What is a Helium Release Valve, and why do you need one?!
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Wherein Dr. Know-it-all expounds on mechanical watches, crowns, helium release valves (or HRVs, or helium escape valves), and saturation diving. How does a helium release valve work, and why is it useful? Find out how all of these are connected by watching!
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Пікірлер: 123
Finally I found someone who properly explains the helium release valve! So many supposed experts that explain it wrong/incompletely. Others clearly don't really know what they're talking about, don't talk about saturation divers at all, they think all divers can/should use this while diving...in the water.
@920WASHBURN
Жыл бұрын
Really? Seems obvious to me. It's kinda in the name
@Christopherjoe
Жыл бұрын
@@920WASHBURN really? Compression diving, decompressing out of water is in the name helium release valve? Did.. you think nobody knew the helium release valve was to release helium? Literally everyone figured that out. Not many could actually explain why it's needed or in what scenario, besides something to do with diving and pressure.
@920WASHBURN
Жыл бұрын
@@Christopherjoe really? Cuz I know about the bendz so I just applied the same logic. Not that hard
@Christopherjoe
Жыл бұрын
@@920WASHBURN good for you but it's not in the name. What it does is in the most basic sense is in the name. Nothing else about when or why it's useful is. It realeases helium because diving is all most people know or care to know. The video explained it more than most could and I suspect that includes you since you thought the name was sufficient.
@itiswhatitis9591
Жыл бұрын
Good lord you must be a nightmare to live with or even know - such a negative person.
Fun fact: iPhones once had an issue where the device would crash and turn off when exposed to helium. Turns out the internal accelerometer sensors weren't sealed tight enough for the gas and went crazy with helium inside, which crashed the phone's operating system. It was fixed at some point by improving the seals around the sensors, but it was fun reading stories of e.g. hospital technicians doing maintenance on (helium-cooled) MRI machines and suddenly all the iPhones in the building would turn off.
Love me Omega watches! I think they're the cream of the crop for the money. Not as flashy or arrogant seeming as Rolex, but just as amazing craftsmanship and history.
@TheVincent2345
2 жыл бұрын
I agree, I own a Planet Ocean 42MM 2006 version and a 126610LN 2020 Rolex Submariner version. I used to make blanket statements about Rolex owners as well, but, it’s important to note that within the watch community which is 1% of the people who buy Rolex’s, Omega’s, IWC’s, Breitlings, Tags, Etc, actually care about the history of the brand as well as the specific piece and often know and appreciate the intricate details of the movements and materials needed to produce said timepiece. So, in closing, I know it’s hard to do sometimes, but just think about the 1% of the people you don’t know of before you make blanket statements. Cheers, Dutch.
Hey forgive the stupid question, but why couldn't you unscrew the regular crown to release the pressure?
Why could you not just let the pressure out of the normal crown?
You earned your subscriber dear sir. Very well elaborated. Thank you.
Great video, and thank you for taking your time to talk about all the details of this watch
Wouldn't the crown serve the same function? Then we wouldn"t need the wart on the side.
@philw4053
7 ай бұрын
Because opening the main crown only breaks one of the water proof seals. There is another seal on the stem which would prevent the gas from escaping quickly. The HEV lets the gas out quickly. But I wonder how many people have ever taken a seamaster saturation diving? Those few who do take a mechanical watch to those depths would probably wear a Rolex...
Such a happy and beautiful soul you have❣️
Relevant part starts at 3:44. Excellent explanation. Others that I've found don't explain how the helium gets in.
@DrKnowitallKnows
3 жыл бұрын
Thank you! It is a bit confusing how it happens, so I'm glad to have helped out a bit :)
@willisbcteoh9840
2 жыл бұрын
@@DrKnowitallKnows PPO of more than 1.6 is toxic to the brain. Bottom gas and hyperbaric chamber gas is heliox. Dr Know it all, knows it all. Clear and concise explanation. 👌
Thanks a lot Brother.... your expectation was very useful and I benefited a lot from him.
@DrKnowitallKnows
3 жыл бұрын
Glad you got something out of it!
Very well explained!
