Alright folks, buckle up because this waterproof test thing for my Audemars Piguet Royal Oak turned out way crazier than I thought. Let me tell you exactly how it went down.
It all started when I got curious, y’know? My buddy kept bragging about his Royal Oak taking a swim, and I figured, hey, I should actually know how much water mine can handle. The manual says it, but who really just trusts paper these days? I wanted proof.
First step was gathering junk. Went digging around Taobao – found some cheapo water pressure tester thingy. Looked kinda flimsy in the pics, but hey, what could go wrong? Plugged it in at home, filled it up, plopped the watch inside real careful. Hit the button… and this weak little motor whines for like two seconds then just STOPS. Tried again. Same thing. Pressure gauge didn’t even budge. Felt totally ripped off. Typical cheap crap.
So, Plan B: Let’s get crafty. Remembered some science class junk about air pressure. Found an old pressure cooker pot thingamajig my mom never used. Spent hours trying to rig up some pipes to connect it to that stupid Taobao pump. Sealed the connections with duct tape and super glue – looked like a mad scientist lab reject. Finally got it ready, hand trembling a bit. Turned the pump on this time… BOOM! One of my crappy pipe connections blew right off, spraying water all over the dang kitchen floor! Wife came running, yelled something I probably shouldn’t repeat. Mess was insane. Watch was soaked, but fine. The pump? Toast.
Way past frustrated now, went back to basics. Screw fancy pressure. Just grabbed a big glass bowl, filled it with tap water. Thought, “Okay, let’s just see how long it sits underwater without freaking out.” Left it sitting in there for like, what, 30 minutes? Nothing happened. An hour? Still dry inside when I pulled it out. Felt kinda pointless.
Later that night, still stewing, took the shower test. Yeah, I know it says it’s okay. But still stood there just staring at it on my wrist under the spray. Heart pounding a little harder than usual, gotta admit. No fog, no water creeping in. Thank goodness.
So what’s the real takeaway from this whole mess?
- Official “water resistant” numbers? They probably aren’t lying, but testing it yourself without pro gear? Total nightmare.
- Building rigs out of duct tape and old pots? Yeah, don’t be me. Recipe for disaster and marital problems.
- Splurging on a proper watch like this? If you want to dunk it deep for real, maybe just pay the money and get it properly checked at the service center. Their gear doesn’t blow up.
- For washing hands, rain, maybe even a short pool dip? You’re probably fine. Seen it myself now. Still makes me nervous though.
Honestly? This whole adventure was way more headache and cleanup than I expected. Kinda wish I’d just left well enough alone sometimes. But hey, now I know. Would I ever try that pressure test stunt again? Hell no. My kitchen floor still has trust issues. Stick to soap and water, people.
