In this article, we will be covering the topic of how deep 100 meters actually is, and how to tell whether or not a watch can actually be worn at that depth. Water resistance can be a tricky subject when it comes to watches. This is especially true, considering that a watch’s rated water resistance can be very misleading. We will get into all of that later, though.
First, we’ll talk a little bit more about the depth of 100 meters. Now probably the first thing people like to know about 100 meters, is how many feet that actually translates to. This is a pretty easy and straightforward conversion.
How Deep is 100 Meters in Feet?
100 meters is 328 feet. This is simply because 1 meter equates to 3.28 feet. So to get the number of feet in 100 meters, you would simply multiply 3.28 by 100. Note that a lot of times, people will round this up to 330 feet. But either or, this is how you would arrive at that number.
Now that we have explained this in simple terms, the next step would be to determine if your watch can be worn at that depth. This is important to know if you actually intend to go diving with a watch on.
Can a Watch Rated 10ATM Be Worn to a Depth of 100 Meters?
When looking into watches that you can actually wear at a depth of 100 meters, you are going to want a watch that is rated 10ATM, or 10 Bar. These types of watches are intended to be worn at this depth. However, only a certified diver’s watch can be safely worn at this depth! For the rest of them, the answer is not so straightforward. More on that next!
As we were saying, it is important to note that not every watch that is rated for 10 ATM is actually designed to withstand that exact depth. The reason for this has to do with how most average watches are tested for their water resistance. There are really 3 main ways in which a watch is usually tested for its water resistance.
Methods of Testing
One way that is commonly used, is to spray a watch with jets of water. These water jets simulate the pressure of 100 meters underwater.
Another way is to actually submerge the watch in water. In this scenario, the watch will be placed into the water at its rated depth.
One last way that watches are tested is by way of air pressure. In this scenario, the watch is placed in a chamber of compressed air. The air pressure in this chamber will be equivalent to the watch’s rated depth.
The problem with these methods is that they do not account for other potential factors that can affect a watch’s ability to handle pressure.
For one, we may not know how long the watch can safely remain at that depth. And secondly, other environmental factors may be at play like the water current, or even the act of swimming.
These things can put additional pressure on a watch. So, in actuality, most watches are not really meant to be actively worn at their rated depth. Here are some general guidelines about water resistance in watches.
Water Resistance General Guidelines for Watches
- 3-5 ATM: Can withstand splashes of water, rain, and maybe even showering, but shouldn’t be fully submerged in water.
- 10 ATM: Can handle swimming, snorkeling, and maybe even scuba diving.
- 20 ATM: Can handle deep diving.
- 30 ATM and up: Suitable for professional diving, or saturation diving
As you can see here, most watches that are rated for 100 meters, are really only good for snorkeling and scuba diving at best. Sure, you can wear one deeper, and even to a depth 100 meters if you wish. But just know that there would be no guarantee here that the watch would not incur some type of water damage.
The exception here, once again would be certified dive watches.
A Word on Dive Watches
A dive watch that has met certain criteria, will absolutely be able to handle being worn at a depth of 100 meters.
The difference between the dive watch, and other watches with a 100 meter water resistance rating is that the dive watch will be tested using a variety of different methods.
As a matter of fact, the ability to be worn at a depth of 100 meters is the first minimum requirement of a dive watch. Other criteria include resistance to salt water, resistance to magnetic fields, luminosity for visibility in the dark, and impact resistance.
There are a whole host of other criteria that must be met as well. Assuming a dive watch passes all of these tests, it will then be “ISO 6425 certified”. When a watch is ISO 6425 certified, it will have the official label of “dive watch”, or “divers watch”. This label will usually be printed somewhere on the watch.
Other than that, you will want at least a 20 ATM and up watch to take with you if you plan to go diving with a watch on.
Final Conclusion
So now we have looked at how deep 100 meters is, and covered what to look for in your watch to know if it can be worn at that depth.
You should now have a pretty good idea of what type of watch to get if you are looking to go diving. It is surprising how complicated something seemingly simple can be. But that is the reason we made this article. To help clear up all of the potential misinformation and misunderstanding that may be out there.
Hopefully this article has been both helpful and informative. If you enjoyed it, then don’t hesitate to check out some of our other info articles. There you can learn many more interesting and lesser known facts about watches. You can check those out here
Additionally, you can learn more about water resistance here
