In the early days of watchmaking, it was impossible to anticipate how far the industry had progressed. The time and the wristwatches had diverged dramatically. People preferred wearing pocket timepieces rather than wristwatches. The design of watches at that time was much more simplistic. That was true of the language, too. After all, horologists were about to crack open Pandora's Box when the incident occurred. There were watches, and there was time.

After the discovery of the mechanical movement, watchmaking began to take off. Additionally, tool watches play a vital function. An example of a device that compelled people to pay attention was the diver's watch.

The Untold Story of Watertightness

"Waterproof" wristwatch by Waltham Depollier

People have always been fascinated by waterproof timepieces because of their unique ability to keep water from penetrating the case. Furthermore, no one can be held responsible for this situation at all. The Diver's watch is an excellent example of what human effort may accomplish.

Watches are most vulnerable to damage from water. To put it simply, water damages watches. Aside from the aesthetic consequences of damaging the dial, the mechanical components will be harmed by the corrosion. Silicon, for example, will continue to be used in watches, but the bulk of timepieces don't use it.

One gets a better sense of the watch's capabilities simply by reading the phrases "water-resistant" and "resistant" side by side. The potency of those words is undeniable. Waterproof vs. water resistance is a long-running and fascinating debate.

Intervention by the FTC and the Demise of Waterproofness

You can be sure that a watch is water-resistant if you see the word "proof" on it. As a result, no matter how deep you go, the watch will not be harmed by water getting inside. That's exactly what happened until the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the United States got involved in 1960. Only Americans could use these guidelines, though. The goal was to create rules that would serve as a safety net for the public. As a result, people got exactly what they were expecting.

It seemed that the message had reached the global watchmaking community. There is a gradual shift away from "proof" in watchmaking, as opposed to "resistant." There followed a detailed description of how much resistance each company had. 

The criteria for water resistance also came into being. Both ISO 2281 and ISO 6425 apply to water-resistance and divers' watches, respectively.

The Present Day and the Future

Following an investigation in 1999, the Federal Trade Commission withdrew the rules from its archives. There were phrases like "irrelevant" and "outdated" used in the explanation. Watchmakers throughout the world already adhere to these rules to the point where they are no longer necessary. As a result, watchmakers are now free to use the phrase again, at least in the American market.

Sum Up

According to our discussion above, we can sum up that your watch is not watertight, but it is water-resistant. 

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Have a great day!