ATM, unlike Automatic Teller Machine, stands for Atmospheres. It is a rating used to determine the water resistance measure for a watch. This universal ratings have been decided by ISO (International Standard Organisation for Standardisation). All watches carry these ratings either on top or bottom side of the dial.
Following are the ratings and sea level depth comparison, which has been defined :
3 ATM= 30 meters (100ft) depth
5 ATM= 50 meters (160ft) depth
10 ATM= 100 meters (330ft) depth
20 ATM= 200 meters (650ft) depth
Wait a minute - there's an important fact which people misunderstand. And that is the above ratings does not mean that for a 5 ATM resistant, if you deep dive 50 metres down sea level, your beautiful watch will not become a paper weight, for rest of your life.
In fact, the environment in which these ratings are defined, are in still water. However, in real life, when we move in water, the pressure levels increase multifold and there are ample chances of water seeping inside.
So, considering the practical scenarios, here are some of actions that can be safely recommended :
3 ATM— can be used for walking in rain, very light shower
5 ATM— can be used for Shower/bath
10 ATM—can be used for Water sports, swimming in the sea
20 ATM—can be used for Snorkeling
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