

Helium escape valves are small one-way purge valves that are fitted to the cases of certain professional dive watches. So, let’s dive in and take a closer look! In this article, we are going to break down everything that you need to know about helium escape valves, including what they are, why they exist, how they function, and what kind of divers actually need them. So, why is it that so many professional dive watches have them, and what is all the fuss about? In fact, if you ever find yourself in a situation where you actually require a watch with a helium escape valve, you can almost guarantee that neither you nor your watch will even be wet at all. Upon the first impression, they would seem to be a requirement of any serious diver however, helium release valves actually have nothing to do with scuba diving or even water resistance. With that in mind, helium gas escape valves are possibly the single most misunderstood concept in all of watch-collecting and most people will never need one at all. There is arguably no single category of timepieces more popular than that of dive watches, and virtually every brand now offers dive-oriented models as part of their contemporary portfolio. However, what exactly is a helium escape valve, how does it work, and do you actually need one? Most frequently found on professional divers from some of the world’s top luxury watch brands, it would almost seem that all of the best dive watches have helium escape valves (often abbreviated as HEV).

Anyone with even the slightest passing interest in dive watches will have almost certainly seen the words, “helium escape valve” appear on a watch’s specs sheet at one point or another during their collecting journey.
