How Does Water Resistance Work in Watches? A Full Guide for 3ATM, 5ATM, 10ATM & 20ATM+

Shopping waterproof watches for men can be confusing - here are the details on what makes a watch good for swimming and diving. In this video, Vaer co-founder Reagan Cook breaks down the various water resistance ratings used in the watch industry from 1ATM to 100ATM, and explains the practical applications for watches at each step of the way.
Here is a full list of the ratings, with chapter links if you want to skip ahead:
0:00 - INTRODUCTION
1:30 - 1 ATM - Essentially no water resistance, stay away
2:37 - 3 ATM - Covers splashes, not steam or submersion.
4:36 - 5 ATM - Handles quick submersion and showering.
6:37 - 10 ATM - Covers swimming and submersion.
7:53 - 10 ATM + Lock Crown - Functionally waterproof.
11:35 - 20 ATM - Waterproof to limits of the deep diving.
13:58 - 30 ATM - Waterproof at depths of oxygen toxicity.
14:51 - 100 ATM - Pretty much just showing off.
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This video was produced internally by Vaer co-founders Reagan Cook and Ryan Torres.
Director - Reagan Cook
Producers - Reagan Cook, Ryan Torres
Cinematography - Reagan Cook
Editor - Reagan Cook
Musical Score by - Reagan Cook
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[@switzknight]

Today a 30m water resist on a watch costing several thousands of dollars is just plain pretty lazy and cutting corners. Nice video btw.

[@luke928]

This is why I got the Vaer C3 field watch to replace my dive watch. It will do EVERYTHING with me. River, Sea, Mountain, wood shop - Vaer is there. America in a watch. Reliable ingenuity, rugged individualsm, oozes class. Thanks gents.

[@QuackLoud]

FINALLY. A straight forward, plain language & easy to understand explanation of "Water Resistance". It would be great if the watch industry could agree on a WR testing standard. Is there an ASTM? Seriously looking at the D4 Solar. Thanks for a great video.

[@hiroshiyamamoto7167]

You telling me this now?? Been using seiko snk805 with 3ATM for 6 years now. Ive been swimming with it everytime and had no issues 🤣

[@jlwade87]

Very breif summary of what those ratings mean. Tested at static atmosphere. Very few videos go into depth on what those ratings mean.

[@someguy_]

@@jlwade87 so wth do i do

[@jlwade87]

@someguy_ what do you mean?

[@alfianhanafi6407]

really good video, thanks for the explanation

[@JP-lf6zl]

Excellent explanation, I look forward to receiving my D4!

[@willsherman3527]

Love the Vaer watch school videos :-) I'm going to use your video on American Assembly that you did recently in my high school Economics class that I teach.

[@vedicfit]

Extraordinary explaination... Can't expect this level of genuine words from the founder of a watch company who is usually bound by so many legal restrictions and has to watch his each word... Thanks a lot, it helped me to take decision! Best part- 'Chinese manufacturer' 😆

[@shane5822]

Great video, thanks for the explanation! Out of curiosity, what are the relevant manufacturing/component differences that move your watches from the 10ATM to the 20ATM rating?

[@jlwade87]

Great video. Thank you. Next watch will be a Vaer U.S made

[@mohamedsaad-mo3wt]

thanks

[@mangodjur]

Thanks bruv

[@InGratitudeIam]

Always rinse the watch (and the rest of your equipment) with fresh water asap. Salt water is one of the most destructive things to rubber. Always make sure your equipment is rated to at least twice the "working pressure" of your deepest dive. A factor of three is even "mo' better." As your equipment ages, water resistance diminishes. Sunlight disappears at around 100 feet or so. Nitrogen narcosis is a thing. Never dive alone. Follow your smallest bubble to the surface. If nitrogen narcosis kicks in, know that you are wrong and your bubble is right. Buy another watch to celebrate your survival.

[@cdeaker]

Are there plans to get ISO 6425 certification for the Dive watches?

[@ejjrl1ify]

Thoughts on METAS 50 metre certification? For example the Speedmaster

[@TheMidnightModder]

16:43 Which watch is that? It's beautiful! Are y'all planning on releasing dress watches?

[@johanvandersandt8904]

Do you guys have resellers in South Africa? I would love to add one to my collection.

