Difference Between Waterproof and Water-Resistant
If you don't know the difference between waterproof and water-resistant, you're not alone. Many people assume both terms to be similar and wear their watches in all sorts of wet environments. As a result, they end up damaging their beautiful timepiece.
If you are shopping for a wristwatch, we recommend you go through this blog post to learn the difference between being water-resistant and waterproof. Plus, this information will help you choose the right watch for your deep-sea adventures and the weather conditions of your area. So without further delay, let's get into the topic at hand!
What is Waterproofing?
Waterproofing is the process of coating an object with special chemicals or materials that prevent water from entering that object. This process affects the longevity of your wristwatch when it's either submerged or comes into contact with water.
Therefore, it's a critical factor in choosing diver watches. However, due to the immense water pressure, you might experience deeper in the ocean, wristwatches have criteria to resist water. These criteria are determined in millimeters known as depth range. The higher the depth range on a watch, the better it is because that's how deep you can dive with your wristwatch.
Moreover, wristwatches can survive underwater for a limited time. You can find this information on your watch box or ask the salesperson. It's important to know this so that you don't spend a lot of time underwater and accidentally damage your timepiece.
What is Water Resistance?
The term water resistance is loosely used in the wristwatch industry because no watch is entirely waterproof. This is because the deeper you dive into the ocean, the more water pressure your watch has to withstand. As a result, there are chances for leakage.
Being water-resistant means your watch can resist humidity but won't survive if submerged underwater. Unlike waterproofing, where your watch can withstand some time underwater, water-resistance only prevents splashes and raindrops from entering your watch and disrupting its movement. It isn't the best water protection, but it's enough to survive the rain.
You might think that water resistance means you can shower with your watch, but it isn't. Although your water-resistant watch can withstand being caught in the rain, taking it for a shower isn't the safest move. This is because rainwater isn't as thick and consistent as your shower. Therefore, it's best to leave your watch to the repairman if your think it needs cleaning.
Waterproof Vs. Water-resistant – Key Differences
If you are anything like us at Stuniii, you'd want to take good care of your watch. And for that, you need to go through the details of your wristwatch. Here are the key differences between waterproof and water-resistant.
Completely Impervious to Water
Waterproof means your wristwatch is completely impervious to water. However, some people took this to the next level and started deep-sea diving without reading their wristwatch's atmosphere bar or the diving depth. As a result, the wristwatch industry changed "waterproof" to "water resistance," which means your watch has limited capabilities underwater, so don't go riding on a whale.
However, in some devices (not wristwatches), waterproof means a complete shield against water damage. But even these devices aren't immune to water damage because we don't know the depth of the ocean and the water pressure as we go deeper. In some parts of the ocean, the water pressure is as high as 1,086 bars (15,750 Psi) which means even submarines or deep-sea automobiles can't survive there.
Swimming In a Pool With Your Water-resistant Watch
Swimming in a pool with your water-resistant watch isn't as threatening as taking it for deep-sea diving. This is because swimming pools have controlled water pressure. Moreover, salt water is the biggest enemy of your wristwatch because it can hinder the watch's movement. And since pool water is clean, you can take your water-resistant watch for a swim. But go through the rating first and see if it's pool safe.
The Bottom Line
Water resistance and proofing are two different terms used interchangeably in the wristwatch market as of 2019. This is because no watch is completely waterproof. You can say that your wristwatch is water repellent (a higher degree of water control than resistance) but saying it's completely sealed off against water intrusion is a bold promise watchmakers aren't ready to make with their consumers. Hence, most wristwatches are labeled as "water-resistant."
Some watches are only splash and rainproof, which is slightly lower than water resistance. But these watches compensate for this lack of protection with their unique design and distinct build quality. Stainless steel wood watches made by Stuniii are splash and rain resistant because they use wood in making their watches. If you are looking to buy a stainless steel wood watch, check out Stuniii's vast collection.
FAQ
What is an atmosphere bar?
The atmospheric bar is a measurement metric used by the watch industry to determine how much pressure their product can withstand. It's different from the depth rating because it doesn't account for how deep you can dive. It's a simple rating of the atmosphere your watch can withstand, but you can calculate depth with it.
- 1 atmosphere equals - 10 meters or roughly 30 feet and so on.
What does it mean if the back of my watch says "water-resistant"?
A watch stamped with water resistance means it's humidity protected. It can withstand occasional splashes of water from washing hands and survive being caught in the rain. But water-resistant watches aren't the best choice for deep-sea adventures.
How often should I have my watch tested?
We recommended getting your timepiece checked once a year, but it mostly depends on a person's lifestyle. For instance, surfers who regularly dive in saltwater should have their wristwatch checked twice or thrice a year.
What happens during a water resistance test?
Water-resistance tests check if your watch can resist water after you have used it as your daily driver. These tests seal all the gaskets and apply the protective layer that was on your watch and submerge it underwater to check for leaks.