Are you not able to see the time because of the moisture that somehow got into your watch? Do you want to know the different ways that can help you remove the moisture from your watch?
Do not worry! You are at the right place! If your watch is still running then it means that damage has not been done yet and you have some time left to fix this. But you need to act fast as the water can cause rusting in the watch parts which will make the watch lose time and ultimately damage the movement and the watch permanently. In this article, I will tell you exactly how you can remove the water condensation from your watch. I have compiled different methods that can help you defog your watch. You can use any one of them or if one method does not work then you can use multiple methods as well.
Quick navigation:
- How Does Moisture Get Into A Watch?
- Different Methods To Remove Moisture From A Watch
- Water-Resistant Vs Waterproof Watch
- Water Resistant Ratings And Their Meanings
- Should You Defog Your Watch Yourself Or Should You Take It To A Repair Shop?
- FAQs
How Does Moisture Get Into A Watch?
Before we look at the methods to remove water from a watch glass, don’t you wanna know how it got in there in the first place? You should know what causes the moisture in a watch so that you can prevent it from happening again. So let us look at the different reasons that can cause the water condensation inside a watch.
1) Sudden Extreme Weather Change
Sudden extreme weather changes can cause fogging inside your watch. Like you see the water droplets forming outside a bottle if you take it out from the refrigerator. Similarly, after spending a lot of time in a cold AC room if you suddenly step outside on a hot sunny day then you can experience fogging inside your watch. Or if it’s winter and your watch was out on the table all night and you wear it in the morning and put your hands inside your coat to warm them up. The coat will also warm up the watch and as result, moisture will get formed inside the watch.
2) Pulled Out Crown
Sometimes we pull out the crown to set the watch and then forget to push it back in. This can also cause moisture inside the watch as water can find its way in from the gap that we created by pulling the crown out.
3) No Water-Resistant Capability
If your watch is not water-resistant then it goes without saying that the water can get in easily once the watch comes in contact with water.
4) Lower Water-Resistant
Just like the above-mentioned point, if you do more water sports with your watch than its water-resistant permits, then also the moisture can get in easily. For example, the water will get in if your watch’s water-resistant permits only swimming and you go diving or snorkeling with it. We will discuss more on this later in this article, so do not forget to read the article till the end.
5) Crack On the Watch Glass/Crystal
Even the smallest crack on the watch glass is enough to let the moisture in. Sometimes it happens that the crack is not easily visible but having a close look can reveal the secret of the moisture getting inside the watch.
Different Methods To Remove Moisture From A Watch
Now that we know how the watch can get all foggy, let us look at how we can get the moisture out of the watch.
1) Use Uncooked Rice
Using uncooked rice is the easiest and best method to defog your watch that you can do at your home easily. Uncooked rice is great at absorbing moisture and will absorb all the moisture of your watch. Take some uncooked rice and place them in an air-tight container, the amount of rice should be such that it can cover your watch.
Keep your watch in between the rice and close the container airt-tight and leave the container for at least a day or two. Just keep in mind that the rice can scratch your watch easily so do not shake the container after putting the watch in. And also to make sure that your watch does not get scratched while putting it in the rice, pour some rice in the container then keep your watch and pour the rice gently again to cover the watch.
2) Use Other Absorbents
Instead of uncooked rice, you can also use other absorbents like silica gel or cat litter to remove the condensation from the watch crystal. If you like to keep your shopping boxes then you can find the silica gel easily. It is in the same small packets that you get in all of your shoes, electronics, and clothes boxes. Cat litter is also a great moisture absorber that you can find easily at your homes.
3) Keep Your Watch In The Sun
You can keep your watch in the direct sunlight to get the moisture out of your watch. It is advisable to open the watch’s case back and then put it in the sunlight. But if you are not comfortable in opening its case back then you can pull the crown out and then put the watch in the sun. Keep it there for several hours as the heat from the sun’s rays will help in defogging the watch.
4) Use Other Heat Sources
If for some reason you are not comfortable with putting your watch out in the open then you can make use of other heat sources to do just the same. You can place your watch under the study or table lamp to absorb the moisture in the watch but it will take quite some time. Or you can place your watch near the room heater but remember to not put it too close.
You can also place your watch near the fire if you still happen to use one to warm your house or put it near any heat source. The best heat source that is readily available in every home is a hairdryer. You can use a hairdryer to dry out the moisture inside the watch but keep in mind to not put the dryer too close to the watch. It is advisable to open your case back if you can otherwise you can pull out the crown and then put the watch near a heat source.
5) Use A Fan
This method may not be suitable for all as it consists of opening the case back of the watch, without opening the case back this method will not work. Open the case back and place the watch under a fan. The air from the fan will help in evaporating the water. But remember to only open the case back if you are confident enough that you can put it back on.
