Waterproofing?

[Gottalovearep]

Apologies if this repeats a previous thread. New to this forum.
What is the waterproofness of reps? Generally and specifically for particular factories? I'm just buying a VSF Rolex at the moment. What are other people's experience with showering, swimming etc? Is it a good idea to get pressure testing done by a local jeweller? What does everyone else do?

 

[Unknownwatchmaker]

Reps have no guarantee for watereoofness, and how you approach this topic is very individual. You need to do what mashed you comfortable. Personally, I’ve had some reps be fine swimming in the ocean and one that had water damage after a shower.

You’ll find people in one of three camps:

1. These are cheap reps built to be aesthetically pleasing and tell time, not to weather the waters. So don’t expose them to water.

2. They are cheap reps, and many will be OK in water. So wear them in the water, and if they leak then NBD. Just get another.

3. They are cheap reps, and there are a few things you can do to improve the waterproofness. First, I don’t take any chronographs under the water (too many points of entry). Secondly, the simplest and easiest thing to do at home is to grease the gaskets. Thirdly, you can test the waterproofness yourself — I used to do this as well, but I live in a small condo and the machine took up too much space. Lastly, you can send the watch out to someone to do this all for you.

Good luck!