Finally someone explains it so perfectly ! thank you so much ! no I know that my Gshock is perfect for recreational scuba diving !
Great videos. I can't wait for mine to arrive :)
A couple of inaccuracies there. The water pressure doesn't double every 10 meters. Every 10 meters (or 33 feet) equals 1 atmosphere. So at the surface you're at 1 atmosphere. At 10 meters you're at 2 atmosphere. At 20 meters you're at 3 atmosphere. At 30 meters you're at 4 atmosphere. It's not only that helium is made up of only 2 protons and 2 neutrons, but that's it a single atom molecule. Most gasses consist of 2 or more atoms (H₂, O₂, N₂). Hydrogen is only one proton, but it takes two atoms to create one hydrogen molecule (H₂), and is therefore larger than a helium molecule. A hydrogen molecule is even larger than a single oxygen atom, but since oxygen is also a 2 atom molecule (O₂) it can't ingress into the watch. You also mentioned "compression diving", where you meant "saturation diving". Compression diving is any kind of diving which requires decompression stops.
Very informative thanks for sharing such video
I subscribed! As an aspiring watch collector, I really liked this video. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR CHANNEL🙂
@DrKnowitallKnows
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much! I've got another couple of watch-related ones coming up. If you have any questions, definitely send them to my wife and she'll put them in the queue :D DrKnowItAllKnows@gmail.com
I hope you're feeling better this is an interesting watch offers a lot of things
Why not just use the main crown to release helium instead of adding a second one?
Amazing explanations thank you !
Thanks from Germany
I really enjoyed. Thank you.
Now I understand it - thanks!
It's informative, Thanks you
Great job
Great explain
good explanation!
Why not just unwind the main crown to release the pressure??
You are one smart man .
Love the channel sir I appreciate it! 😎 I want to be like Bond but Seamasters are so expensive... One day ill get a submariner too. Till then ill enjoy my Seiko King Turtle 💪👑🐢
Great explanation of a complicated issue. The HRVs on watches are somewhat of a cool novelty nowadays but the quality watches it should be functional for the actual divers who need it. Curious as to what companies actually make dove watches with HRVs? Rolex and Omega seem like Originals. Ball Watch Company. Who else?
@bloodymarvelous4790
2 жыл бұрын
Seiko, Apeks (though that's technically a rebranded Seiko), Tudor (which is technically a Rolex), Panerai, and many knock-off brands.
Ohhh i see damnn thanks sir this was an excellent explanation. 🙌🏻
Yes very helpful, thank you 😊
@DrKnowitallKnows
3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching!
@madhvigurung3987
3 жыл бұрын
Dr. Know-it-all Knows it all thanks to you too❣️ video is informative
The Seiko Tuna is also sealed so well that it doesn't require a He escape valve (at least, that's what I've been told).
@DrKnowitallKnows
4 жыл бұрын
Also they have "L" shaped gaskets in the tuna: the bends in the gasket keep anything at all from getting in. The PloProf (Omega) used a mono-block case plus a similar L shaped gasket to get around the He release valve need too.
@JinKee
10 ай бұрын
@@DrKnowitallKnowshat happens if a diver opens the crown to set the date on a Seiko Marine Master or Seiko tuna or other monobloc L-gasket watch (after a non-31 day month) while they are living in a hyperbaric chamber at storage depth pressure? Does air at storage depth pressure just rush into the watch?
A cool explanation of what the helium release valve is for, thanks. A correction for you. Helium is the first in the noble gas group, (helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon and radioactive radon). This group of gasses are monatomic. They're inert and as such under normal conditions, they don't form molecules, even with themselves. They remain as free atoms.
A Helium escape valve is almost pointless, but so is a watch being 300m or even more waterproof. But then again, many things we love in life are utterly pointless ;-)
@OLOLAK_7777
2 жыл бұрын
So as your comment and your negative life 🙄
@harry-eto
2 жыл бұрын
@@OLOLAK_7777 So, insulting other people anonymously in a thread is your idea of a positive life? You can do better, i'm sure.
