Credits: Article and images by Ashton Tracy @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2024/06/16/deeper-further-faster-why-do-some-dive-watches-have-helium-escape-valves/
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Sealab
After the success of the Genesis project, the United States Navy launched Sealab, which was also headed by Dr. Bond. Sealabs (I, II, and III) were experimental underwater habitats developed by the U.S. Navy in the 1960s to prove the viability of saturation diving as well as humans living in isolation for extended periods of time. Sealab I ran into some technical problems due to an approaching storm, with the experiment canceled after 11 days. Sealab II and Sealab III soon followed with more successful results.
These underwater habitats were pressurized living quarters for divers, providing a mix of breathing gas composed mainly of oxygen, nitrogen, and helium. The Sealabs included a sleeping area, bathroom, and living area and ensured that divers could spend multiple days at a time underwater performing all necessary tasks without having to make time-consuming, dangerous ascents on a regular basis.
Helium escape valve
During ascents in diving chambers, it was noted that from time to time the crystal from one of the divers’ watches would pop off with a loud bang.
This was attributed to helium buildup in the case, which makes its way in via diffusion by penetrating the rubber gaskets.
As the diver ascends in the chamber, the gas pressure outside of the watch decreases, with the pressure inside of the watch remaining higher. Once the difference is too great, the pressure buildup causes the crystal to pop off the watch because crystals were generally simply friction fitted on dive watches of the 1960s.
Rolex decided to tackle the problem head-on and introduced what it called the gas escape valve, a one-way pressure-release valve that allowed the helium to escape the case once the pressure difference reached a certain amount.
This valve was incorporated into the now-loved Rolex Sea-Dweller. On the Sealab III mission, Rolex Sea-Dwellers equipped with gas escape valves were issued to the diving team, thus solving the problem of helium entering the case.
At the same time Rolex was developing its gas escape valve, the Doxa watch brand was also involved with its own project. In 1964 Doxa teamed up with several professional divers, one being Claude Wesly, who was part of the legendary Jacques Cousteau dive team, having taken part in the Precontinent I, I, and III dive missions similar to Sealab carried out by Cousteau and his team.
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Credits: Article and images by Ashton Tracy @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2024/06/16/deeper-further-faster-why-do-some-dive-watches-have-helium-escape-valves/