Caring For Your Luxury Watch: The Basics
So, you’ve finally done it! You’ve just spent your hard-earned cash on that dream watch you’ve been eyeing up for weeks and want to know what steps you should take to keep it in tip top condition! You’re not alone. One of the most frequent things we get asked here at The Watch Village is how to properly look after your luxury timepiece, so we’ve put together a few tips for you to help in this department.
Servicing
Remember that a watch consists of many moving parts, just like a car, and over time these parts will wear down and require a bit of love to bring the watch back up to speed.
What happens if you don’t service your watch?
If you don’t get your watch serviced when the watch requires it then the watch will most likely start to lose time and eventually stop working altogether.
Over time the lubrication in the watch will dry out and need replacing. This is a little like running your car with no oil, eventually the parts will become critically damaged.
How do I know when to get my watch serviced?
As a rule of thumb, most watchmakers will recommend that you should take your watch to be serviced every 3-5 years. However, in some instances a watch can last well over this period and in other cases the watch may need servicing much quicker.
If you notice that your watch is losing or gaining significant time or isn’t operating as it usually does, then you should take it to a reputable watchmaker as soon as possible to be checked over. However, regardless of this, the best practice is still to take your watch to a reputable watchmaker within the 3–5 year period to get it checked over.
For quartz watches, servicing intervals are usually a lot longer than manual/automatic watches. The issue that we instead receive from quartz watches is the battery running out. Usually, a battery will last 2 years, sometimes more. When the time comes for a new battery, a reputable watchmaker will be able to tell you if your quartz watch simply requires a battery change or something more.
Cleaning
Would you wear your clothes for a week and never clean them? Most likely not. So why would you do the same thing with your watch?
Over time, wear and tear, sweat and grime build-up can leave your watch looking a bit tatty. But there are a few simple things that we can do to keep our watches looking fresh.
How?
One way to keep your watch hygienically clean is by using a soft, clean microfibre cloth to gently remove surface dirt. It is also possible to use a soft bristled toothbrush.
If your watch is waterproof you can add mild soapy, lukewarm water to the toothbrush to give the watch more of a thorough clean. However, this is not recommended if your watch contains any precious metals such as gold. Instead, you should just stick to the dry, microfibre cloth.
Top tip!
Before cleaning your watch, always make sure that the crown is completely pushed in/screwed down and be sure to completely dry your watch with a clean, dry cloth afterwards.
Alternatively, if you’d rather stay clear of cleaning your watch yourself, you could always book your watch in with a professional watchmaker to have a professional clean.
Insurance
One thing that many people overlook when buying an expensive watch is the insurance. A luxury watch is a major financial asset and it is always wise to consider taking insurance out if you feel that theft, loss or damage are possibilities.
As with all insurance policies a lot of research is recommended to ensure that you find the right cover for you. However, if you have home or contents insurance, it’s worth giving your provider a call before seeking out another policy to see if your watch can be covered under your existing cover.
Winding
Winding your watch on a regular basis will not only ensure that it is telling the correct time each time you go back to it, but it will also help to keep the mechanism constantly moving so that none of the components seize up over time.
Manual watches
For manual watches it’s important to wind the watch every day, but make sure that you do not overwind it! Stop winding as soon as you feel any resistance.
Automatic watches
For automatic watches it’s always best to keep them in watch winder when they are not on your wrist. However, if you don’t own a watch winder you can always follow the same rule as previous.
Quartz watches
For the lucky quartz owners, you don’t have the hassle of winding the watch to keep it powered. Just be sure to keep the crown pushed/screwed in to ensure that the battery is engaged and keeping the watch ticking.
Exposure
Water Thinking about submerging your watch in water or even taking it in the shower? Maybe you need to think again… Why? Before exposing your watch to water its always best to check just how waterproof your watch actually is. Some watches that claim to be “water resistant” only have low levels of resistance. If you were to submerge your watch into water that’s too deep for it to handle, water can seep into the case and do a lot of damage to the insides. How to prevent this The simple answer is to not submerge your watch into water at all. But the next best thing is to check what the exact water resistance rating of your watch is. Whilst a basic level of water resistance (30m/50m) will be able to protect your watch against small splashes of water and rain it’s highly unlikely that the watch will be able to handle being completely submerged in water. Therefore, its highly recommended that a watch with a water resistance rating of less than 100m is not submerged completely underwater. If, however your watch has a rating of 100m+ it is generally safe to submerge the watch so long as it doesn’t exceed the 100m depth, for example in activities such as deep-sea diving. If you do want to use your watch whilst diving, never exceed the depth stated in the watch’s water resistance guide and always be sure to have the watch pressure tested by a reputable service centre before and after diving.
Temperature Quickly switching between hot and cold temperatures, or even storing your watch in an extremely cold/hot location can have some damaging repercussions for your watch. Why? Being exposed to extreme temperatures can cause damage to your watch’s movement and gaskets. Heat can dry out the lubricant, or cause it to congeal, creating friction on the gears. Quick transfers from excessive hot and cold temperatures can also cause the watch parts to expand and contract, leading to water vapour entering and causing damage. How to prevent this? When you’re not wearing it, it’s always best to store your watch either in its box or in a watch winder (if it’s an automatic piece), located in an ambient temperature. However, if you are wearing the watch in an extremely hot/cold temperature, such as on the beach, its recommended to take the watch off and put it in a bag out of the sunlight. It is also wise to avoid taking your watch into saunas and jacuzzis.
Chemicals Chemicals such as perfumes, cosmetics and household cleaners can cause corrosion and discolouration to watches. This happens particularly to watches that contain gold and other precious metals. However, it can also cause damage to leather straps. How to prevent this? Keep your watch away from any harsh products.
Hopefully this guide helped to provide you with some of the basic knowledge on how to look after your luxury watch. If you would like to see more ways on how to care for your watch, please check out our second blog by clicking the button below 👇