Patek Philippe

whit
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Water resistant? What does it really mean?

I am perplexed, and have been for some time, about this subject. What does it mean when a manufacturer states that a piece is water resistant to 30, 50, 120, 4000 meters?
What do the specs need to be to shower, swim, dive etc.? If a watch is water resistant to 30 meters, as stated by the manufacturer, why could it not be worn as such? It seems to be a very confusing , if not, a misleading statement as it gives one a sense of security, maybe a false sense of security.
Early on, when I first became a dealer, there was a term used with a number of references, "humidity protected" but there was no explanation as to exactly what it meant in any literature provided by Patek. So, I called to find out what this term meant and was told "splash-proof" and if you got caught in a rain shower, everything should be fine as long as it wasn't a monsoon or prolonged rain like a thunderstorm and the watch was dried off quickly.
The difficulty is this means different things to different people, 30 meters .. no swimming, 50 meters .. no swimming, 120 meters ..swimming but no diving. I would think it would be prudent for the manufacturer to clarify what this description actually means according their specifications, and explain its capabilities clearly so the consumer has the proper information and understand how to use and wear the watch. I know some manufacturers do and go to lengths to explain how to take care of the watch and their recommended service intervals to ensure its water resistant capabilities but there are many who don't go to such lengths.
I am like several others here as I do not wear my watches in the water, take showers with them on, etc. Never have and I doubt I ever will. But, I can see where there is, or certainly can be a lot of confusion for a lot of folks.