@OLOLAK_7777
2 жыл бұрын
@@harry-eto 🤭
@user-iw2mo7yu4d
Жыл бұрын
Actually a manual valve is more pointless than 300m water resistant because you can just unscrew the crown to release the pressure.
@Redmech80
4 ай бұрын
I was thinking the same thing @@user-iw2mo7yu4d
I dont use watch to dive.. but i eas wondering...Will anything happen if i unscrew it.. do i need to do something later, like fill it up or just screw it back and everything works normal later
Good video! The Ploprof is actually steel not aluminum. Funnily enough the new Ploprof Remake has an automatic HRV again...
Very neat! Thanks for the explanation. It seems to me that the Omega-style solution could be accomplished without the release valve at all - wouldn't unscrewing the time-set crown also release helium and accomplish the same thing? The Rolex solution seems more elegant to me, if only because it functions without the user having to think about it/take any sort of action.
@8AMG
3 жыл бұрын
The one Rolex uses can have its issues such that it can jam in the open or closed position since it is always exposed to the elements. Omega’s valve is also automatic like the Rolex which opens when there is pressure during Saturation diving. When you unscrew the crown, you do not open the valve per say, it is still closed and waterproof. The helium will release automatically when it is need
@hyrumclarke8213
3 жыл бұрын
@@8AMG Thank you for that response-I hadn't thought of that before but you're right about those advantages. I appreciate you taking the time to write that out.
@angelmaese7194
2 жыл бұрын
I thought the same thing. Just unscrew the time-set.
@JohnLFjellstad
Жыл бұрын
@@angelmaese7194 The guys over at the Grey Nato podcast interviewed Paul Scurfield, a saturation diver, for episode 90. According to him, you can't really unscrew crown once you are under pressure. The high pressure just won't let you do it. If you want to unscrew it, you have to do it while you are the surface. Which means that a manual he escape valve is useless (or as useful as the crown), because you run into the same problem as using the crown to release the he (need to remember to unscrew before you are under pressure because you can't unscrew once you are under). An automatic comes with its own set of problems. Scurfield had an old post on watchuseek talking about both.
@pishti52
3 ай бұрын
@@8AMGSo, unscrew it while in the water or after coming up to the surface on the deck of the bot in an environment where there is no water?
@ Dr. Know-it-all Knows it all. I have a 2019 Seamaster 300 and I unscrewed half way by mistake the Helium valve then I screwed it back in. Does that mean the gas went out and I would need to send it to Omega to be charged? How does that work? If I dived now with the watch would the water go inside? And when do you unscrew the Helium valve, inside the water as you go up or outside the water (once you're outside)? I have no experience whatsoever in this topic :) Thank you
@bloodymarvelous4790
2 жыл бұрын
No need to worry. There was no helium in the watch to begin with. Helium can only enter your watch in a hyperbaric environment, and it needs to be able to get out before it breaks your watch when decompressing. Your watch is designed to be compressed underwater and not break, just make sure you screw the helium escape valve down again before you dive. Never unscrew anything or press any buttons on your watch underwater. Keep everything screwed down. Anything you open or press will let water in and ruin your watch.
Thanks for the explanation. Noticed you opened the escape valve a couple of times during the video. Doesn't that harm the watch in any way? Does all the helium escape when doing so? Thanks
@DrKnowitallKnows
3 жыл бұрын
thanks for watching! At normal ambient pressure (ie where we all live), Helium is just mixed into air in a tiny percentage, and is not under any outside pressure to "get in" to the watch. Only when you have a highly He mix under pressure (ie inside a diving bell) will Helium actually squeeze itself into the watch. So no worries as long as you're not under pressure in a diving bell :)
@glamlocationdecor2005
3 жыл бұрын
@@DrKnowitallKnows Thanks for the explanation 🙂👍
@chadm9827
3 жыл бұрын
@@DrKnowitallKnows great video, still a little confused.. so in theory helium is inside the watch at all times but only becomes a problem when you are decompressing and then at that point you need to release the helium inside? sorry for a stuipd question just trying to get my head around it haha
@bloodymarvelous4790
2 жыл бұрын
@@chadm9827 The watch doesn't come with helium inside it. Excess helium enters when living in a hyperbaric environment where the breathing gas isn't air, but Trimix (helium, nitrogen, and oxygen). The helium atoms are so small they can pass by the seals, slowly raising the pressure inside the watch until it becomes equal to the pressure in the hyperbaric chamber (which can be well over 10x normal air pressure). When these saturation divers have spent weeks inside high pressure environments, and start their decompression, the pressure in the hyperbaric chamber drops faster than the helium can escape back out of the watch again. This creates a higher pressure inside the watch than outside. Dive watches are built to withstand compression, but not expanding gasses inside the watch. The high pressure inside the watch wants to get out but it can't, which can lead to a catastrophic failure of the watch case. Usually by popping the crystal out, which is the weakest point of the watch.
