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joeyza
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SM300 Update

Well, about a month ago my poor SM300 was subjected to H2O and suffered some moisture intrusion.

Off it went to my watchmaker to assess the damage and for some emergency work. He put the watch in his drying machine first, then went to work. The two tests that were performed on the watch were pressure and vacuum. The watch passed the pressure test to 120ft, but failed the vacuum test altogether. The diagnosis was the watch actually drew the moisture in (vacuum) as opposed to the water pressure forcing moisture into the case.

This makes perfect sense, because it was a hot day here and I was working for a bit on my mooring. After a few splashes of salt water, I felt the watch would benefit from a fresh water rinse - bad idea. The warm watch and cold fresh tap water created a vacuum.

He removed the rotor, balance and spring to make sure the movement was in working order. I'm happy to report that the movement show no signs of water damage or residue.  He replaced the gasket and used some special grease around the crown, tube and caseback to help prevent any future damage. I also promised not to do anything reckless again.

Here is a quick picture of my SM300 on vacation last week in Bar Harbor, Maine. Also, a few random shots of Cadillac Mountain, my 3 lb. lunch and my son and me.

Thanks to Bill and Graham for your triage tips which I'm sure prevented any lasting damage.

Cheers,

Joe