Can you Shower with Your Rolex watch?
Rolex watches are known for their robustness, durability, and reliability. They have proven themselves able to handle harsh conditions through testimonials of people who have not treated the watches with very much care.
Rolex watches have been on the highest top of Mount Everest, and in the deepest deeps in the ocean with James Cameron.
With that said, Rolex has proven to be able to withstand a lot, but with a luxury watch, you don’t want to take unnecessary chances. Shall anything happen – for example if water gets into the watch, it will be a costly lesson.
But is it a risk to shower with your Rolex watch?
Can you shower with a Rolex?
All Rolex watches except for the Cellini use the Oyster case, which means they have a water resistance of at least 100m. With that said, shouldn’t you be able to wear your watch when showering?
The answer to this question is yes. You can shower with your Rolex watch. But you may want to be careful…
Generally speaking, it is not recommended to wear your Rolex watch when showering. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, soaps can cause damage to the rubber gaskets and the spring bars. When soap residue ends up on the spring bars, it will cause them to wear out quicker and require changing. At worst, they may rust or fail as a result, over time. Furthermore, the heat from a shower can also cause damage to the gaskets. The heat causes the rubber to expand, and then contract once it cools down. These sudden temperature changes result in premature aging.
Now, if you do it every now and then, you will probably be just fine. But if you shower with your watch consistently, it can cause premature aging to your watch, in particular the rubber gaskets, and thus compromise the water resistance over time.
Whilst it will probably be an issue, soap may cause harm to the finish of your watch. Again, the number of times you do it will come into effect here. If you can wear, for example, the Submariner when diving hundreds of meters down in the ocean, it will manage a shower just fine. But you may want to be careful anyways. Furthermore, you also want to ensure that you rinse it from any soap residue.
Another issue with showering with your Rolex watch is the fact that there are countless hard objects around you. A stone floor, metal knobs, shower doors, etc. It is easy to hit your Rolex watch in any of these whilst showering – especially if you are closing your eyes. This can cause scratches and dings to your watch unless you are extremely careful.
If you insist on still showering with your Rolex watch, always make sure the crown is screwed in properly. It is also a good idea to pressure test your watch every year if your watch is in regular contact with water. Furthermore, changing the gaskets occasionally will ensure it stays water-resistant. If you see a fog appearing under the crystal when showering with your Rolex, stop immediately. This means that the watch’s water resistance has been compromised. Stop the watch by pulling out the crown and taking it to a watchmaker as soon as possible.
So to conclude the article, yes you can shower with your Rolex watch – but it is probably best to not do it. Every now and then is fine, but it is not recommended to do it consistently.
