The seal watches

When asked to watch watch what invention revolutionized the twentieth century, they often react with bewilderment to finish by saying: quartz.However, the sealing of boxes was probably the most revolutionary discovery that has helped to houses and watchmakers to break free of certain constraints and to invent, incidentally, some of the most famous hits in the history of watches wrist. In addition to allowing their use in all circumstances, the seal has significantly contributed to improve the strength and durability. This innovation has contributed to fundamental change over time ...

We know that until the early twentieth century, the idea of protecting one shows the aggression of liquid water or suspended in the air in gaseous form, was not the priority watch, if not Manufacturers of marine chronometers regretting their instruments on board of seagoing vessels are exposed to salt erosion. Historically, the seal became inevitable when the timepiece is passed from pocket to wrist during the First World War.Unsuitable for employment any land, they suffered the indignity of the water and dust that infiltrated the heart of the mechanisms. However, a British watchmaker named John Harwood, a soldier of the Great War during the Battle of the Somme, measured how, under the deluge of iron and steel, have a reliable watch and waterproof in any situation could s' prove decisive. Demobilized, this clever designer, convinced of the vital nature of its mission, in 1923 filed a patent for a self-winding watch can thanks to a construction from winding stem through the middle, to resist intrusion of dust, and impact, splash. A mechanism for winding through the movement of the wearer should help to limit the manipulation that can cause water seepage or harmful particles in the confined spaces of movement.At about the same time, Hans Wilsdorf, founder of Factory Rolex thinking about technical solutions to increase the resistance of the watches used by military or British expatriates often - based in settlements in the humid tropics, or subequatorial countries suffering the devastating monsoon rains - in humidity from 95 to 98%. In 1926, after much research to find the solution to both the simplest and most effective, he filed a patent for the invention of a screw-down crown on a tube secured to the housing, which the parties mutually independent other forms, after screwing over a joint installed at the bottom of the crown, while strictly sealed. Thanks to this patented system that's surprisingly simple, which closely resembles the cap nut screwed collars that plumbers pose for sealing a pipe, Rolex took thirty years ahead of competition in the field of authenticity.Since the factory was already at that time a strange tale for communication, it validates his invention and imposed the world by passing on the wrist of Mercedes Gleitze, a young Englishwoman who in 1927 performed a feat individual crossing the English Channel swimming. Visionary Hans Wilsdorf had foreseen that the invention of the seal opened the way for sports watches, destined for the "stronger sex" as the "fairer sex" ...
In the 30s, there remained in widespread use. World War II and the return to peace, with the desire of youth to live enriching human adventures, would provide the framework for this expansion through a new work made accessible to all thanks to the invention by Cousteau and Gagnan regulator - the latter allowing a diver to pass Iourds spacesuits to explore the underwater world.


Videm pacis parabellum
At the same time, competing brands, angry at having been pipped at the post, responded by presenting their vision of the diver's watch.Thus, in 1932 edited the Omega "Marine", whose double rectangular case was tried in 1937 to 135 meters and returned 80 years later on the front of the stage under reference No. 7 of the Collection "Museum". Then in the 50s, she launched the collection "Seamaster" with the success that we know in part due to a value very attractive at the time. Still in the 30s, the house offered his version Mido sealed with a cork gasket, while Cartier Pasha dared to Marrakech a watch cabochon crown screwed on, so that the local potentate can swim pool without having to remove it. This type of construction (crown encapsulated under a screw cap) was used by various manufacturers including Zenith, Movado, Longines for military purposes or associates. All homes put there, aware of the strategic nature of the seal watches during the conduct of modern war. And in the late 1930s, they knew they would receive orders ...The military needed for their elite troops of timepieces running on all land transactions. Because it was the coordination of operations, the element of surprise, and in many cases, victory. At the height of the Second World War, the American brand Hamilton proposed for U.S. troops watches resistant to moisture. Meanwhile, the Italian army, rather than relying on export of watches, commanded Florentine society Officine Panerai watches and special waterproof to equip its combat swimmers. Classified "Top Secret", this time measuring instruments discovered by the public after the 1990s evolved to receive in 1942 a system called "snap" to ensure the parts up to 200 meters due to compression of the crown on his joint using a lever built into the protective guard.

