ISO, NIHS and DIN Standards For Water Resistant Watches

The International Standard Organisation (ISO) has established basic standards for watches. In Switzerland these standards are called Normes Industrie Horlogre Suisse or NIHS. In Germany these standards are called Deutsche Industrie Norm DIN. Because of this, a specific ISO-parameter does have both a Swiss and a German counterpart. First, there is ISO 2281 or DIN 8310 or NIHS 92-10. This standard is entitled Wasserdichtigkeit von Kleinuhren (roughly, water resistance of small watches). This standard describes the term, specifications and test-procedures which are necessary in order to call a watch as waterresistant. Following DIN 8310 (and its counterparts) a watch can be called water-resistant if it passes the following construction (pre-production) tests: - the watch has been put into water in a depth of 10 cm for one hour - the watch has been put on a heating-plate (40-45 degrees Celsius) for 30 minutes - a drop of water at 18-25 degrees Celsius is given contact with the glass for 1 - minute - no condensing water could be found on the inner side of the glass during the production, and - each watch then must successfully pass the following tests to use the term waterresistant - testing with air: a watch with an inner pressure of 1 bar will be tested with a pressure of 2 bar. - a maximum mass-flow-rate of 50 ug/min is allowed Diving watches have additional standards, called ISO 6425 or DIN 8306 or NIHS 92-11. This standard only is titled Taucheruhren (diving watches), but there is the following subtitle: safetyrelated requirements and test procedures. Following DIN 8306, a watch can be called a diving watch only if it has passed numerous test procedures. Beyond pressure tests, there also are tests for: - display-clearness - accuracy - anti-magnetism - shock-resistance - resistance of the fixing-elements (bracelet or strap) - resistance at high pressure test with air - resistance against salt-water - scale-ring - functional assurance of all usable elements - functional assurance at high water pressure - usability at different temperatures - crowns, pushers and other elements - resistance at high pressure test with water
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Some of these tests can be done as a type-examination-test during development, but others must be done for each watch. IWC tests each water-resistant watch with both water and a heating-plate using a pressure of minimum 3 bar. IWC does a pre-production-test for each watch. IWC also tests its watches with air by a pressure of 0.3 bar and also at a minimum of 3 bar. Following IWCs experiences, small leaks could be found with a low-pressure much more easily than with high pressure. The minimum high-pressure which will be used for each test depends on the pressure IWC has published. During IWC's history, the following maximum pressures have been used: - 3 bar (the most Portofino's, Novecento's, Amalfi, Portuguese, Da Vinci's - 5 bar (pilot's watches reference 3711 and 3741) - 6 bar (all other pilot's watches) - 10 bar (Yacht Club) - 12 bar (most Ingenieur and GST) - 20 bar (reference 1812 - the first Aquatimer) - 30 bar (the Bundeswehr-watches, reference 1816 and 1822 the second and third Aquatimesr) - 50 bar (PD Ocean 500) - 100 bar (Aquatimer Automatic Ref. 3548) - 200 bar (PD Ocean 2000, GST Aquatimer, Aquatimer Automatic Ref. 3538) The DIN-standards are complicated and cannot be published directly because of copyrights.

Each Norm has to be ordered separately by the using institution and paid for by that institution. Water-resistant watches is a subject involving numerous discussions between watchmakers and customers. At least in one skilled watchmakers experience, there is certain important information every customer should realize: - a watch could have passed all tests, but with an unfortunate knock it is possible that its water resistance will be gone. - a good watchmaker does have testing-machines which allows him to check the water-resistance very quickly and easily - it would be recommended to test a water-resistant watch once a year or after any heavy knock - diving watches which are used as a diving tool must be checked once a year