6) Use Professional Help
If none of the above-mentioned methods work or you do not want to take the risk of fixing the watch yourself then you can always go to a repair shop and let professionals do their work. They can also fix your watch in case your water-resistant coating is wearing off so that you do not face the same problem again.
Water-Resistant Vs Waterproof Watch
It is very important to understand the difference between a water-resistant watch and a waterproof watch to make sure that the water does not get into your watch and damage it. To understand the difference better let us first understand the water pressure and how it can damage your watch.
There is a coating and rubber gaskets in the watch that makes a water-tight seal around the joints of a watch and makes the watch withstand the water. But this seal can be broken if enough amount of pressure is applied to it. When we keep the watch under the water there is always some kind of pressure that gets applied to the watch. The deeper we submerge the watch in the water the higher will be the pressure applied to it, as the higher the amount of water the bigger the amount of pressure applied to the watch. And if more pressure is applied to the watch’s seal than it is supposed to withstand then it will easily break and the water will get into the watch.
A waterproof watch is a watch that is literally cannot be damaged by water, it means under no circumstance can the water get into the watch and damage it. Technically, in the real world, there is no such watch that exists. As discussed earlier if the right amount of pressure is applied, any watch can break. But there are watches that can withstand an enormous amount of pressure and to really break the watch you will really have to go very deep down the sea. And since no one really goes that deep inside a sea, hence these watches are considered to be waterproof.
Water-resistant however represents the amount of water pressure the watch can withstand before breaking. It is generally denoted by the number of meters and represents that the watch has withstood the static pressure test up to that particular meter. For example, if a watch has a 50M water-resistant rating then it means the watch was submerged 50 meters into the static water and no leakage was found. However, in the real-life, you may not encounter static water therefore you can not really go 50 meters under the water.
Water Resistant Ratings And Their Meanings
Now that we know what is the difference between a waterproof watch and a water-resistant watch, let us look at the different water-resistant ratings and their meanings. You can find the water-resistant rating of your watch on the watch box or at the case back of the watch.
1) No Water-Resistant Rating
If your watch has no water-resistant rating then it means that you cannot let the watch come in contact with water and even some drops of water can get into it and damage it.
2) 30M Water-Resistant Rating
If your watch has a 30M water-resistant rating then it means that it has withstood the static water test of up to 30 meters. But in real life, your watch can stay protected from unwanted water splashes and rains.
2) 50M Water-Resistant Rating
A 50M water-resistant rating means that the watch has withstood a 50 meters static water test. And in real life can be used for recreational swimming but not regular swimming sessions and snorkeling.
3) 100M Water-Resistant Rating
If your watch has a 100M water-resistant rating then it means that the watch has passed a 100 meters static water test. In real life, this watch is good for regular swimming sessions and snorkeling as well. You can also wear this watch while playing water sports at the beach but not while doing scuba diving.
4) 200M Water-Resistant Rating
A 200M water-resistant rating means that the watch is good for regular swimming and snorkeling sessions and it can also be used to do scuba-diving. However, a 200M water-resistant watch is not suitable for deep-sea diving.
5) 300M And Higher Water-Resistant Rating
If your watch has a 300M or higher water-resistant rating then it means other than snorkeling and scuba diving you can also do deep-sea diving with it.
Should You Defog Your Watch Yourself Or Should You Take It To A Repair Shop?
If you see the moisture inside your watch but still the watch is running then you do need to worry, you can use any of the above-mentioned methods to defog it. There are some methods that do not require you to open your watch so you can try them without hesitation. However, if you are not comfortable in opening your watch case back or do not know how to open it then you can take your watch to a repair shop as well. But I will recommend you to try one of the above-mentioned methods to remove the moisture from your watch. Because if the problem is serious then these methods will not work and you will have to take the watch to a repair shop anyway.
FAQs
How Long Should I Leave My Watch In Rice?
You should leave the watch in uncooked rice for at least a day or two.
Why Do Watches Fog Up?
When the water gets into watches, they tend to fog up.
What Happens If Water Gets In The Watch?
If the water gets into the watch then the first problem that you will face is that you will not be able to see the time clearly. Secondly, the water can cause rusting in the watch parts which will make the watch lose time and at last damage the movement and the watch permanently.
Can You Wear Watches In The Shower?
Yes, a watch with a water-resistant rating of 50M and above can be worn while showering.
Can I Swim With 10 Bar Watches?
Yes, 10 bar is equal to a 100M water-resistant rating. Watches with such a water-resistant rating are suitable for regular swimming sessions.