

Using the following table, it's easy to find out exactly what the specified water resistance actually means for your wristwatch. What does information about the water resistance exactly mean? At a depth of 100 metres, the hydrostatic pressure is ten bar and ten ATM before the converting the unit of measurement. At a density of up to three bar, 30 metres are possible, and at five bar, 50 metres. Accordingly, it is quite easy to calculate the depth, which is theoretically possible with your watch. That means that for every ten metres of depth in water, one ATM or about one bar of hydrostatic pressure is added to the prevailing pressure of the earth's atmosphere. This corresponds exactly to the pressure that is predominant at a depth of ten metres in water. Converted, one ATM is equal to 1.01325 bar. While ATM measures air pressure at mean sea level and is determined by the weight of the earth's atmosphere, the unit bar measures hydrostatic pressure. However, ATM has not been an official unit since 1977, as it was replaced by the unit "bar" on January 1, 1978. The unit ATM, on the other hand, stands for physical atmosphere and measures the prevailing pressure. So what do these measurements mean in relation to the exact water resistance? metres and feet can be easily converted by multiplying the length in metres by a factor of 3.281, because one metre is 3.28084 feet. Units of measurement such as "m" for metres, "ft" for feet, "bar" or even "ATM" are commonly used. Nevertheless, there are different designations on watches from time to time. However, this pressure varies when jumping into water or performing swimming motions. As a rule of thumb, one bar corresponds with the pressure upon the watch and body under water at a depth of approximately 10 metres. The water resistance of a watch determined in this way is expressed in units of "bar". This, too, needs to be specified further, because the resistance is measured by the pressure to which the watch is subjected in a column of water. To qualify for this designation, a timepiece must be able to withstand 30 minutes under one metre of water and then 90 seconds in 20 metres of water without being limited in its functionality. In Germany, the Deutsches Institut für Normung (German Institute for Standardization) defines when a watch is considered waterproof. What does the bar and ATM specification mean on watches? However, even a watch that was once "waterproof" may show signs of wear over time, which can lead to reduced impermeability of its material.īREITLING SUPEROCEAN HERITAGE CHRONOGRAPH 46 20D.1 can cope with splashes of water and sweat without problem, and those that can actually withstand a given amount of water, or pressure under the water, without damage over a longer period of time. Water-resistant, watertight or waterproof?Ĭompanies make a strict distinction in their watches between models that, according to the manufacturer, are merely water-repellent, water-resistant or splash-proof, i.e. So what exactly does information about water resistance mean and when is a watch really considered water-resistant? Learn everything you need to know about waterproof watches. Furthermore, there are always misunderstandings and annoyances when a watch that is designated as "water-resistant" suffers water damage. After all, for all the technology and innovation that go into a high-end wristwatch, water and moisture are a challenge for virtually every watch model. Anyone who owns or has just purchased a luxury watch naturally wants to know exactly whether and to what extent it is protected against water.
