One of the most frequently asked questions in our stores is “Is this watch waterproof and can I swim with it?” In this blog we explain exactly what you should pay attention to when purchasing a waterproof watch.
What does waterproof mean?
Actually it is very simple; water resistance of watches is expressed in how much (water) pressure a watch can withstand. When you know what you want to be able to do with your watch, all you have to do is pay attention to the indicated water pressure on the dial or back of the watch.
Some watches say ’50 meters’ and other watch manufacturers use the terms ‘bar’ or ‘atm’. But they basically all mean the same thing: 5 ATM or 5 Bar represents the amount of pressure of a column of 50 meters of still water. So don’t take the number of meters literally! It does not mean that you can swim 50 meters deep with this watch.
We can imagine that this is confusing, so we have listed the most common water resistances in a table:
| Water Resistant | Splashproof |
| 30 metres/3 ATM/3 BAR | Resistant to a small amount of (splash) water such as washing hands. |
| 50 metres/5 ATM/5 BAR | Suitable for showering. |
| 100 meters/10 ATM/10 BAR | Suitable for swimming and snorkeling. |
| 200 meters/20 ATM (plus)/20 BAR | Suitable for diving. |
| 1000 meters/100 ATM/100 BAR | Suitable for deep sea diving. |
| IP67/IP68 | Water resistance of electronic equipment such as smartwatches and wearables. |
More information about water resistance of watches can be found on the ‘Water resistance’ page on our site.
Can I swim with my watch?
In principle, you can swim with any watch with a water resistance of 10 ATM/bar. Make sure that you have closed the crown of the watch properly so that no water can seep in there. Make sure you rinse your watch with fresh water after every ‘dive’ so that chlorine, salt and sand do not affect the metal and moving parts such as the crown.
Leather straps cannot withstand (sea) water, so choose a watch with a metal, rubber or nylon strap.
Can I dive with my watch?
If you really want to go diving, choose a watch with special functionalities such as a screw-down crown or a dial with illuminated numbers. On the ‘Diving watches’ page on our site you can read more about the characteristics that a diving watch must meet.
Need advice on waterproof watches?
Looking for a waterproof watch for a special purpose? Then visit one of our stores for tailor-made advice.
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