Odd question to ask…

[Sipper]

Out of curiosity, how much water resistance protection, if any, does having a triplock crown properly screwed down if all of the gaskets are bad?

[ltmgeller]

If all the gaskets are bad I'd say zero.

[Rolex1982]

Define bad and how can all gaskets be bad? The watch in this hypothetical situation must be old? Why not pressure test before swimming/diving with it?

[Subzy]

Somewhere between 0 and 300m at a guess.

[Tools]

Originally Posted by Sipper

Out of curiosity, how much water resistance protection, if any, does having a triplock crown properly screwed down if all of the gaskets are bad?

Either the Triplock, or the Twinlock are seldom the place for a leak; they are way over engineered.

However, if the Triplock has hardened/broken inside seals, but the crown gasket is still good, you probably can't go deep enough to breach it. It's a pretty unlikely scenario though.

[Auto16610]

How much safety do you have if the air bags aren't working?

[Sipper]

Originally Posted by Rolex1982

Define bad and how can all gaskets be bad? The watch in this hypothetical situation must be old? Why not pressure test before swimming/diving with it?

Bad is defined as capable of causing a leak if the crown were left unscrewed and you went for a dip in the pool. The question is purely hypothetical so you can assume the watch is old or a technician failed to install new gaskets during a service. I don’t have any watch that fits into this category. Again, just curious as I searched this forum and other places and never saw this question answered or even posed. Thanks.

[Sipper]

Originally Posted by Tools

Either the Triplock, or the Twinlock are seldom the place for a leak; they are way over engineered.

However, if the Triplock has hardened/broken inside seals, but the crown gasket is still good, you probably can't go deep enough to breach it. It's a pretty unlikely scenario though.

Agree that this is an unlikely scenario. I’ve just never seen this question posed or answered. Thanks

[Bxtek]

As with any machine, tool or equipment....if it's properly maintained and properly used, there should be next to zero chance of seals going bad and letting water in.

[Sipper]

Originally Posted by Bxtek

As with any machine, tool or equipment....if it's properly maintained and properly used, there should be next to zero chance of seals going bad and letting water in.

Agree. But does anyone know the answer to the question posed? If not, that’s fine, just curios as I’ve never seen this question asked or answered. Thanks.

[Sipper]

Originally Posted by Rolex1982

Define bad and how can all gaskets be bad? The watch in this hypothetical situation must be old? Why not pressure test before swimming/diving with it?

Bad is defined as water would enter the watch if you left the crown unscrewed and went for a dip in the pool. How this happened is immaterial as it’s a hypothetical question. Anyone with Rolex triplock expertise or an engineer with the answer? Thanks.

[AF_Rob]

Not exactly the same but if gaskets are bad in valves, they don’t do a very good job of keeping water from leaking. I’m sure it works about the same the other way.

If gaskets weren’t needed, they wouldn’t be there. I’m guessing it would fail after a short time in the water, regardless of the depth.


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[RTG]

Originally Posted by Subzy

Somewhere between 0 and 300m at a guess.

[Old Expat Beast]

Gaskets are vital, but I wonder if screwdown crowns make much difference. My Grand Seiko with pull-out crown has the same 100m WR as a Rolex Oyster. Come to think of it, my G-Shock has twice the WR of a Rolex Oyster, with four non-screwdown pushers and a plastic case with thin steel caseback held on by four tiny screws.

[KatGirl]

The gaskets are vital. If they are rotted, or stretched out, change them.

Kat


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[JC316]

Originally Posted by ltmgeller

if all the gaskets are bad i'd say zero.

+1

[996marty]

If you think the gaskets are bad then they need changing

[rmlovett1]

I don’t think you’re going to get your answer. At this point so far….seems nobody has seen this scenario, tested this scenario, heard of this scenario. Maybe ask a watchmaker, Rolex service trained tech, or maybe Bas (known Rolex service tech on the forum) will chime in.

[77T]

Originally Posted by Sipper

Agree. But does anyone know the answer to the question posed? If not, that’s fine, just curios as I’ve never seen this question asked or answered. Thanks.

I think we all know the answer - it’s been posed in at least a dozen different ways since I’ve been here in as many variations. See the cutaway below



If every gasket failed (by definition this includes the 3 O-rings) then the watch would no longer be water resistant whether the crown was screwed down or not. But if the crown is screwed down, you would have nominal resistance to random raindrops or handwashing.

Had you added the notion of the tube washer failing, as some have in the past, then any diving could cause leaks. You can see in the diagram that the tube washer is a single point of failure. The torque a watchmaker uses in screwing the crown tube into the midcase helps to some degree, but isn’t a certainty.


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[JC316]

Originally Posted by 77T

I think we all know the answer - it’s been posed in at least a dozen different ways since I’ve been here in as many variations. See the cutaway below



If every gasket failed (by definition this includes the 3 O-rings) then the watch would no longer be water resistant whether the crown was screwed down or not. But if the crown is screwed down, you would have nominal resistance to random raindrops or handwashing.

Had you added the notion of the tube washer failing, as some have in the past, then any diving could cause leaks. You can see in the diagram that the tube washer is a single point of failure. The torque a watchmaker uses in screwing the crown tube into the midcase helps to some degree, but isn’t a certainty.


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[4 Aussies]

Don't go diving with it.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by 77T

I think we all know the answer - it’s been posed in at least a dozen different ways since I’ve been here in as many variations. See the cutaway below



If every gasket failed (by definition this includes the 3 O-rings) then the watch would no longer be water resistant whether the crown was screwed down or not. But if the crown is screwed down, you would have nominal resistance to random raindrops or handwashing.

Had you added the notion of the tube washer failing, as some have in the past, then any diving could cause leaks. You can see in the diagram that the tube washer is a single point of failure. The torque a watchmaker uses in screwing the crown tube into the midcase helps to some degree, but isn’t a certainty.


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About as good an answer as you’ll get OP

[piratfisk]

Originally Posted by Subzy

Somewhere between 0 and 300m at a guess.

If the OP is asking "should I get my seals & gaskets replaced before taking a beach vacation or can I wait 'til after," then yes, definitely get them replaced.

[TunaTuna]

That means zero

[enjoythemusic]

Probably equally as good as a boat with a leaky cracked hull.

[Sipper]

Originally Posted by 4 Aussies

Don't go diving with it.

Thanks. My watch is fine, recently serviced. I was curious how much, if any, protection the screw down crown provides.