How do you fix a water damaged watch

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated December 20, 2024

Contributions sourced from

Phone wet and wont turn on? Heres what to do with water damage (hint: putting it in rice wont work)

If youve ever gotten your phone wet in the rain, dropped it in water or spilt liquid over it, youre not alone. One study suggests 25% of smartphone users have damaged their smartphone with water or some other kind of liquid.

Liquid penetrating a smartphone can affect the device in several ways. It could lead to:

blurry photos, if moisture gets trapped in the camera lens
ruffled audio, or no audio
liquid droplets under the screen
an inability to charge
the rusting of internal parts, or
a total end to all functionality.

While new phones are advertised as water resistant, this doesnt mean they are waterproof, or totally immune to water. Water resistance just implies the device can handle some exposure to water before substantial damage occurs.

Samsung Australia has long defended itself against claims it misrepresents the water resistance of its smartphones.

In 2019, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) took Samsung to the federal court, alleging false and misleading advertisements had led customers to believe their Galaxy phones would be suitable for:

Use in, or exposure to, all types of water (including, for example, oceans and swimming pools).

Samsung Australia subsequently denied warranty claims from customers for damage caused to phones by use in, or exposure to, liquid.

Similarly, last year Apple was fined 10m (A$15.5m) by Italys antitrust authority for misleading claims about the water resistance of its phones, and for not covering liquid damage under warranty, despite these claims.

How resistant is your phone?

The water resistance of phones is rated by an ingress protection code, commonly called an IP rating. Simply, an electrical devices IP rating refers to its effectiveness against intrusions from solids and liquids.

The rating includes two numbers. The first demonstrates protection against solids such as dust, while the second indicates resistance to liquids, specifically water.

Here are the various ingress protection ratings. The numbering changes based on the level of protection. Photograph: Element Materials Technology

A phone that has a rating of IP68 has a solid object protection of 6 (full protection from dust, dirt and sand) and a liquid protection of 8 (protected from immersion in water to a depth of more than one metre).

Although, for the latter, manufacturers are responsible for defining the exact depth and time.

The popular iPhone 12 and Samsung Galaxy S21 phones both have a rating of IP68. However, regarding exposure to water, the iPhone 12 has a permissible immersion depth of a maximum of 6m for 30 minutes, whereas the Galaxy 21s immersion limit is up to 1.5m, also for 30 minutes.

While IP ratings indicate the water-repellent nature of phones, taking most phones for a swim will land you in deep trouble. The salt content in oceans and swimming pools can corrode your device and cost you a hefty replacement.

Moreover, phone manufacturers carry out their IP testing in fresh water and Apple recommends devices not be submerged in liquids of any kind.

Luckily, water-resistant phones are generally able to survive smaller liquid volumes, such as from a glass tipping over.

Checking for liquid damage

Exposure to water is something manufacturers have in mind when designing phones. Most Apple and Samsung phones come with a liquid contact/damage indicator strip located inside the SIM card tray.

This is used to check for liquid damage that may be causing a device to malfunction. An indicator strip that comes in contact with liquid loses its usual colour and becomes discoloured and smudgy.

Samsung and Apple phones have liquid contact/damage indicators. Photograph: Samsung/Apple

A discoloured strip usually renders your phone ineligible for a standard manufacturer warranty.

If you have any of the more recent smartphones from Apple or Samsung, then your device will be able to detect liquid or moisture in its charging port and will warn you with an alert. This notification only goes away once the port is dry.

New-generation Samsung and Apple phones have a moisture/liquid alert notification. Photograph: Samsung/Apple

But what should you do if this dreadful pop-up presents itself?

Fixing a water-logged phone

Firstly, do not put your phone in a container of rice. Its a myth that rice helps in drying out your phone. Instead, follow these steps:

Putting your phone in an airtight container with silica gel may help if it gets wet. Photograph: bbbrrn/Getty Images/iStockphoto

1. Turn off the device immediately and dont press any buttons. 2. If your phone is water resistant and youve spilt or submerged it in a liquid other than water, both Apple and Samsung recommend rinsing it off by submerging it in still tap water (but not under a running tap, which could cause damage). 3. Wipe the phone dry with paper towels or a soft cloth. 4. Gently shake the device to remove water from the charging ports, but avoid vigorous shaking as this could further spread the liquid inside. 5. Remove the SIM card. 6. Use a compressed aerosol air duster to blow the water out if you have one. Avoid using a hot blow dryer as the heat can wreck the rubber seals and damage the screen. 7. Dry out the phone (and especially the ports) in front of a fan. 8. Leave your phone in an airtight container full of silica gel packets (those small packets you get inside new shoes and bags), or another drying agent. These help absorb the moisture. 9. Do not charge the phone until you are certain its dry. Charging a device with liquid still inside it, or in the ports, can cause further damage. Apple suggests waiting at least five hours once a phone appears dry before charging it (or until the alert disappears).

If the above steps dont help and youre still stuck with a seemingly dead device, dont try opening the phone yourself. Youre better off taking it to a professional.

Water Damage: What to do if your watch gets wet?

