Helium Release Valve (HRV) thread

[nauticajoe]

Here's mine:

[kokota]

Interestingly, this beast does not have one...

[Passionata]

[damo_t]

Originally Posted by DoxaDavid

FYI... For those that don't know what an HRV is:

"A helium release valve, or helium escape valve, as it is also called, is a feature found on some diving watches. It provides functionality for professional divers operating at great depths for prolonged periods of time or under saturation.

When commercial divers operate at great depths, they often spend prolonged hours in diving bells under pressure breathing a breathing gas mix like trimix or similar, that contain the gases helium or hydrogen. Since helium atoms are the smallest natural gas particles found in nature, these gas atoms are able to work their way inside the watch, around any o-rings or other seals the watch may feature. This is not a problem as long as the divers stay under pressure, but when the decompression stops during resurfacing aren't long enough, a pressure difference builds up between the trapped gas(es) inside the watch case and its environment. Depending on the construction of the watch case and crystal, this effect can cause damage to the watch, like making the crystal pop off.

While many watch companies react to this effect by simply offering an even more robust case/crystal construction, Rolex and Doxa S.A. however thought of a different concept when they co-created the helium escape valve in the 1960s (first introduced in the Rolex Submariner/Sea-Dweller and the Doxa Conquistador):"

Doxa was the first to offer this feature to the public in 1969 with Rolex following suite a few months later.

" A small, spring-loaded one-way valve integrated in the watch case that is activated when the differential between the inner and the outside pressure reaches a critical level. Result: The valve releases the helium, hydrogen and/or other gases used in the breathing gas mix trapped inside the watch case.
Automatic helium release valves usually don't need any manual operation. There are however helium release valves featuring an additional screw-down crown at the side of the watch. When the diver starts to ascend, the diver simply unscrews the valve's crown to the full open position, allowing any breathing gas that may have been trapped inside the watch to escape during decompression.

Helium release valves can primarily be found on mechanical diving watches featuring a water/pressure resistance greater than 300 m (1000 ft) and therefore positioned as more extreme dive watches. Models that feature a helium release valve include most of the Omega Seamaster series, Rolex Sea Dweller, some dive watches from the Citizen Watch Co., Ltd, Breitling, Girard-Perregaux, Panerai, all watches produced by Enzo Mechana, Aegir Watches and selected Doxa, selected Victorinox models, and Oris models. Other watch manufacturers such as Seiko still offer high-level dive watches that are guaranteed safe against the effects of helium gas without needing an additional opening in the case in form of a release valve.

The most extreme mechanical diving watch equipped with a helium relief valve is the 20'000 FEET by CX Swiss Military Watch, the current world record holder for mechanical diving watches and featured in the Guinness Book of World Records." Excerpts taken from Wiki.

Thanks for the background info. Great read.

[STEVEad1]

Originally Posted by kokota

Interestingly, this beast does not have one...

Awesome, Awesome pics. and no HRV, I didnt know. Not having one proves to me that Rolex had no intention for mass production. Their would be no use for it. Couldnt use in a chamber but only Surface Diving. Anybody else agree?

[Zdenek]

I have no picture to share but does 16600 fill the specification?

[masterserg]

Old pic ...

[zeuloa]

Great thread!
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1360018751.768965.jpg

[AK797]

Another blue Fish.

[Rashid.bk]

Originally Posted by STEVEad1

Awesome, Awesome pics. and no HRV, I didnt know. Not having one proves to me that Rolex had no intention for mass production. Their would be no use for it. Couldnt use in a chamber but only Surface Diving. Anybody else agree?

Well not, really....I think. From wiki:
A helium release valve, or helium escape valve, as it is also called, is a feature found on some diving watches. It provides functionality for professional divers operating at great depths for prolonged periods of time or under saturation.
When commercial divers operate at great depths, they often spend prolonged hours in diving bells under pressure breathing a breathing gas mix like trimix or similar, that contain the gases helium or hydrogen. Since helium atoms are the smallest natural gas particles found in nature, these gas atoms are able to work their way inside the watch, around any o-rings or other seals the watch may feature. This is not a problem as long as the divers stay under pressure, but when the decompression stops during resurfacing aren't long enough, a pressure difference builds up between the trapped gas(es) inside the watch case and its environment. Depending on the construction of the watch case and crystal, this effect can cause damage to the watch, like making the crystal pop off.
While many watch companies react to this effect by simply offering an even more robust case/crystal construction.......