Health through sport
Once peace was restored in the late 1940s, watches resistant to water spray and dustproof became ubiquitous, as they represented the first step toward a comprehensive reflection to improve the functionality of watchmakers tools. To meet the expectations of a generation that we had to forget the horrors of devastating conflicts, more and more brands of watches produced proof that the Raiders chose for their raw qualities. Thus, the model Eterna, focused on the raft Kon Tiki in 1947 by adventurer Thor Heyerdahl when he discovered the peopling of the Pacific Islands by Native Americans, opened a new era in environmental resistance outside. Very fast, waterproof cases won their quarters of nobility being worn by the heroes of the modern world. These instruments allowed acclaimed youth brands to show the extent of their technical expertise and their ability to produce timepieces of the utmost reliability.Naturally, as the seal strength were powerful commercial arguments. Manufactures such as Blancpain with 'Fifty Fathoms ", or with Rolex" Oyster Perpetual Submariner "have benefited since 1953 from the image of strength and sportsmanship that these specimens emerged and remain more than ever, since the "Fifty Fathoms" is among the most popular references and presented as Rolex at Baselworld this year the new "Oyster Perpetual Date Submariner" with a bezel Cerachrom ®. Even today, these achievements rethought and adapted to the modern world but overwhelmed by the dive computers in the purely professional, remain essential references as well as the "Seamaster" Omega worn by James Bond or the iconic "Seamaster Ploprof 1200", the specialized versions of the collection "Diver's 1000 meters" proposed by Seiko, or series of recent extraordinary Oris watches dedicated to the Italian military commando Col. Moschin.

Regulatory issue
When Rolex lost its monopoly of the fact that the patented invention falling into the public domain, all marks obtained de facto permission to equip their creations for this system down crown considered the safest in terms of sealing . For use on a wider spectrum as water skiing, sailing and diving, a fortiori, the amateur will turn to models with crown and pushers for the times, whose seal is at least guaranteed to 100 meters . In this registry, the list of possibilities is huge because almost all brands, from the smallest to the most famous, have in their collection at least one dive watch worthy of the name. So difficult to choose between a "Aquaracer Chrono 500" TAG Heuer's Calibre 16, the latest "Chrono 500" Victorinox Swiss Army equipped with a quartz caliber, or any other models more attractive to each than others.In this register, some will appreciate the option chosen by Jaeger-LeCoultre for the collection "Master Compressor, to approach something as natural as opening or closing a valve to safeguard the handling of the crown and pushers . In this regard, the Master Compressor Navy SEALs "have included this detail because it is part of the desired functionality. With regard to scuba diving, in addition to choice as the new chrono "Tudor Hydronaut II", the followers of muniront playful timepiece such as new TechnoMarine "Cruise Sport 45 mm in diameter, or opt for versions as the coolest "Louis Vuitton Tambour Diving" Catalogue of the famous leather goods, the "Dior Chiffre Rouge D02" or the superb "Clipper Chrono Automatic" of Hermes. There are also pieces technically very advanced, such as Richard Mille RM 028.Except for total security in action, they prefer a dedicated computer as the "Sea-Touch Tissot or the new" Yema Diving Snorkeling, these two pieces with incredible features more or less equivalent to what 'offer dedicated computers. Fan rich will be able to rely on subjugating rediscovered parts GTE, (Geneva Time Exhibition) last January in Geneva. Getting rubbed several young designers whose founder of the Linde Werdelin brand, a company implementing a mechanical watch which can be associated by clipping a dive computer very powerful.
Okay, that will never be worth having at the wrist Aquatimer Deep Two "IWC is known with a mechanical depth. This reference, made last year and recently in the shop, will certainly the ultimate weapon for those looking for a timepiece that only a lucky few can hope to carry.
In all cases, whatever the choice will be good to check his dive watch responds well to the standard ISO 6425 in 1996 (standard NIHS 92-11).Indeed, to conform to the name of diving watch, they must meet several conditions: a seal equal to or greater than 100 meters, a control system of graduated dive time in minutes (a rotating bezel internal or external) protected against improper operation. On the other hand, the case, necessarily magnetically and resistant to corrosion, must necessarily wear a dial readable in the dark and an indicator of operating as a second hand or a system for indicating the end of battery life (for quartz models). The best is the enemy of the worst, the purists will rely on proven models still in very great depth, including quality, meet again at a specific ISO standard, has been validated by professionals. In this area, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller Deepsea "Waterproof at 3900 meters and developed with the help of COMEX (agency specializing in dives at great depths) will always be blessed with an audience that requires best tool in its product category.If watches Ralf Tech, still known only to initiates, of course, to meet the famous ISO, purists will receive special watches water-resistant to 500 meters as the Bell & Ross BRO2, or 1000 meters as the Porsche Design " P'6780 Diver "which, like Eterna" Kontiki Diver "has a specific case with a sealed housing forming part of a middle protection.
In conclusion, say that the seal represents the best possible security for a watch, but the foresight and attention remain key to its preservation. In this regard, before the implementation of the future ISO 22810 which will require the manufacturer to ensure the watertight integrity of the piece sold during the warranty period, we encourage fans eager to test them in real conditions of use to have it checked routinely by a watch licensee, at the approach of summer.