I just bought my first brand new IWC Portuguese in Stockholm. Egen I reda about the waterresistance, I'm getting à bit confused. 3 bars? Thats down to 20 metres. Then I heard from à friend it should not get in contact with water at all.
Of course I would never go scubadiving but I want to wear my IWC 24/7, and if I have to take it of every day, i will propably forget it somewhere.
So is there any problem having à shower with the watch?
Regards
// MarwinH
To me,3 bar means you are probably ok in the rain. I would not take a shower with it.
Hi MarinwH,
This new writeup by IWC is great. Do check it out. It links from the FAQ Water Resistant question:
What do I need to take into account as regards the water-resistance of my IWC watch?
WATER RESISTANT
TECHNICAL DETAILS OF WATER RESISTANCE.
Thanks alot, I have been looking for that WR-list earlier without success.
It Then looks lite it should not be any problems taking à shower with it, but of course its recommended to take it off.
If I want to wear it 24/7 but take it of every time I take à shower or à bath, it means I will take it of about 20 000 more Times' during My lifetime. And it only takes one bad moment to forget it och loose it, thats why I never want to leave My beauty.
Thanks alot!
Merry Christmas by the Way
Hi MarwinH,
I'm not sure which Portuguese you are referring to - but if it has a leather strap, then showering with your watch would be a No-No for me. Do note this FAQ also:
LEATHER STRAPS
Can I go swimming with my leather strap?
Leather is a natural, porous material. You should therefore avoid allowing a top-quality leather strap to come into contact with water, oils, solvents and cleaning products or cosmetics. By doing so, you can prevent discolorations or premature ageing of the material.
Hi Marwin,
I suggest your Portuguese is a 5001. I would not take a shower on it but I am not afraid of rain and ugly weather.
I have used my one while yachting though my AD was a bit upset as he got knowledge.
The picture is from 2008, still the first IWC leather strap and the watch gets a lot of wrist time, ca. 30% total. Stands for IWC quality :-)!
I'd agree with the above - that taking a shower in your watch is not a recommended activity, however it should be fine in the rain. I have a Portuguese as well on a leather strap and I'd never dream of taking it in the shower. Even if it does survive, I wouldn't like to run the risk of damaging it!
Dear Friends - just a quick reminder: IWC tests the water resistance of every watch with a water resistance grading - this test is done by submerging the whole case in water and it will be exposed to a pressure of at least the rated number for a period of time. Not just a drizzle from above.
What does that mean for you and me? It means that you can take a shower with such a watch without any problems. Now would you want to? Only you can answer that.
But, as most of the others have stated - if your watch has a leather strap you do not want to take a shower with it. Daily showers will fairly quickly damage a leather strap.
My 2 cents :-)
Sorry for all of the spellingmistakes, I wrote everything from my Iphone before and the autocorrect is not my friend, but now it´s from the computer and that makes it a bit better.
My IWC is an Portuguese Chronograph, Reference 3714 , blue alligator leather strap, Dial Colour silver-plated.
And I do agree with you all and specially with SKULE, they must have tested the IWC as they give out the information that it will handle getting dipped into the water.
But it´s also as important to keep the strap in the best shape as possible. But thanks, I have now made my decision, it wont get near the shower but I will not be affraid when it comes to come close to the water, as bad weather and so on.
IWC´s are just so beautiful. I would love to buy one Da Vinci in the future, but it´s a little bit out of my reach at the moment.
// Best regards
Marwin
Despite the recent nautical brand building of the Portuguese line, unless it is a Yacht Club, I would be wary of water. As already pointed out, the beautiful leather straps that come with Portuguese watches deserve careful treatment. The cost of replacing a strap is sufficient reason to take exceptional care.
The bar chart usually indicates how many bars you can visit in one night without doing too much damage to your watch. The tougher the watch more bars and less damage from the effects of gravity. The tourbillon was devised to counter the effects of gravity when leaving a bar but the complication is not tough enough to withstand a hard landing. ;-)
When it comes to IWC I swim with AT's and Ingys on rubber straps or bracelets.
Pilots and Ports and anything with a leather strap stay out of the water. That is what the AT's are for.
And why shower with any watch unless its an AT or Ingy at the beach? You know that at some point you are going to forget to screw in or push in the crown and.... well, you know.
And how many of us actually check water tightness with our AD's every year or two?
I am with Alan on this, I have so called waterproof watches but....I'd rather not discover that a seal has perished in a shower, bath or pool, let alone corrosive salt water. None of my models are ATs or true Ingies.
The pressure coming from shower cast may have much higher pressure than 3 bars, even if it impacted a small portion of the watch, imaging the water went in the wrong place with such pressure...
Additionally, the soap in a shower hastens drying out of the gaskets on the crown and bezel if it infiltrates even a tiny bit. I can't imagine taking any fine watch into a shower. How long does it take to remove it...3 seconds?
It's not only the watch and the strap: what about the wrist? I "clean" that too while showering. The only object I don't take off, about ever, is my wedding ring. I don't like to think how dirty that finger must be after all those years.
Kind regards,
Paul