So a few points:
-construction plays a factor, and perhaps the construction doesn't require an He
-more importantly, this watch was never going to be for sale, who really has a need to go down to 12,000 meters or even 10,000 meters. It was purely created to showcase Rolex engineering.
Now the real question were this watch to ever sell even with an He valve, would anyone actually wear that thing on their wrist. Not me.

[U5512]

These 2 for now..........

[Lorenzo]

[inspires]

Peekaboo

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1360068186.022945.jpg

[FeelingTheBlues]

Originally Posted by SteelerFan65

44 years old and thin.

Oh my sweet goodness gracious!

Here's my late SMP with its valve...

[masterserg]

Originally Posted by inspires

Peekaboo

Attachment 354680

Holy Crap!

[kilyung]

Originally Posted by inspires

Peekaboo

Damn me! Nice Eric!

[inspires]

Originally Posted by kilyung

Damn me! Nice Eric!

Thanks Mike!

[wantonebad]

Blast from the past:

[HRV]

Originally Posted by inspires

Peekaboo

Attachment 354680

Wow nice

[mldaytona]

The Boss

[SennaFan]

[Mickey®]

Take those stickers off those watches!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[FeelingTheBlues]

Originally Posted by Mickey®

Take those stickers off those watches!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Forgive me Mickey, may I ask you to repeat, I didn't quite hear what you said...

[Lorenzo]

another pic :)

[shofzr]

Absolutely useless (for me) it's been all the way down to about 6 feet , but I still love it.:)ImageUploadedByTapatalk1360463999.327040.jpg

[Andad]

Originally Posted by DoxaDavid

FYI... For those that don't know what an HRV is:

"A helium release valve, or helium escape valve, as it is also called, is a feature found on some diving watches. It provides functionality for professional divers operating at great depths for prolonged periods of time or under saturation.

When commercial divers operate at great depths, they often spend prolonged hours in diving bells under pressure breathing a breathing gas mix like trimix or similar, that contain the gases helium or hydrogen. Since helium atoms are the smallest natural gas particles found in nature, these gas atoms are able to work their way inside the watch, around any o-rings or other seals the watch may feature. This is not a problem as long as the divers stay under pressure, but when the decompression stops during resurfacing aren't long enough, a pressure difference builds up between the trapped gas(es) inside the watch case and its environment. Depending on the construction of the watch case and crystal, this effect can cause damage to the watch, like making the crystal pop off.

While many watch companies react to this effect by simply offering an even more robust case/crystal construction, Rolex and Doxa S.A. however thought of a different concept when they co-created the helium escape valve in the 1960s (first introduced in the Rolex Submariner/Sea-Dweller and the Doxa Conquistador):"

Doxa was the first to offer this feature to the public in 1969 with Rolex following suite a few months later.

" A small, spring-loaded one-way valve integrated in the watch case that is activated when the differential between the inner and the outside pressure reaches a critical level. Result: The valve releases the helium, hydrogen and/or other gases used in the breathing gas mix trapped inside the watch case.
Automatic helium release valves usually don't need any manual operation. There are however helium release valves featuring an additional screw-down crown at the side of the watch. When the diver starts to ascend, the diver simply unscrews the valve's crown to the full open position, allowing any breathing gas that may have been trapped inside the watch to escape during decompression.

Helium release valves can primarily be found on mechanical diving watches featuring a water/pressure resistance greater than 300 m (1000 ft) and therefore positioned as more extreme dive watches. Models that feature a helium release valve include most of the Omega Seamaster series, Rolex Sea Dweller, some dive watches from the Citizen Watch Co., Ltd, Breitling, Girard-Perregaux, Panerai, all watches produced by Enzo Mechana, Aegir Watches and selected Doxa, selected Victorinox models, and Oris models. Other watch manufacturers such as Seiko still offer high-level dive watches that are guaranteed safe against the effects of helium gas without needing an additional opening in the case in form of a release valve.

The most extreme mechanical diving watch equipped with a helium relief valve is the 20'000 FEET by CX Swiss Military Watch, the current world record holder for mechanical diving watches and featured in the Guinness Book of World Records." Excerpts taken from Wiki.

Good information David.

The Sea Dweller HEV's critical internal pressure is released at 35.6psi.

[Alcan]

.

[mfer]

Cool thread. First SD45 posted.