Is my watch water resistant?
Posted 7 May 2025 by Miriam Reading time approximately 2 minutesOne of the most frequently asked questions in our shops 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 water resistant watch.
What does water resistance mean?
It is actually very simple; Water resistance of watches is expressed in how much (water) pressure a watch can withstand. When you know what you want 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 these all basically mean the same thing: 5 ATM or 5 Bar stands for the amount of pressure of a column of 50 meters of standing 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, which is why we have listed the most common water resistance in a table:
| Water resistant | Splash water resistant |
| 30 meter/3 ATM/3 BAR | Resistant to a small amount of (splash) water such as washing hands |
| 50 meter/5 ATM/5 BAR | Suitable for taking a shower |
| 100 meter/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 page "Water resistance" on our site.
Can I swim while wearing my watch?
In principle you can swim with every watch of 10 ATM / bar water resistance. Make sure that you have properly closed the crown of the watch so that no water can seep in. 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 while wearing my watch?
If you really want to go diving, choose a watch with special functionalities such as a screw-down crown or a face with illuminated numbers. On the page "Diving watches" on our site you can read more about the characteristics that a diving watch must meet.
Be careful with cold water and heat
Most water resistance tests are done in temperatures between 15 - 35 degrees Celsius. Sea water, but also swimming pool water are often a lot colder. Don't dive into the cold water immediately after lying in the sun for a long time. The metal will then receive a hard shock and can deform. It is also not advisable to wear your watch in a Turkish steam bath, sauna or jacuzzi.
Want to learn more about water resistance of watches?
Do you want to know more about water resistance of watches? Then visit our page about water resistance.