While Apple doesn’t recommend submerging the Apple Watch in water, there have been a number of swimmers who say their watches have held up to workouts in the pool.
But since Apple probably won’t honor a warranty for a Watch that stopped after a shower, why risk it? Catalyst, whose waterproof iPhone cases come highly rated by customers and tech journalists, has introduced a line of waterproof cases for the Apple Watch.
Nowhere in its enthusiastic press release or website does the company say “swim without worry,” but Catalyst is touting the word “waterproof” and the IP68 rating the case received.
What does IP68 mean? IP is an international measure for rating the protective qualities of electronic devices from the elements. The 6 is the highest number a device can receive for its ability to keep dust from penetrating. The 8 is also a high mark for waterproofing, meaning protection during continuous submersion in water.
Perhaps on the advice of legal counsel, the company doesn’t use specific words that would bless its product for swimming. Accessory companies don’t provide a warranty on the device a case is supposed to protect.
But given Catalyst’s reputation for its protective cases, the new Apple Watch case could be the accessory that gives active Apple fans the confidence to forge ahead in watery conditions (you see, I’m even cautious).
We won’t know for sure until the case begins shipping in November. Right now, it is available for preorder on the Catalyst website for $59.99.
The cases were designed to accommodate all the sensors on the Apple Watch’s underside, including the charging connector and health tracker functions. The case can even work with the Watch’s rotating Digital Crown.
There are three colors: all black, white with green buttons, and gray with red buttons. Catalyst says the case “completely protects” the Apple Watch from the “corrosive nature” of saltwater.
A Catalyst rep said the company website provides how-to videos and tutorials for proper installation of a case. Catalyst products also give directions for customers to run the case through a waterproof test before using it with the device.