Why do reps have such poor WR capabilities??

[daytona4me]

But 1:1 means EXACT.

Apparently not in chinese...

 

[Ibn_Hasaf]

Water Resistance Guide
No Rating - 30m/99ft Does not allow contact with water
30m/99ft - 50m/165ft Allows for contact with water such as washing hands and rain
50m/165ft - 100m/330ft Allows for light poolside swimming
100m/330ft - 200m/660ft Allows for swimming, snorkeling and showering (do not expose to hot water)
200m/660ft - 500m/1650ft Allows for impact water sports such as board diving and scuba diving
500m/1650ft + Appropriate for serious deep water diving.

This entire chart looks silly. I expect to be able to wear my watch when I go swimming. A "dive" when swimming is generally 3-4 meters. Understand that my dives are of the "hmm. . . that looks interesting, I will go look at it" types of dives, not off a board.

I see on your chart that the recommendation fr that type of swimming "light poolside swimming" is 50m. Ask yourself with some honesty, where have you seen a 50m deep pool. Have you even seen a pool, outside of a commercial or military training facility training facility, that was 5m deep?

Here are some numbers shamelessly copied form wikipedia

Depth[nb 1] Comments
40 feet (12 m) Recreational diving limit for divers aged under 12 years old and beginner divers.
60 feet (18 m) Recreational diving limit for divers with Open Water certification but without greater training and experience.
100 feet (30 m) Recommended recreational diving limit for divers.[1] Average depth at which nitrogen narcosis symptoms begin to appear in adults.
130 feet (40 m) Absolute recreational diving limit for divers specified by Recreational Scuba Training Council (RSTC).[1] Maximum depth reachable by a French level 2 diver accompanied by an instructor (level 4 diver), breathing air.
180 feet (55 m) Technical diving limit for "extended range" dives breathing air to a maximum ppO2 of 1.4 ATA.
200 feet (60 m) Maximum depth reachable by a French level 3 diver accompanied by another level 3 diver, breathing air.
218 feet (66 m) Depth at which compressed air results in an unacceptable risk of oxygen toxicity.[nb 2]
330 feet (100 m) Technical diving training limit for divers breathing trimix. Recommended technical diving limit.
385 feet (117 m) Maurice Fargues was a volunteer in a programme to determine the maximum depth a scuba diver could reach with compressed air. He became the first diver to perish using scuba.[4]
509 feet (155 m) Record depth for scuba dive on compressed air (not officially recognised).[5]
660 feet (200 m) Absolute limit for surface light penetration sufficient for plant growth, though minimal visibility possible farther down.[nb 3]
1,083 feet (330 m) World record for deepest dive on SCUBA.[nb 4]
2,000 feet (610 m) Navy diver in Atmospheric Diving System (ADS) suit .[6]

So, to compare that with your chart

30m/99ft - 50m/165ft Allows for contact with water such as washing hands and rain

30M is also

Average depth at which nitrogen narcosis symptoms begin to appear in adults.

Really. . . do you know of anyone who has gotten the bends from washing their hands or walking in the rain?

Back to watches, I expect the gear that I strap to my body to be able to keep up with me. Yes, I have swam with my rep. If it were to fail I would consider that to be good news. I would then know that particular watch was junk and would be cast aside.

When I got my rep I looked to see if the gasket was under the crown, like it was supposed to be; it was. I also checked the case gasket after I got home (it was crooked on the one I wear for sports, I straightened it).

Face it, everyone expects the reps to have quality control problems. If you get one that is leaky you call it unlucky and move on. But, I am certainly not going to stop running toward a lake with a bunch of my friends because I need to remove my watch. I expect it to be able to keep up with me and I have generally been right. In the cases I ahve been wrong (Gen Swiss Army Brand . . .. never again. . . you would think after having two fail on me that I would have been smart enough to so "no more." Nope, it took me three tries). . . well, there are plenty of watches in the world, try again.

Don't expect too much, no fool would wear a rep when mixed gas diving (they will wear what they are issued to wear). But, in the same frame of mind, don't forgo an activity due to some, perceived, need to baby your watch.

But then, I don't expect much from a rep; probably less than many here. I expect my assistant to say, "your watch looks fine, now stand still while I straighten your collar." That is about as much attention as I expect it to get.

 

[phillycheez]

It's all about ATM... How many atmospheres your watch can handle.

Washing your hands can be 1-2 ATM

Water Splashes can be 3 ATM

Swimming can be 5 ATM which is equivalent to 50 meters.

But for what it's worth... I have never had a rep fog up. I also think this thread is blown out of proportion.