When can water enter the watch?

[5nit]

I gave my DJ41 a good wash last night with dawn soap and put away in my case. I pulled it out an hour later to wear and wind up and noticed my crown was not screwed down tight. I am usually pretty good about this.

Is there a chance water or soap particles entered through the crown area? Kind of concerned here.

Thanks.

[Ian Macdermott]

No.

[jctrolex]

Not likely. If you don’t see condensation on the inside of the crystal you should be fine.

[5nit]

Originally Posted by jctrolex

Not likely. If you don’t see condensation on the inside of the crystal you should be fine.

Does the o-ring create a seal under non-pressures scenarios?

[Burlington]

Originally Posted by 5nit

Does the o-ring create a seal under non-pressures scenarios?

Yes it is sealed - nothing to worry about.

[jctrolex]

Your DJ has the twin lock crown. There is a gasket inside the crown tube besides the one you see when you pull the crown out. That gasket is under compression. With your DJ being a newer watch the gasket should be in good shape so I think you’re okay.

[5nit]

Originally Posted by jctrolex

Your DJ has the twin lock crown. There is a gasket inside the crown tube besides the one you see when you pull the crown out. That gasket is under compression. With your DJ being a newer watch the gasket should be in good shape so I think you’re okay.

Okay, I was not aware of the construction of this. When would a watch risk water damage under normal washing conditions?

[schoolboy]

Originally Posted by 5nit

Does the o-ring create a seal under non-pressures scenarios?

I think so.

Some forum members say that if the watch is rated to say 100m, it is resistant to that water pressure or whatever even with the crown unscrewed

Supposedly the screwing of the crown is only to prevent operation of it under water

Like the chronograph pushers on a Daytona

[RJRJRJ]

Originally Posted by 5nit

Okay, I was not aware of the construction of this. When would a watch risk water damage under normal washing conditions?

A Rolex watch will not have any issues. Best to keep the crown screwed down though.

[Tools]

Originally Posted by 5nit

Okay, I was not aware of the construction of this. When would a watch risk water damage under normal washing conditions?

It wouldn't.

There is no time, under normal conditions, where your watch is open to the environment to let anything either inside or out. An unscrewed crown is not an open hole, something would have to be damaged to let water in.

[5nit]

Originally Posted by Tools

It wouldn't.

There is no time, under normal conditions, where your watch is open to the environment to let anything either inside or out. An unscrewed crown is not an open hole, something would have to be damaged to let water in.

Okay good to know. Appreciate the comments. I wasn’t sure if screwing the crown down created the only seal or there was one there regardless.

[Tools]

Originally Posted by 5nit

Okay good to know. Appreciate the comments. I wasn’t sure if screwing the crown down created the only seal or there was one there regardless.

Here is a diagram of the Triplock construction. The Twinlock is the same except for the outer and one inner o-ring.

Note that on the inner O-rings it states "operative even when the crown is unscrewed"

TripLock.jpg

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by 5nit

I gave my DJ41 a good wash last night with dawn soap and put away in my case. I pulled it out an hour later to wear and wind up and noticed my crown was not screwed down tight. I am usually pretty good about this.

Is there a chance water or soap particles entered through the crown area? Kind of concerned here.

Thanks.

In answer to your question.
Yes, there is a chance.
There's always a chance.
However, I would be inclined to say it's so small that it's basically equivalent to any of us on the forum migrating to the moon.

Relax and enjoy

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by 5nit

Okay, I was not aware of the construction of this. When would a watch risk water damage under normal washing conditions?

I think it may be a problem after years between servicing.
Old seals which have gone hard and lost their elasticity or serious case damage around the Crystal are liabilities along with corrosion around the Case-back.
It's an age old problem that Rolex has worked hard to virtually eliminate.

[jimcameron]

Originally Posted by 5nit

I gave my DJ41 a good wash last night with dawn soap and put away in my case.

noticed my crown was not screwed down tight. .

Keep a close eye on the watch. If there is any hint of condensation, run, don't walk, to the nearest RSC.

You don't need to wash your watch like it was a pair of socks.

[mat_787]

side question, how tightly do you screw the crown back in...always feel like i tend to go tighter

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by jimcameron

Keep a close eye on the watch. If there is any hint of condensation, run, don't walk, to the nearest RSC.

You don't need to wash your watch like it was a pair of socks.

Agreed.

Of course, water blasters are also excluded

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by mat_787

side question, how tightly do you screw the crown back in...always feel like i tend to go tighter

Firm should be more than adequate.
Rock solid tight is probably way overkill

[5nit]

Originally Posted by Tools

Here is a diagram of the Triplock construction. The Twinlock is the same except for the outer and one inner o-ring.

Note that on the inner O-rings it states "operative even when the crown is unscrewed"

Thanks for the diagram. Which exact rings are missing from the DJ41?

[5nit]

Originally Posted by jimcameron

Keep a close eye on the watch. If there is any hint of condensation, run, don't walk, to the nearest RSC.

You don't need to wash your watch like it was a pair of socks.

Okay, I don't see any condensation.

Also, I don't wash aggressively, but I keep a clean watch.

[othertbone]

The crown shouldn't be cinched down tight anyways.

[5nit]

Originally Posted by Tools

It wouldn't.

There is no time, under normal conditions, where your watch is open to the environment to let anything either inside or out. An unscrewed crown is not an open hole, something would have to be damaged to let water in.

So in theory, you can have a shower with a DJ and the crown unscrewed?

[Tools]

Originally Posted by 5nit

So in theory, you can have a shower with a DJ and the crown unscrewed?

Any day of the week.

[Old Expat Beast]

The screwdown crown is pretty ancient technology. I have watches that are rated to 100m and don't even have one.

[5nit]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

The screwdown crown is pretty ancient technology. I have watches that are rated to 100m and don't even have one.

I suppose but I have a read a lot of posts of people that have done this and are really worried about water.

[5nit]

Originally Posted by Tools

Any day of the week.

All because of one o-ring? Interesting....

[77T]

Originally Posted by 5nit

I suppose but I have a read a lot of posts of people that have done this and are really worried about water.

People worry too much...

Many defenses against water ingress even when the crown is not screwed down. Each red segment in the cutaway below acts as a seal against leaks.



Scratches are the #1 thing that worries people. Only answer to that is leave it home or wear a terry cloth wristband over it.

Water doesn’t get in unless one goes deeper than model is rated, or fails to get proper service.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by mat_787

side question, how tightly do you screw the crown back in...always feel like i tend to go tighter

Finger tight is all. When I screw my crown down it turn until I feel it bottoming and that’s when I stop

[Tools]

Originally Posted by 5nit

All because of one o-ring? Interesting....

The pushers on a Daytona only have a single tiny o-ring and the watch is rated for the same 100meter depth water resistance.

The case-back only has a single O-ring.

The valve stems in the tires on your car only have an O-ring and they keep the air in your tires for years.

There are plenty of designs of other engineered stuff that are waterproof and don't use any gaskets or O-rings.

[watchmaker]

Is there a chance? Absolutely, unequivocally yes.*

Is it likely? No.

*If water became trapped between the crown cap and the tube o-ring (a plausible scenario when the crown is unscrewed) it is possible to assist the water’s entry in to the case when you manipulate the crown by pushing it down and screwing it closed. The functionality of the gaskets is conditional on the water being static during the exposure. Introduce additional forces and you enter the realm of the unknown. As I said, it is unlikely (due to the volume of water trapped in the crown being so low anyway) but it is absolutely possible. It’s the same reason you cannot operate most chronograph pushers under water.