with the 100M, though.

 

Don't push buttons while it's under water, bring your hand up out of the water first  

2008-08-07 5:47 PM
in reply to: #1588678

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Master
1993
1000500100100100100252525
Riverside, IL
Subject: RE: Question on sport watches
DanielG - 2008-08-07 5:16 PM

50-100M - can be splashed and surface swimming

100-200M - snorkling and limited diving

>200M - SCUBA diving

I swim with a 50M and a 100M Ironman regularly. I feel more comfortable with the 100M, though.

Don't push buttons while it's under water, bring your hand up out of the water first



Thanks...that's interesting about pushing the buttons. I push the lap button on my Sport Count lap counter during my flipturns all the time, and it's still working fine. Would the buttons on a sport watch be any different in that respect?

Edited by nscrbug 2008-08-07 5:48 PM
2008-08-07 5:55 PM
in reply to: #1588578

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Expert
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Orange County, California
Subject: RE: Question on sport watches
The sport count button, at least the newer models is sealed. Perfectly ok to push undewater.

The Timex watches don't have sealed buttons, so pushing them underwater could let water inside the watch.
2008-08-07 6:52 PM
in reply to: #1588738

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Subject: RE: Question on sport watches

As above, the lap button should be fine, it's the other ones that you should be concerned about.

 

The odds are that you can do it for 10-20 years and never have a problem or it could cause a leak tomorrow.  Ya never know. 

2008-08-07 7:17 PM
in reply to: #1588678

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Subject: RE: Question on sport watches
DanielG - 2008-08-07 6:16 PM

50-100M  - can be splashed and surface swimming

100-200M - snorkling and limited diving

>200M - SCUBA diving

I don't know too many SCUBA divers who would go anywhere near 200M (600 feet).  Rec divers generally stay above 60-100 feet; and even most tech divers don't go below 200 feet.  I know some divers who have used Timex watches as a back-up timer without any problems.

2008-08-08 12:38 AM
in reply to: #1588578

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Subject: RE: Question on sport watches
185,000+ yards on my Timex Ironman, pushing buttons underwater on every lap or every other lap and so far no problems! Seems like it's about 50/50 though, so I guess I got a "good" one.
2008-08-08 2:56 AM
in reply to: #1588879

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Subject: RE: Question on sport watches
gearboy - 2008-08-07 8:17 PM

I don't know too many SCUBA divers who would go anywhere near 200M (600 feet). Rec divers generally stay above 60-100 feet; and even most tech divers don't go below 200 feet. I know some divers who have used Timex watches as a back-up timer without any problems.

I'm a diver Smile

 The water resistance listing is for a static watch.  Put a watch in a jar and increase/decrease the pressure of the water in the jar and that's how they get the water resistance measurement.

 When you move around in the water you put more pressure on one side of the watch and less on the other.  So when you're diving at 66' and you move your arm in an arc you may very well be putting 150' of pressure on one side of the watch.  This is the part that people don't think about too much when they're asking about water resistance.

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