Water damage to my watch. What can I do?

With the tropical temperatures of the past few weeks, our customer service employees are getting a lot of questions from people who suddenly have moisture in their watch after a dip in the cooling water. This does not always mean that the watch is broken.

Main causes of moisture in a watch:

• The watch has come into contact with water with the crown open,
• The watch was not resistant to the water pressure,
• Damage or wear to glass, lid or gaskets.

In this article we explain how to prevent moisture from entering your watch and what you can do yourself to solve it.

How do I know if there is moisture in my watch?

The first sign that there is moisture in the watch is that condensation forms on the inside of the glass. This occurs mainly with a large change in temperature. Compare it to wearing glasses in the winter. Step into a warm bus or tram from outside and the glasses immediately fog up. This also sometimes happens when you jump into a cold swimming pool in the summer; the glass of your watch fogs up.

Condensation on the glass of your watch does not necessarily mean that the watch is not waterproof. There is always some moisture in the watch, because there is moisture in the air.

When the case is closed during manufacturing, there is air inside the movement with the humidity level at that time.

A waterproof watch is well sealed with gaskets to keep moisture out. This also means that no moisture can get out! The result of this is that when the pressure changes due to temperature changes, the pressure inside and outside the watch is unequal. This can cause condensation.

With a non-waterproof watch this problem does not or hardly occur. Because the case is not (water)tight the air in the case can adapt to the pressure outside the case.

Is the moisture in my watch harmful?

A light haze on the watch glass does not directly affect the functioning of the watch and usually disappears by itself. Place the watch with the crown open in a dry and warm place for a few hours (not on the heater!). If the condensation does not disappear, there may be more wrong.

If the condensation layer becomes larger and drops form, there is a risk of damage to the movement and rust formation. We advise you to immediately visit a jeweler or watchmaker to have the watch checked.

How does moisture get into my watch?

Moisture in the watch can have several causes. The most common cause is the crown not clicking or turning properly. When the watch is then immersed in water, it runs into the watch via the opening in the watch case.

The second cause of moisture in the watch is swimming with a watch that is not suitable for this.

Almost all watches have the water resistance of the watch stated on the lid and/or dial. There are three ways in which water resistance is indicated: in meters, ATM or bar. The indication in meters is very confusing. 50 meters does not mean that you can dive 50 meters deep with this watch. It stands for 50 meters of pressure, or 5 atmospheres (ATM) or 5 bar.

The table below provides an overview of the water resistance of watches:

We also advise against wearing your watch with a capacity of less than 10 ATM in a hot tub or sauna.

Other causes of moisture in the watch are damage to the glass or worn gaskets. In that case, always go to a watchmaker or jeweler to have the watch repaired.

To learn more about the water resistance of watches, visit our water resistance information page.

How do I prevent moisture from entering my watch? 4 tips.

• Before showering or swimming, always check that the crown of your watch is pressed or screwed shut. And do not open the crown when you are in the water. It is also not advisable to use pushers (for example from a chronograph) in the water.
• Check that the water resistance of your watch is suitable for the activity you are going to do. Are you going snorkeling on holiday? Then take a watch with at least 10 ATM.
• Avoid abrupt temperature changes; don’t jump straight from the hot sun into an ice-cold pool.
• Give your watch regular maintenance. The watchmaker will also always check the water resistance and replace any worn gaskets.

What can I do about water damage to my watch?

Do you have condensation under the glass of your watch? Place the watch in a warm and dry place or in the sun with the crown pulled open or screwed down. If the condensation does not disappear, place the watch with the crown open in a bowl of (uncooked) rice overnight.

If the condensation still does not disappear, this may mean that there is more moisture in the watch than desired. In that case, go to a jeweler or watchmaker to have the watch checked. It may be that the (flap) lid is not closed properly, the gasket is no longer good, or that moisture is entering the watch via another route, for example via damage to the glass.

Don’t forget to close or screw the crown back in when the condensation is gone.

Under no circumstances should you use a hair dryer to remove moisture from your watch!

It may seem like a quick way to get moisture out of your watch, but we strongly advise against using a hair dryer or placing the watch on a hot radiator! This can deform (plastic) parts such as gaskets or even weaken/crack the glass and make the problem worse.

Moisture and smartwatches

Be extra alert to water with smartwatches. After all, these are electronic devices similar to a smartphone and very sensitive to moisture.

Most modern smartwatches, such as those from Garmin, have an ATM certification, just like analogue watches. The same table applies as above. Many other smartwatches indicate water resistance with an IP rating. This is the indication of water resistance for electronic equipment.

You can read more about this in our article about the water resistance of smartwatches.

Warranty for water damage to watch?

Before watches leave the factory, they are tested by the manufacturer for water resistance. Some brands – such as Seiko and Citizen – even have an ISO certification for their diving watches. Water damage is therefore usually not caused by a manufacturing defect, but by (incorrect) use and wear. In the latter case, the water damage is unfortunately not covered by the factory warranty.