Watch fogging up.

[Tuvia]

Hi all,

I'm wondering if anyone can help me with this one. This is the third summer in a row that the customer is bringing in this Rado watch due to fogging. The hard plastic gasket seems to look good and the watch even passes the W/R test. There are some signs of rust on the stem so I would suspect the issue is at the crown, but it looks like it is snug and it isn't showing up as a problem on the test. Is it normal for this type of watch to just not do well with weather changes?

[canthus]

It may be that whilst the watch tests ok for water-tightness it may not be entirely air-tight.  If worn in very humid atmospheres or big changes in normal weather humidity levels, it may be 'breathing in'  damp air.  When the watch is then worn in cooler environments the damp air condenses on the cooler surfaces outside and inside, but the inside cannot escape.  I would ask the customer about their working/living environments, as they may have to not wear the watch in some instances.  Typically a chef in a hot humid kitchen or perhaps regular visits to a high humidity country.

If all the seals are 100% then it is not normally a problem, but if this is a regular happening then I would look as above.

Once the condensation has appeared in the watch it will need to be fully dried i.e. caseback off for a few hours in a warm dry enclosure, with drying crystals if available, otherwise it is likely to occur again.  I have had this happen with a Tag Heuer (owner wore it when showering!) and sorted it by just fully drying (and not wearing it in the shower!).  I would try and clean off and stabilize any rust as it too can retain moisture and spread.

[oldhippy]

It says water resistant so it isn't waterproof. You need to look at the seals. 

[JohnR725]

when you're running your water tester do you run the same test for all the watches? or did you follow the manufacturer's recommendation for that particular watch?

On 8/12/2021 at 9:12 AM, Tuvia said:

The hard plastic gasket seems to look good and the watch even passes the W/R test. There are some signs of rust on the stem so I would suspect the issue is at the crown, but it looks like it is snug and it isn't showing up as a problem on the test.

the problem with the gaskets they can look fine but they're not fine. Did you know that companies like Rado concerned with this problem actually making kits to replace all the gaskets and the crown. They actually recommend using one of these every single time they change the battery.  

 

[HectorLooi]

Could it be that this particular case design gives a false reading with the Proofmaster? Does it pass a conventional waterproof tester?