What happened to watches being “Waterproof?
” The term “waterproof” was discontinued starting in the late 1960’s. This change was brought about from several government organizations, including the Federal Trade Commission in the USA, who were investigating truthfulness and accuracy of product labeling and advertising. “Waterproof” was considered to have misrepresented the products as more capable of preventing the entry of water under normal use circumstances than they were actually capable of. Specifically, diving-type watches never have been completely ‘proof’ of water entry under normal use and within the stated depth ratings. The seals that keep water out are not completely impervious and their effectiveness can be reduced over time with age, deterioration, and exposure to chemicals. The term “water resistant” is now used to describe such watches. There are no technical differences between a waterproof watch and a water resistant watch–they use the exact same methods and technologies to keep water out. The difference is onl
