Helium escape valve
Specific sections/general information4
Your OMEGA Seamaster Professional Diver is the watch for pro-
fessional and amateur divers, as well as demanding sportsmen and
–women. A robust design, the new helium escape valve (exclusive
OMEGA patent), together with all the protection systems, offer opti-
mal security and reliability. In order to ensure that your watch remains
watertight, we recommend that you have it checked by an authorised
OMEGA partner every year.
Helium escape valve (fig. 1)
Why a helium escape valve? When
carrying out work at great depths,
professional divers stay in a diving
bell for several days, breathing a
mixture of gases containing a high
proportion of helium. The pressure
is gradually increased to reach the
pressure at the working depth. The
divers, still inside the bell, are then lowered to the working site. They
leave the bell to carry out their work.
Once their work is complete, they re-enter the bell, which is then
raised to the surface. Pressure is then returned to atmospheric levels
and this is when the valve must be opened (only for deep-sea dives
lasting several days).
The helium molecules diffuse and penetrate the material of the gas-
kets. The quantity is sufficient to push out the crystal during the return
to atmospheric pressure. To avoid this, the Seamaster Professional
Diver is equipped with a valve specially developed by OMEGA.
30
40
35
30
25
60
45
50
55
15
5
10
30
1020
60
2040
12
6
93
PROFESSIONAL
CHRONOMETER
300m/1000ft
8
S
W
I
S
S
M
A
D
E
fig. 1
q
Helium escape valve
Specific sections/general information4
How to use the helium escape valve? (fig. 2)
In its normal position (fig. 2.1), the OMEGA helium escape valve is
perfectly watertight thanks to the gaskets (B), but it is not functional,
since it is screwed down.
During the decompression phase, unscrew the crown of the valve in
order to release the mechanism (fig. 2.2). The valve is now watertight
from the outside. As the interior pressure becomes greater than the
exterior pressure, it pushes the gasket (A) out of its seating, thus relea-
sing the gas (fig. 2.3). Once the pressure is equalised, gasket (A) returns
to its original position, pushed by the spring (C) (fig. 2.2).
This operation is automatically repeated several times during the
decompression phase. Once atmospheric pressure is reached, screw
down the crown of the valve (fig. 2.1).
Note: Even if the valve is unscrewed, and we strongly recommend
that the valve remains screwed down whenever the watch is immersed
in water, the watch is still water-resistant to a relative pressure of
5 Bar (50 metres). However, complete water-resistance to the dial
depth can only be achieved with gasket (B) and the valve in the
screwed down position.
Automatic helium escape valve: if your watch is equipped with
an automatic helium escape valve, no manipulation is required.
B
A
C
fig. 2.2
fig. 2.3
fig. 2.1
fig. 2
q
01-OMEGA_V14-I_EN.indd 36-37 16/05/12 14:01:20
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