[nzwatchdoctor]

A new customer brought his Tissot to me today.
On a flight to Aussie he heard a small pop and sensed something go up into the air in front of him.
The glass (round, mineral) had exited out of his watch and into the air in front of him.
Thankfully he found it to give the dial some protection when carrying it.

I've never heard of that happening (I'm sure some of you old hands will have...)

 

[diesel powered seiko]

The quartz pulsar chronographs that the Royal Air Force were issued had this problem. Don't know their model number, sorry.
Regards, David

 

[georgelazenby]

Probably the heightened cabin pressure

The watch couldn't take the pressure so the crystal popped out. Obviously this Tissot was not any kind of divers watch?
Have you ever seen a crisp packet or a Pringles box they blow up like a balloon.

 

[Gaz.]

Shows the seals were airtight I guess!

 

[IgniFerroque]

Obviously this Tissot was not any kind of divers watch?

I'm not sure that a diver's watch would be built to withstand pressure from the inside either.

 

[Grammarofdesign]

I'm not sure that a diver's watch would be built to withstand pressure from the inside either.

Agreed.

 

[georgelazenby]

I suppose it means the seals were not airtight

There must have been a slight "bleed" in the seal from the crown or backseal.
This slowly built up inside the watch whilst in the heightened atmosphere.
Until the inside construction blew at its weakest point blowing out the crystal.

 

[Ugly]

Wow, I always thought that the negative pressure thing was a joke, or urban legend at best.

I have a flight tomorrow, which watch should I bring to play a little Mythbusters...?

G-Shock? SARB065? SKX007?

Hmm...

 

[Ugly]

Wow, I always thought that the negative pressure thing was a joke, or urban legend at best.

I have a flight tomorrow, which watch should I bring to play a little Mythbusters...?

G-Shock? SARB065? SKX007?

Hmm...

I should also mention that I'm flying into Typhoon Rammussen. Yikes.

 

[Selym]

There must have been a slight "bleed" in the seal from the crown or backseal.
This slowly built up inside the watch whilst in the heightened atmosphere.
Until the inside construction blew at its weakest point blowing out the crystal.

The air trapped in the case was probably at sea-level pressure (or close). At altitude, cabin pressure is lower than sea level pressure. Maintaining sea-level pressure at altitude is not practical. Instead, cabin pressure at altitude is at around 8000 feet equivalent pressure. In other words, even though the plane is cruising at 35,000 feet or so, cabin pressure is the same as you would experience at 8000 feet of altitude. Basically, pressure inside was greater than pressure outside, and the crystal gave way.

Myles

 

[Selym]

Wow, I always thought that the negative pressure thing was a joke, or urban legend at best.

I have a flight tomorrow, which watch should I bring to play a little Mythbusters...?

G-Shock? SARB065? SKX007?

Hmm...

I think the ISO standard for dive watches specifies resistance to a vacuum. Some "dry" W/R testers can test for that as well.

Myles

 

[7s26b]

I'm not sure that a diver's watch would be built to withstand pressure from the inside either.

Unless it's a Helium rated diver - which generally have a screw down crystal retainer.

 

[wheeler004]

I've never heard of that before. At least he was able to recover the crystal!

 

[deledda]

I've never heard of that before. At least he was able to recover the crystal!

Same. I have never heard of that before. Would freak me out if that happened to me.

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