[@lhommeaudacieux]

Thank you man. I bought a Seiko 5 (SRPK17) to kite surf a few weeks ago thanks to your excellent explanation. Works like a charm. It's was so good to hear from somebody who has actually surfed with a 10ATM watch. Everybody keeps telling and writing the obvious, that a diver 200m rating would be the real way to be completely safe compared to 10ATM where they only test samples and you may be unlucky with an extremely high impact fall and yada yada yada we all know that. But ONLY YOU gave me an actual idea what my actual chances are of still getting away with going for "just" 10ATM. After all a sports watch actually used for sports should never be one you cannot afford to break no matter how water resistant. I had to refrain from laughing when my kite instructor said I must be "rich" for risking to take a 10atm watch surfing before showing me his 3900EUR 300m diver "because he doesn't want to take chances of breaking it" when all he needs to do is smash it on a rock and no rating in the world will save him. I'd much rather take a small added risk of water damage on a 400EUR watch than the risk you have either way of scratching and banging up the watch on a piece 10 times the price. In any case thank you a lot for this video. Incredibly useful and shockingly unique!!

[@VaerWatches]

We appreciate the share! I've been surfing with our 100m rated watches for 8 years now without issue.

[@musclerocker]

I got a watch off of Amazon it says 3atm but it’s a $35 dress Watch says “ splash resistant “?

[@zillsburyy1]

i dont feel that my watch is safe from water if it doesnt at least have a 100 meter rating.

[@roubenkhosrovian]

Same. Mostly because no company clearly clarify what it means. Specially for rainy and humid weather.

[@zampzyhh]

Would you swim in a pool with a 5atm watch?

[@RonSpilker]

Why do you think they've started using this rating for smart watches, vs the IP ratings? Seems like IP is more practical not diving watches

[@bryanguest2807]

Would you feel comfortable taking the new seiko gmt 5kx in the ocean for prolonged swims? Its 100atm no screw down crown but the case has a guard Is it safe to engage the crown underwater? Not having a screw down crown is the only thing stopping me from buying it and I wonder if its really necessary

[@stefpix]

Those seiko 5kx are fashion watches. Crown guards, but no screw down crown. For the ocean get a screw down crown watch. Vaer, Citizen, Orient, or a pricier Seiko that is 200m WR. Cirizen BN151, looks more like a tool watch, diver ISO rated. The VAER DS4 is a little dressier. The prices vary a lot depending on offers and sales.

[@alisalaska1786]

Thoughts on the Fossil Gen 6? Says 3 atm

[@alienatedpoet1766]

2 years later I'm wondering the same. They say it passes a 10,000 stroke swim test, but also say don't swim with it. Personally, I have showered with it after the gym at least twice a week and it is fine. I might try swimming and just making sure to rinse it off after. And we won't get a Gen 7 sadly...

[@milanzivkovic7488]

I am normal guy doing ordinary stuff not a diver,and i got casio 30 euros quartz it was rated 50 m never liked it i jumped in swim with it even did some breath diving up to 5m looking for shels stayed in water for 40min and it worked great.

[@rocha9765]

Which is your Casio?

[@milanzivkovic7488]

@@rocha9765 Casio MTP1370D

[@ak983625]

I understand the need to be conservative, but in the past 30 years, I’ve swam, showered, hot tubbed, windsurfed with numerous 30 m watches, never a leak.

[@OliverWhite-ds7oi]

8:30

[@carbonelll]

so can I shower with my 3 atm watch? thanks

[@vijaymehra1101]

No.

[@alreawon1212]

3atm will easily withstand swimming, you can't create same water pressure as the static one at 30m depth. You can move your hand with watch underwater at 1m depth as fast as you can and you won't be able to create that pressure. People just don't know physics.

[@JamesBeaucoup]

I only made it about 5 mins into the video but it seems like this is a really long way to say that watch ratings as a whole are basically untested lies that a marketer decided on after the watch was produced

[@molisislam4858]

i'm getting a patek phellip

[@zvonimirtosic6171]

Water resistance is not always about water resistance. Sturdy watches that offer serious (30 ATM+) water resistance are excellent TOOL WATCHES. Fact is - nobody will make serious tool watch with mere 3 or 5ATM resistance; it's pointless. But the hardness and thickness of premium materials, corrosion resistance, pressure resistance, shock resistance, and overall rigidness used for the construction of 30ATM+ watches, allow them to endure serious beating and solid performance - regardless of situation and environment. They are all-environment, do-it-all watches.

[@leelasaivoonna1728]

Your watch actually 10ATM??

[@VaerWatches]

Absolutely! All of our watches have a screw down crown with a minimum 10ATM rating

[@edvinpetkevic1820]

Very pitty that your stock is totally empty 😢

[@NoName-uy4fx]

this guy don't know whats he's talking about I have a casio a168 and I've gone beyond 100 feet and it still works perfectly anyway great video

[@John-vk1ij]

Hmm, made in China, but welcomely consumed by US customers. Who should be blamed for the poor quality? 👎

[@joey1471]

Chinese, Swiss, or German, etc etc etc... Just get that shit pressure tested, simple. Don't get too caught up with the "Made in ____" shit..

[@Minadakis_Manos]

It will be better for your videos to go right away to the explanation you are talking too much some people are boring and not watching till the end