Condensation

Condensation occurs when humid air comes into contact with the cold surface of a watch's crystal, which causes the water vapour present in the air to condense and form droplets on the watch's glass surface. If this occurs, wipe the droplets off with a soft dry cloth.

If your watch is inadequately sealed, moisture can become trapped inside the case, forming droplets that drip down to your watch mechanism, leading to corrosion and rusting of internal components.

Broken seals

Several features make a watch water-resistant. The most important are the silicon or rubber hoops, called gaskets, that sit inside the case, crystal, stem, crown, and pushers to form a waterproof seal around the important mechanisms within.

Watch gaskets are prone to wear and tear, compromising their effectiveness over time. Additionally, they can degrade due to exposure to extreme temperatures and certain chemicals.

If a gasket is broken or damaged, the waterproof seal created by the gasket is compromised, which can allow water to seep in and damage the watch's internal components.

Damaged watch glass

A damaged watch glass can result in water damage if it fails to provide a waterproof seal. Small cracks, scratches or chips in the watch glass can reduce its ability to resist moisture, allowing water to seep in and cause damage to the internal components of your watch. Additionally, condensation can form inside the watch case due to temperature fluctuations, which can cause corrosion and potentially damage the electrical components of a quartz timepiece.

Sweat

Sweating is a natural and healthy response of our body. But sadly, through regular wear, sweat can affect the water-resistance of our watches, leading to water damage.

Sweat is composed of water, salt and other minerals, which over time, can corrode the external and internal parts of your timepiece and cause condensation to form.

To avoid having your timepiece's water resistance compromised or water damage caused by sweat, remember to wipe your watch with a dry cloth after use and remove it before exercising or any activity that causes heavy sweating.

Accidents happen

Whether you forgot to take your watch off before having a shower, one of the kids spilt a drink over it, or maybe you dropped your timepiece and damaged the case, accidents happen at the end of the day.

If you believe that your watch has been exposed to water or if you have somehow compromised its water resistance, we recommend you take your timepiece to a professional watch repair centre for examination to prevent any further damage from occurring, which could cost you more in the long run.

Electronics Water Damage

In any situation involving the submersion or splashing of an electronic device in any liquid, the first step is to disconnect any power source as soon as this is safely possible.

Pay attention to your personal safety first! Use caution when disconnecting any device from household current or any other source. If you are standing in water or your clothes are wet please remove yourself from any potential shock hazard before even thinking about retrieving a submerged or soaked electronic device.
If the electronic device is still submerged and is connected to an external power source, find a safe way to disconnect it. If possible, find a circuit breaker or switch for that source of power and switch it off. Use caution if you choose to remove a plug or power adapter from an outlet that has not been switched off.
Retrieving a submerged or soaked electronic device that contains a battery presents its own dangers. A shorted battery may be a fire and/or chemical hazard. If you see or feel any heat, smoke, steam, bubbling, bulging, or melting avoid handling the electronic device.
If the device is still on, turn it off.
Rotate and shake the device to try to let any fluid drain out.
If possible, remove the battery.
If possible, disassemble the device to allow any remaining liquid to drain and to begin cleaning the internal components. This is particularly important with acidic liquids such as fruit juice or alkaline liquids such as laundry water.
TIP: Rice and similar desiccants will not help! These will create more damage in the long term as it does not remove the contaminants from the liquid spill.

Completely disassemble your device removing all cables, opening all connectors and remove shields to access under them. To displace any remaining liquid around or under any components of the logic board submerge it completely in a suitably sized container filled with isopropyl alcohol. Ideally use a 90% or higher concentration available from a pharmacist or drug store. You can use distilled or deionized water as an alternative cleaning fluid, although this will take longer to dry. Avoid solvents such as ketone, acetone, or naphtha.
Use a toothbrush, small paint brush, or other soft brush to clean the logic board of any debris or deposits from the offending liquid. Use caution as you clean to avoid damaging or accidentally knocking off components of the logic board. Pay particular attention to the connectors and ends of ribbon cables to prevent corrosion of their contact surfaces. If you have an ultrasonic cleaner, this will more thoroughly clean the exposed areas of the board. In addition, this will remove dirt and corrosion from areas a toothbrush cannot reach (Ex: Under chips).
Once you are satisfied that the logic board is clean and free of corrosion you may use a hairdryer on its cold setting and dry the logic board. Alternatively, the logic board may be placed under a desk lamp to gently warm it and dry out the cleaning fluid.
When the components are dry check the cable ends and connectors again for signs of corrosion or debris.
Reassemble your device with a new battery or one that you are confident is in good working order. If your device has been submerged it is likely that you will need a new battery. Lithium and other types of rechargeable batteries do not tolerate submersion well. Again, any sign of bubbling, bulging, melting, or discoloration on the battery indicates that it is toast. Dispose of it only at a battery recycling facility.
Once you have your device assembled, the real work of evaluating the damage begins. Look for what is working and replace parts in an organized fashion, not all at once. The likely order of failure in a smaller electronic device is typically:

A number less than 7 indicates an acid solution, while a number above 7 indicates an alkaline solution. Both cases are bad for electronic components. Knowing the pH of the fluid can help give you an idea of how severe the damage is.