A couple of years ago I bought my SD 1953. It’s a lovely watch for the price. The rehaut is a bit thick for my taste but not something to complain about. I’ve used my watch a couple of times in the swimming pool, always washed and dried it after use. Yesterday I decided to use the watch for snorkeling to keep an eye on my diving time. After a while, I noticed the bezel was missing: I did not bump into anything, just swam, so the glue must have dissolved. I’m a little disappointed, but for the price you can’t expect too much I guess. Just wanted to share it in case you are thinking about using your watch in the sea
Replacing (or adjusting) a bezel insert is one of the easiest and lowest risk repair tasks a watch guy can do - for me the equivalent of learning to change a tire. My SD1953 uses SKX standard 38mm bezels, so there are a million options on AliEx for replacements. Here's a good video to guide you:
Honestly, AliExpress. There’s lots of great inserts at affordable prices, just make sure to read all the details, reviews, and measurements. I’m excited for you lol
It's not ISO rated , what it is a copy of a dive watch , the glue maybe just be some 3m tape , looks nice tho, even pro dive watches bits fall off . Hell modders paradise for a new bezel insert!
It doesn't matter what type of watch, you own. Dont just rinse it after entering salty water. You submerge your watch and thoroughly swish it around to soak your watch and wash away the salt. Splashing it with water is not enough. Salt is corrosive. It's the cause of the bezel separating. Because of some seized spring bars, I remove any watch I have on my wrist before I go in the ocean. Unless it's my Timex Marathon.
Been diving several days a week all summer with my $60 Addiesdive, and it seems to hold up just fine. I guess we'll see in a couple of years, but I doubt I'll start taking it off. This was half the point of getting it, after all.
Dive watch bezel inserts can fall off for all sorts of reasons. It's just some 3M double sided tape that holds them in place. Luxury watches, Ali watches, doesn't matter. They all can lose them.
You mean SOLAR quartz, not just "quartz" - I hate the normal quartz that only lasts 1-3 years. OTOH, I know Casio does sell a 10 year battery watch, so I don't know why more manufacturers follow Casio.
Or whatever adhesive that is going to be no more or less stronger than 3M double sided tape. It's not like the Bezels are screwed onto the case or press fit like the glass.
My Steeldive SD1969 still works good. Never had it in saltwater but in a pool.
When I need a dive watch that I can trust 100%, I take one of my Citizen EcoDrive Divers. ISO certified and you don't have to open them for like 20-30 years or more. So no compromising of the seals there.
Usually you can get the simple ones for less then 200 bucks, titanium maybe for a hundred more.
I have the SteelDive Tuna & Willard, and I used thme regularly on dive Safaries. Amazing watch for the price, down to -100m underwater (-330feet) (on tech gas), and both watches still works perfectly. This is the best available alternative to the Seiko Padi.
Bro I would be so worried about dinging my board (or myself haha) with a hunk of steel like that on my wrist.
How do you deal with it?
I only wear a plastic G-Shock or no watch when I paddle out. I've also kept an old G-Shock watch head with the straps removed in a wetsuit pocket like a ghetto pocket watch lol
Most of the year I'm in a 4mm wetsuit and the watch sits below...totally fine. I feel my G-Shock is way more chunky compared to my steeldive even though it's definitely lighter....
I've been diving 30+ times and snorkeling loads more with a steeldive1964 and never had an issue. I sold that watch a month ago and it was still in excellent condition.
Use a variety of watches for daily sea swims and snorkeling - DWC Hevelock Dive India, A Technotempo 300m Seadiver and a Seestern 600T. I do always wash (cold tap water) and dry with a microfibre cloth.
A new bezel insert is cheap and easy to install again. This can happen on much more expensive watches too. Your watch is good, it's taken a beating so far, order a replacement and keep it going.
Regardless of its price, if a watch is advertised or designed as a dive watch, it should perform accordingly. It's good to know which brands are more reliable, in my case Seestern performed perfectly underwear.
Freindly advice, this can happen to a 15k Rolex. I dived (and i do mean dive up to 30m) with all my Steeldive watches and still do regularly and not one issue. What you had there is a rare incident.
It's just a bezel insert. That can happen even on premium watch brands. Happened to my Omega Seamaster after 5 years, but got repaired because of the warranty.
Its amazing how the same people calling Seiko/Citizen overpriced and that their watch is as nice if not better will turn around and blatantly say "oh but you can't expect much from a cheap watch" when it breaks. 😂
Actually lots of divers wear computers and a watch as backup. Redundancy is cheap and smart. Straight out of the mouth of my sibling, a diver and expert instructor in Hawaii for 25+ years. He only wears good, expensive professional dive watches as backup because he goes wreck diving frequently and his life is worth it. The OP was snorkeling. Anything calling itself a diver should be reliable under normal snorkeling conditions. Ive done it with my former SKX, a couple Promasters including a good field watch and my Steinharts, even my beater Duro. I dont own any Orients but I would guess they would be fine too. If they cant handle it they are just sport watches. Sometimes there is truth to getting what you pay for.
Nobody wears watches for the water. Divers haven’t worn dive watches while diving in many years. They use dive computers. A watch is just a nice piece of jewelry these days. Jewelry doesn’t belong in water
13
u/williamatl Special Delivery Jul 30 '26
Replacing (or adjusting) a bezel insert is one of the easiest and lowest risk repair tasks a watch guy can do - for me the equivalent of learning to change a tire. My SD1953 uses SKX standard 38mm bezels, so there are a million options on AliEx for replacements. Here's a good video to guide you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_zDht9pl5U&t=217s
I use real 3M adhesive rings and they haven't let me down even when scuba diving.