What is a helium escape valve on the Omega Seamaster for?

The Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean is equipped with a helium escape valve at 11 o’clock. How It Works: The mechanics of the helium escape valve is relatively simple. A one-way, spring-loaded pressure release valve that expulses any gas inside the case during a dive ascent in dry decompression chambers.

Will Omega remove helium escape valve?

In fact, many of the world’s most iconic and famous dive watches such as the Rolex Submariner, Omega Seamaster 300, and Tudor Black Bay do not feature helium escape valves at all, and they are in no way less capable or water-resistant because of it.

Is a helium escape valve necessary?

Without a valve, these molecules would all try to escape at once during decompression, causing the watch’s crystal to break. This is why diving watches like the Rolex Sea-Dweller feature a helium escape valve. That being said, this valve is basically unnecessary for recreational diving.

Why do watches have helium escape valves?

Since helium atoms are the smallest natural gas particles, they are able to diffuse into the watch, past the seals which are able to prevent ingress of larger molecules such as water. As a result, the valve releases the gases trapped inside the watch case during decompression, preventing damage to the watch.

Why does Omega Seamaster have two crowns?

The second crown (at 10 o’clock) is a Helium release valve to allow helium out of the watch after wearing the watch in a diving bell with an atmosphere rich in helium.

Why does the Omega Seamaster have 2 crowns?

What is Rolex gas escape valve?

To address this issue, Rolex invented and patented the gas escape valve for watches, a one-way valve which safely allows the helium trapped in the watch to be released at a given pressure during decompression, while preserving the tight waterproofness of the Oyster case.

What’s the difference between Submariner and Sea Dweller?

The first difference between the Submariner and Sea-Dweller is that fact that the Submariner is designed specifically for recreational divers. The second difference is that the Submariner sports a 41mm case, while the Sea-Dweller has a beefier 43mm case.

Why did the helium come off my Seamaster?

But they replaced the helium valve crown as well (it’s in the little parts bag). Might be a faulty part? The He valve on a Seamaster is a manual valve. Screw it down to be watertight, slacken when you’re coming back up from your 2 week tour on the seabed.

How does a helium escape valve on a Omega watch work?

Some brands like Omega use manually operated, crown-style helium escape valves on their professional dive watches. So after spending an extended period of time under external pressure, helium molecules can build up inside a watch, until that external pressure gets released.

Is the helium gas escape valve a liability?

It turns out that helium gas escape valves, or helium valves, may actually be a liability in a dive watch, rather than a benefit. To learn why that might be, let’s take a look at the He valve (He is the element symbol for helium – sometimes marked on manually operated, crown-style valves like the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean).