Promotional Watches have been a long time favourite for promotional merchandise programs. Perhaps one of the most confusing factors is when deciding to buy a water resistant watch and what the claims will actually deliver.
There is often a lot of confusion over shower proof, water proof and water resistant when it comes to watches. Firstly waterproof and shower proof mean pretty much the same thing. They are sealed sealed enough to survive a shower of rain but they’re not made to take pressure. If a watch says “no water resistance” don’t get it wet under any circumstance.
Water resistant watches are sealed to withstand a stated pressure. Commonly expressed as ATM (Standard Atmosphere). 1 ATM equals approximately a depth of 10 metres. 2 ATM is a depth of approximately 20 metres and so on.
Up to 3 ATM (30 metres) a watch is still not really water resistant, it should be fine if it is splashed on when raining but will not handle pressure at depth. The same applies for up to 5 ATM (50 metres) where is would survive being immersed in water but may not handle the added pressure of of swimming.
With a watch that has a 10ATM rating (100 metres), you can swim and snorkel safely, however the pressure at depth may cause the seals to leak so diving is not recommended. It should be noted that even if the watch is water resistant to 10ATM that does not mean it will always be able to go to 100m. Over time the seals weaken, hence the reason for a regular watch service. There is some conjecture over whether 10ATM is ok to dive with, to be on the safe side, 20ATM is best suited for diving in most situations.
All watches, no matter what claimed ATM they are, should not be worn in the shower or a hot bath as they are designed for cold water use only
And whatever the stated water-resistance you should never wear watches in the shower or in a hot bath as all timepieces are designed for use in cold water only. Particularly when a sharp change of temperature happens as the rubber in the seal can contract.
For a range of promotional watches including water resistant option click here
Matthew Bywater
Marketing Strategist
For more marketing insight from Matthew check out his blog – www.matthewbywater.com
