The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Do you wear your Breitling watch at the beach while doing all sorts of activities like snorkeling, swimming, shelling ang playing in the sand?

I'm going on a vacation soon and I am undecided which watch I should take along. I fear my SOC2 could be damaged or scratched by the coral sand. The solid steel and maybe especially the AR coating.

What's your opinion?

There's the practical question of what it takes to make something scratch, which I'll leave to someone else. Then, there's the philosophical question of how you like to keep your watches and how long you like to keep them.

Some would see a few "battle scars" as appropriate and even desirable--the actual use of the watch to its intended purpose and engineering specs (though you'll never dive that deep). Others like to keep their watches as pristine as possible. Others still think of the monetary investment and say no. Some look at the watch they buy as one they keep forever, and if it took a nick or two on that vacation a few years ago, yep, that's what that mark is, and they like remembering the experience. Others tend to move on to other pieces, and if you think you might sell or switch one day, you don't want that mark.

It's really up to you and nobody else. I took my first Rolex snorkeling once, thought that was kind of cool, but then immediately rinsed it off with fresh water and thought, OK, did that, nothing went wrong, I'm done. Next time I'll probably take a quartz of some sort.

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Scott

AP Royal Oak 15400, silver
Zenith Chronomaster El Primero Classic Cars
Vintage gold Corum
Rolex DJ 36 TT, oyster dial, oyster/smooth
Baume & Mercier Riviera 200m, silver dial/aquamarine bezel
Breitling Superocean 57, rose/stainless

Scott says it all really.

I slipped on rocks at the beach on France last year, scratching the clasp of my Seamaster. I cursed in the moment, as you would, but now every time I glance at it in the course of some dull day, I think of playing in a rockpool with my kids in Brittany.

I take my Steelfish diving/swimming/everywhere.

But I live next to a 9km beach, so kinda hard to NOT take it to the beach!

Thank you for your replies so far. DrJ, a picture of your steelfish would be nice!

Not specifically my Breitling as it doesn't have the right water resistance, but yes to my Omega PO. I bought that watch to use for water sports, and don't mind it in the slightest getting wet, sandy, during diving/swimming etc. Yes it gets a bit dinged up but it's a watch for me i.e. to be used as its functions allow. I always rinse it/keep it clean, so the rest is from normal activities.

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Happines is Good Health and a Bad Memory.
"Ingrid Bergman"

I rock G Shock!

I get that some of the watches I own are diving watches, but to me they are just too expensive to replace is if something goes wrong, i.e. spring bar failure, leaking gasket etc. So, G Shock it is!

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sco
Breitling Chrono Superocean
Omega Aqua Terra 8500
Rolex Submariner Date Ceramic

I take my SuperOcean to the beach. It is, after all a Super...Ocean. I don't take my chronomat to the beach though. I use it more of a dress watch.

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Chronomat Evolution / Mother of Pearle Face
SuperOcean 44 / Blue / Ocean Racer Strap
Tag / Formula Chrono / Black

+1

I agree.

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Jim

"You have Control".

No watch of mine that has any value goes near the beach/sea/rapids or anywhere else where damage may occur. I learned the hard way after losing a Tag when sailing some years ago. The bracelet failed and down it went.....

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Breitling B-1 1999
Breitling Chrono Superocean 2004
Casio G Shock
Citizen Eco Drive AT4000-02E (for gardening)
Seiko 5 SNZG15J1
Hamilton X Wind LE

Swimming, depending on model, absolutely. The beach however with the sand, not so much. I personally destroyed the deployment buckle in one of my watches and bought a new one due to it

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Past: BlackBird, Navi World, SA, Rolex DJII, IWC Yacht Club
Present: CE, DSSD
Future: Changes daily

Watches as jewelry or as a tool is a choice. We do spend a lot on these little timing machines and for some is a lot out of our normal budget. It’s a achievement or a grail watch. It can be an investment to be sold in a later time or to use to traded up for something desired at the moment. Then again they can me used for the tools that they were created for. Nevertheless, it’s what you expect to get out of it.

I am the latter on most of my watches. For the Steelfish I have, it’s to tool I love to travel with me. From the beaches of Miami to diving off the Great Barrier Reef to dipping in an ice cold Yellowstone Lake, it has served me well and each time I look at it it reminds me of life experiences. It’s given me reliable use and enjoyment.

At the end of the day, if you don’t like to hurt your watch then using it in a real world use may not be a good idea. Where I find the daily wear and tear to add to my pleasure. This may not be your feelings. It’s a great watch for any use!

Personally I like to wear my "quality" watches whenever possible (or else what's the point of owning them), but that most definitely doesn't extend to situations that may potentially damage them. To me, my watches are "functional jewellery" that I want to last a lifetime, and scatches/dents/damage are things I'd rather not have. That doesn't mean I wrap them up in cotton-wool, but I don't expose them to anything too tough.

I work in an office, so 90% of the time my watches are not going to be subject to anything worse than the odd desk-diving scratch on the clasp, and that's fine by me.

For the other 10% of the time - sport, gym, DIY, beach, swimming, etc - I really don't see the point of risking an expensive timepiece when a G-Shock or similar will do the job just as well (and in many cases they will be a better choice if there's a potential for a shock to the case/movement). Just because a watch CAN withstand the pressure from so many meters under the sea doesn't mean that I HAVE to use it in those situations.

I'm of the opinion that ALL "prestige" watches nowadays are more jewellery than genuine tool watches anyway.... even ones designed to allegedly be tool watches. The Deepsea for example uses platinum (applied via a PVD process) in the bezel markings : the hour makers are white gold, etc. Plus no one in their right mind can claim that a mechanical watch movement is still the best choice for a tool watch these days. Back in the day when mechanical tool watches really WERE still tool watches, mechanical movements were all that were available : quartz hadn't been invented.

That said, as usually it's each to their own.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

From my morning beach walk today... A jellyfish and a steelfish

That's a hell of a daily walk Dr J. Beautiful.

(The 'Fish ain't bad either!)

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Driver8

Site Moderator