Even though we take extra care of our expensive watches, getting them wet could happen to anyone. And it could happen to be anything. How often have you dropped your phone and desperately relied on rice to dry it out? With watches, however, getting them dry is a bit more complicated. So, what should you do if water gets on and inside your watch? In this article, we’ll give you the basics.

Can Water Reach the Movement?

No watch can be called 100% “waterproof,” per the Federal Trade Commission, so the term “water resistant” is used to describe watches that are designed to keep out water and moisture. Typically, the high-end watches made by renowned brands are water-resistant to 330 feet or more, and those that are designed as diver’s watches can withstand 660 feet or more.  These watches are constructed with special gaskets designed to keep water out, and most have winding crowns that screw down to the case to be watertight. However, if you exceed the depth of water for which the watch is rated, then the gasket seals may fail and water can get through to the movement. More typically, the wearer neglects to ensure that the crown is screwed down finger-tight to the case, and water enters through that opening.

How Do You Know The Movement Got Wet?

The first sign that water had reached the movement is that fog forms on the crystal. It might seemingly go away, but don’t think for a second that your watch is out of harm’s way. On the contrary, it is probably still wet on the inside. If the fog is visible above the dial, the movement is likely compromised as well. This is dangerous because moisture inside your movement can cause the metal parts inside to rust.

How Long Before the Parts Rust?

The answer to this question depends on how much moisture reached the movement. In most cases, you will have a week before the moisture starts corroding the movement. If a lot of water got inside the movement, the process will take less time and you have to get the watch to an expert as soon as possible. Keep in mind that salt water corrodes faster than fresh water, meaning that you have days before the damage is irreversible. If you wait too long, the movement will rust and require expensive repairs to function properly again.

How to Give Your Watch First Aid?

Try to use a hairdryer to dry out the watch’s exterior. Keep in mind that hot temperatures can also cause serious damage, so keep the dryer on a low to medium setting. However, if the water found its way into the watch, there’s no other way to get it out than to open the watch. We don’t advise you to try and do this yourself as you could damage the gaskets and delicate parts of the movement. Instead, dry out the watch as much as you can and have it checked out by a reputable company offering manual and automatic watch repair in San Diego. Both automatic and mechanical watches are at risk for rust as both contain metal parts.

What Can We Do for Your Watch?

If you take your watch to Leo Hamel’s, we’ll carefully separate the case and the movement and take the mechanism apart. Since a movement has a few hundred small pieces, you’ll need an expert to ensure everything is taken apart and put back together properly. Once we separate all these little components, we’ll dry the components using proper equipment and have them cleaned to get rid of dust and oil. Any parts that were irreversibly damaged will be replaced with genuine factory parts. Then we’ll reassemble the entire movement and reinsert it into the case of your watch. To ensure that the timing is still accurate, we’ll test the watch before delivering it back to you as good as new. Leo Hamel Fine Jewelers employs the best watchmakers specializing in manual and automatic fine watch repair in San Diego. What makes our repair department special is over 37 years of experience and thorough, affordable and reliable in-house service by our CW21-certified watchmaker. When your fine watch needs repair or maintenance, bring it to the experts at Leo Hamel’s.