Hey guys, I have a bit of a stupid question, but I’m a bit concerned, so I will ask straight away. I did not know what the helium crown was for, so I unwind it and then back. Is it bad for the watch and does it matter if I was not under water? I know it sounds funny, but I am a bit worried I might have done something stupid and damaged my watch. Thanks
Hi, doc, Maybe you misunderstood my question,, surely just unscrewing the "normal" crown would vent any pressure build up ?? I'm still confused, and the long explanation of the hrv was unnecessary, as I understand its function,,, When the "normal "crown is fully pulled out, is the body of the watch still sealed, or not,,?? (that's the point of my query,, ),, Best regards,,, John..
@DrKnowitallKnows
4 жыл бұрын
Ahhh, sorry--guess I misunderstood the question. Hopefully it'll be useful for someone! So short answer: yes, unscrewing the crown should allow gasses to escape. However, the HRV valves, as dedicated one-way devices, could allow you to release pressure even if/when under water and or in a high humidity envirnonment. In other words, the Omega/Rolex (and other) HRVs can operate underwater if need be. How exactly you'd end up in that situation, I have no idea (anyone??), but they are water tight, one-way valves, while the normal crown unscrewed makes the entire watch non-water tight. So consider this: you finished your saturation dives, and now you get to spend 4 days decompressing. But the diving bell thing has a lot of humidity in it. If you open the regular crown, water vapor could get into the watch mechanism (eek!). However, if you just unscrew the one-way HRV, it will only allow helium to escape, not let water vapor in. I guess that's the most reasonable scenario. Hope that helps!
@John..18
4 жыл бұрын
@@DrKnowitallKnows Thanks,, that solves it for me, !! All the best,, John...
Couldn't the helium release valve just be the normal crown by the 3 o'clock position? Just unscrew it for helium to get released?
@bloodymarvelous4790
2 жыл бұрын
Yes, that's my thinking. I don't get the point of screw down helium escape valves. You forget to open it, and you might as well not have one. You forget to close it, and you might as well have bought a non-dive watch.
I lost my helium crown. Trying to replace it. My question is it the same as the main crown
@bloodymarvelous4790
2 жыл бұрын
Nope, it's a different construction. Bring your watch to an authorized service center and have it fixed.
great watch, but why u haven't bought original omega strap ? ....
@DrKnowitallKnows
3 жыл бұрын
I've considered it, but I actually really like this one. Maybe I'll put it on my Christmas gift list for this year :)
@mgc9273
3 жыл бұрын
@@DrKnowitallKnows I own one the same swatch but with original grey dark strap coz steel bracelet so heavy ! And i'm happy with.
@DrKnowitallKnows
3 жыл бұрын
@@mgc9273 Good to know. And yes the steel is super heavy and scratch prone. That's why I really prefer this NATO type strap for every day. Good to know I'm not alone. Did you end up watching my review of the Omega watch? If not, check it out--just search my videos for it, it was back in August. :)
Soooooo...just unscrewing the main croun would have done the job just as good...💪😄
@federiconeumayer7400
Жыл бұрын
That is absolutely correct . The second crown at 10 is just another point of potential failure when you forget to close it .And in sat diving you have plenty to worry about already, that's why the Rolex helium release valve is designed like that
The Helium release valve was invented together by Rolex and Doxa at the same time.
thanks now I gotta be a compression diver
@DrKnowitallKnows
3 жыл бұрын
Hahaha. Earn that watch, baby!! ;)
Really good information thank you
question: what was the Franck Mueller scandal all about?
