The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Hello! I own a Breitling Montbrillant 01 which is rated at 3 bars. I am going to Tibet next week and was wondering if wearing my Breitling at altitudes of around 5000 meters going to be an issue for the watch at all. Thank you for any advice.

Would not have thought so, as absolute air pressure is less at higher altitude, not more. But not by much at that height. The 3 bar test is in water and below sea level, where pressure increases rapidly. A swim at 5km in depth would be a real big problem for the watch and the wearer.

Enjoy your trip to Tibet.

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Jim

"You have Control".

Altitude is not a problem for the watch in terms pressure but you may find that the change in temperatures, the different daily routine, etc causes the rate to change slightly, but will return to what it currently is after the trip.

Great! That is reassuring. Many thanks!

Apart from being at depth underwater (only a concern for diver's watches) the only time pressure can really affect a watch is due to negative pressure (and predominantly sudden changes there of).... but you're only remotely likely to experience that if you are a fighter pilot for example. That can cause a cystal to pop out if the watch isn't designed to resist it (which all pilots watches tend to be). But up a mountain you'll have no problems at all.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

These guys are right. Strictly in terms of air pressure, too, going up to 5,800 meters will not give you an extreme amount of negative air pressure. And as the Prof points out, it will only be the slowest of rate changes, not an explosive decompression as might happen in an aircraft emergency at 40,000 feet or something.

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Chris
Club Member #0070
2009 TT Chrono Evo w/Rose gold, blue face
2009 Airwolf w/black face, Co-Pilot module
2009 TT Lady Cockpit w/Mother-of-Pearl, Diamond face for the wife

Everything is relative at altitude. Air pressure at 5000m is approximately 550HPa or 55kPa. That’s about half what we experience at sea level, but everything is relative and your watch should show little change due to changes in air pressure. If it was a change in gravity, then that would be a different case.

I hope you are not going hiking in your Brietling. I would be more scared of that proposition than being at altitude.

_________________
Jim

"You have Control".