Caring For My Watch

DON'T WIND YOUR WATCH ON YOUR WRIST

When you access the crown while the watch is on your wrist, most people tilt the crown side of the watch up. That creates pressure on the stem and can cause it to bend or break. Always remove your watch from your wrist before winding the crown or adjusting the time and date. 

BE CAREFUL WHEN SETTING THE TIME/DATE

Don’t change the date between 9pm-3am. The gears in the mechanism responsible for changing over the date at midnight begin engaging hours beforehand, so if you were to ‘quickset’ the date in the hours before or after midnight you could inadvertently cause damage.

Similarly, when setting the time, do not do so backwards. Always set the time moving the hands forward in time. Failure to do so may cause the gears to malfunction or damage.

KEEP IT CLEAN

The build up of dead skin, soap scum, and body oils on a watch can be acidic, and over time will actually cause damage to the metal, such as pitting and corrosion. The build up can always weaken the spring bars used to hold your bracelet or strap in place. Using a microfiber polishing cloth or a soft-bristle brush on the watch occasionally can go a long way to keeping your watch in top shape. If your watch is water resistant, a little water may be used, assuming your crown is fully secure and you avoid getting the leather strap wet.

DON'T PUSH YOUR WATCH BEYOND ITS LIMITS

Be realistic with your watch’s limitations. In this era of chasing likes, retweets and followers, watch owners have been known to perform outlandish tasks with their watches, such as placing them in dishwashers, freezers or even running them over with a car. While some watches are indeed very durable and are ‘tool’ watches, they are still mechanical machines, with moving and breakable parts. Be sensible and don’t push your luck.

SERVICING REALLY IS IMPORTANT

Most modern mechanical watches won’t require servicing yearly. Every 3-5 years is a reasonable frequency for servicing your watch. Watch movements over time can suffer from mechanical fatigue, the lubrication can dry out or congeal, and external factors such as exposure to moisture or magnetism can adversely affect a watch’s performance. Having your watch inspected and overhauled by a trained professional can be costly, but not as costly having your luxury watch completely breakdown. The old adage ‘a stitch in time saves nine’is wholly applicable when caring for your wristwatch.

SIZE YOUR BRACELET/STRAP SENSIBLY

While there is not just one way to wear your watch, there are ways to ensure your watch’s bracelet maintains its condition. Wearing your watch loosely for prolonged periods of time, can cause the bracelet to wear and droop. This ‘stretch’ is caused by the bracelet links moving and rubbing against one another, eroding the metal slowly until small gaps appear between the links. Once this metal has been eroded, there is little to nothing that can be done to rectify it. Wearing a watch snug on your wrist, however, ensures that the links have no space to move, and cannot rub against themselves.

‘Stretch’ on a bracelet negatively impacts on a watch’s value, as well as its utility. So wear your watch relatively tight on your wrist to preserve its condition – and remember that prevention is better than cure.