@DrKnowitallKnows
3 жыл бұрын
I'll have him look into it! :) (Lane--his wife)
You mean just like a pressure cooker valve right 😃
ideal for a frogman
WHY A VALVE WITH JUST 300 METERS, THIS VALVE NEDED WITH 1000, 1200 OR 1500 METERS-
Ok.. too vague explanation. Unscrewing a regular crown will relise the pressure the same way as unscrewing the helium valve! But where? At the surface? But what if the pressure popped the cristal before you get to the surface?
@bloodymarvelous4790
2 жыл бұрын
The HEV isn't for releasing pressure when underwater. There is no risk of helium getting into the watch while you're in the water. If you're breathing Trimix, you're either using a rebreather, which is a closed circuit system, or you're using a normal regulator, which expels gas into the water where it quickly rises to the surface. The only time helium can get into your watch is in a hyperbaric chamber filled with Trimix or Heliox, and the only time the HEV is needed is when decompressing as the ambient pressure drops faster than the helium can escape from the watch. But yes, unscrewing the winding crown will do the same thing as opening the HEV.
oh so the helium comes from the submarine not from rolex factory ok thx got it
It’s Seamaster and not Speedmaster.
MANY MANY BRANDS MAKING 300 METERS DIVE WATCH AND DONT MAKE A HELIUM VALVE, NOT NECESSARY AT ALL, THIS VALVE TAKING THE WATCH AWAY OF ELEGANCE.
Why do you need one? You don't. You will never meet anybody who does. Even if you do there is a 99% chance they use dive computer. The number of saturation divers depending on an automatic watch vs a highly specialized dive computer in 2021 has to be counted on one hand. I dive to 300 meters and know many divers, we all use scuba dive computers which are sold in every dive shop on the planet and are the standard these days. I like my automatic dive watches for fashion and practicality on or around the sea but I'd be extremely hesitant to count on them for my life versus a digital dive computer at this point in history.
@bloodymarvelous4790
2 жыл бұрын
I call bullshit on that one. No dive computer can go down to 300m. They're all rated to a max of 150m. Also, no recreational diver dives below 30m, and technical divers rarely go below 60m. So either you're not a diver, or you got your numbers mixed up. Do you need a HEV? No. There are only a couple of dozen saturation divers in the world, and you're not one of them. Do you need a watch that can go down to 300m? No. A 100m dive watch is more than enough, but it does need to be a dive watch. Take any other watch that says "100m Water Resistant" scuba diving, and it'll fail. A $150 100m Seiko dive watch will work just as well as a $15,000 3,900m Rolex Deepsea for pretty much all diving you'll ever do.
@billbones1000
2 жыл бұрын
@@bloodymarvelous4790 yup. As long as threads and gaskets are in functioning order then it will do for 99% of people. Although I'm a bit less confident of that for watches claiming 100 meters water resistant that are not dive watches. My damasko pilot is rated 100 meters but I still don't really trust it even when splashing around in the surf. And ya, my bad, max depth I've ever went down was 300 feet not meters.
I got bored before you answered the question. Moving on to someone else's video. Seriously, at 3:35 you still hadn't answered what a helium release valve is and why you need one?!
Bit like a pressure cooker.
Sea master not speed master lol
I grew a beard. Geez dude. Did someone punch you cos you took so long
What happened to your nose, i meant the injury
@jaytoor5088
2 жыл бұрын
He says 25 seconds into the video...
Takes 12 minutes to explain a 1 minute topic.
We all know what the main crown does. Get on with the valve demonstration
you talk too much 🙄
to much bla bla ..for a simple explication.. waist of time
VERY long!!!
Do you know Jesus because if you don't you don't know it all. Only the True Alpha OMEGA knows it all.
No its not a helium escape valve, its actually a pin to pull out and we can plant it on a c4 to detonate it remotely by just turning the bazel, 😂