How water resistant are BOTTA watches?
All current BOTTA wristwatches are designed to withstand a test pressure of 5 atm and thus provide very good protection against moisture in everyday use.
5 atm – What does this mean in practice?
After final assembly and once again before shipping, each individual BOTTA watch is tested for pressure tightness with a special measuring device. As the wearer of this watch, you can therefore be sure that it will withstand the usual everyday stresses and strains without any problems. This means that it can withstand dust, rain, washing hands, splashing water, immersion in washbasins and similar shallow vessels. In principle, watches in this water-resistance class can also withstand showers and baths, but we recommend that you take your watch off before taking a bath.
Swimming only from 10 atm
Only with a water tightness class of 10 atm and higher, swimming with a wristwatch is possible.
When jumping into the water or fast movements in the water, as is the case when swimming, high pressure peaks can occur, which lead to water ingress.
Watches with a test water-resistance of 10 atm are usually much larger and more massive due to their design, but are also heavier and have screwed crowns. This in turn makes everyday handling more difficult and makes a delicate design impossible. For this reason, we at BOTTA do without such measures on principle. In our opinion, 5 atm water resistance is the ideal compromise between moisture protection and slim, elegant watch cases.
How to keep your watch permanently waterproof
However, the water resistance of a watch is not a permanent feature. The seals of the case and crowns weaken slightly over time, which reduces the pressure resistance accordingly.
Every time the watch is opened (e.g. when the battery is changed) the seals can be damaged, which is why we at BOTTA generally replace the bottom seal as a precautionary measure every time the battery is changed and check the tightness of the entire watch using a pressure gauge.
With proper handling and qualified service, you can assume that your BOTTA watch will remain permanently protected against water ingress and environmental influences.
