As the rate of separation of two 2-mm wet porcelain spheres 10 nm apart was reduced from 437 to 0.65 mum/s (relative humidity, 99 +/- 1%), the adhesion force fell from 700 to 100 muN over 1-3 s. The viscosity component was negligible, 0.1-0.8 muN. A parabolic model was suggested to relate the separation at which adhesion force was maximum and the system was at equilibrium, to the rate of separation of the spheres. Three models of the liquid bridge formed between the particles were critically assessed.