watch condensation aghhh!

[admin]

I bought a Seiko Sumo off a good dealer on the auction site we all love and this morning while scraping snow off my windows (-8C) my watch developed condensation inside the crystal. I read about a test where you rest an ice cube on the crystal and if the watch has moisture inside it will form condensation. Sure enough! As a control I tried the same ice cube thing on my Ecozilla and nothing. I’m a little choked right now, especially at the price tag and the fact I’m over the return date by a couple days.

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[admin]

remove the caseback, and put it in an airtight container with some desicant packets. rice may also work. seal it back up making sure the gasket is in its proper position. nice sumo btw

[admin]

No need to remove the back. Just do the same with the crown unscrewed. It might take a while longer but no worry about damaging the gasket. Condensations only means that your watch had been to the tropic that’s all.

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I have contacted the seller and think they will allow me to ship it back to them for warranty work. We will see. They have said it should not do this. My zilla was from Singapore and no issues though.

[admin]

Last year I left my Seiko “Jumbo” on the window sill in the open kitchen window while prepping for a large meal the folowing day in the late evening while the temps were dropping quickly. Needless to say it sucked in some moisture (I have since had it resealed) but I just popped the case back off, put in a Rubbermaid full of white rice crystal down, . careful not get any in it, then put it under my desk lamp with the lid on it and let the 60w incandescent bulb warm the whole contrivance for about 8 hours at a time for a couple of days. Cleaned up the gasket ring and put the back on it and never had an issue since.

Like mentioned above you can just do the same thing with the crown open and have the same results just wait 3-5 days and all will be fine

[admin]

You seller is right, as are most parts of previous posts:
(1) it should not do this
(2) it is most likely a result of humidity during assembly
(3) that humidity is probably due to an origin somewhere in Asia (and your zilla may simply not have had the issue due to time of year when assembled)
(4) removing the caseback and using some desiccant would probably work

The couple of issues I have (and my apologies for arguing with you well meaning posters who made the suggestions) are:
(1) I wouldn’t use rice — it doesn’t really work with wet phones, where most of what is helping is leaving the thing alone for a few days — and I wouldn’t really expect it to work here
(2) while you might get results with the case open, I wouldn’t think you’d see much of a result with just the crown open

Most dive watches (including your sumo) are designed with a double gasket system (normally called a Twinlock) you have both an internal gasket and a gasket inside the crown. The gasket inside the crown compresses vertically when locked down causing horizontal expansion. When not locked down this gasket is essentially the same as you would find on a non-screw down and has the same issues — subject to some rubbing and wear as the watch is wound/set and subject to some loss of compression over time (as the rubber loses elasticity). Dive watches using Twinlock systems have a second internal gasket which experiences much less wear.

Without opening a (new, properly sealed) watch I would not expect just storage in a desiccant to work on a non-diver where there is a single seal at the crown, let alone on a diver where there are two seals that any moisture would need to migrate past.

In any event, I think that warranty work, where they can not only remove the moisture but check to make sure it didn’t cause any corrosion in the movement is the way to go. Watch parts, of course, are small and the slightest bit of corrosion on, say, a balance could have large consequences.

[admin]

Improper assembly if new. Improper reassembly if used. No dive watch should get condensation.

[admin]

Brand new but makes me wonder.

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Brand new but makes me wonder.
My advice as a former jeweler. Take it to an authorized Seiko repair center, or send it to one and let them fix right for you.

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Thanks again everyone. Waiting for return contact from Seiko Canada now.

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Oh I am sorry I didnt realize this was NEW watch. Yeah I would let Seiko handle it, though if you bought it gray market (sounds like this might be a possibility given where you bought it and if they are an “authorized” dealer) you might have to pay them to fix it.

[admin]

Yes, watch was a couple weeks old and the sweat from me shovelling and the cold soaked it inside! Not exactly a real diver watch! Seiko Canada didn’t even return my contact. Ended up seeking a “bay” refund and have sent the watch back to seller. Will see how this goes but I have high hopes of my money back.

[admin]

Shipping to Japan is unbelievably expensive! I could have driven there in my Corolla for about the same money! 😉

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