Having a watch is something special and you want to have it for years… Even giving it to year son or daughter…At least I imagine!
For this to happen you need to watch out you watch and take care of it to guarantee it stays in a good state and working correctly for years.
This guide is for those who want to take the best from their watch, our team prepared each tip thinking about the difficulty and necessities. If you are searching something specifically, we suggest you use our summary below.
For your best reading this guide is divided in three sections: Watch Care and Cleaning, Watch Maintenance and Frequently Asked Questions.
Nevertheless, we strongly recommend you read all this article for a complete understanding of what to take care of you watch. You can get more by every tip.
Watch cleaning and care
Here’s how you can correctly clean your watch. First, you need to know If you watch is or not waterproof.
The most typical watch to clean is one with a good water resistance, think approximately 50 meters and above, such some luxury watches like rolex. Any lower than this you will need to take some considerations while cleaning, fortunately, by large most watches offer some degree of water resistance.
Also, you will need to know if your bracelet is water resistant. If it’s made of metal or rubber, you can keep it attached and clean it with the watch, but it’s made of leather (for example), remove the strap and clean it separately.
What’s the equipment you need to clean you watch?
You’ll need a gentle soup, warm water, a bowl, soft brush, a safety cleaning area, and a dry microfiber cloth.
How should you correctly clear your waterproof watch?
- Fill the bowl with warm water and a small amount of soap to create a gentle soapy solution.
- Dip the brush in the solution, and gently brush the watch to clean.
Quick note: In case your watch is made of a precious metal (like gold), you better use a just your hands to avoid damaging the material.
- Once it’s cleaned, calmly rinse the watch with non-soapy water.
If your watch is moderately water resistant (50 – 100 meters) you can do this via a quick dip, if your watch has an excellent water resistance (100 meters and above), you can rinse the watch directly under a running faucet it will help you flush out any remaining debris.
- Dry the watch completely using a soft microfiber cloth.
How should you correctly clear your waterproof watch?
If you have a watch with little to no water resistance, usually defined as 30 meters or less (such as the Patek Philippe Calatrava), then it is important to take special precautions to protect your watch during cleaning.
Our recommendation is using a soft damp cloth to clean. Avoid for all cost submerging the piece, it can cause significant damage to your watch.
A great alternative is cleaning a watch without water resistance using only a dry soft toothbrush to physically brush up any debris, and then to clean it up with a cloth.
How to Clean Your Watch Strap or Bracelet:
After your watch is cleaned you should worry about your bracelet. The same you read about watch cleaning can be considerate for bracelet:
Water resistance continues to be something important to considerer, that way, if your bracelet or your watch are water resistant, but not both, then you should separate the two and clean them appropriately.
If your bracelet is made of something durable, such as metal, rubber, steel, titanium, we recommend using a soft brush with a soap and warm water to clen the clasp and bracelet. Don’t forget to clean al the debris.
But if your bracelet is made of something precious, like gold, we recommend cleaning the bracelet with just your hands or using a soft brush, risking scratch your timepiece. The best option is using your hands with warm water and then dry it with a cloth.
How often should I clean you watch? (Periodicity of cleaning your watch)
If you wear your watch every day, a complete clean of the watch and its bracelet should be done monthly. But for watches worn less often, and depending on wear, a detailed clean can be done every few months or semesterly.
But pay attention, if you’re wearing your watch under conditions that may damage it, you should clean it more often for keeping it new as possible.
Worst scenario? Get you watch serviced
There’re limit we must respect. There’s something you’re good at and something we’re not!
If you’re not sure if you can correctly clear your watch, specially if you need to open it to clear. Opening your watch could cause several damages to your timepiece, avoid it taking it to an expert.
Watch Maintenance
Your timepiece is made for last for years and years, and to make sure it last indeed, you must take some care and maintenance during your watch life.
We’re research enough to supply you with tips and considerations to you take the best of your watch. This are the best tips on-line will find.
Winding and setting your watch
For A Manual Watch:
- Wind your watch every day at the same time.
- Be careful not to force the crown. Don’t push if it stops, or you feel resistance, stop winding. If you force the crown, you can damage the setting mechanism.
For An Automatic Watch:
- To power up an automatic watch, give the crown about 20 to 40 turns and put the watch on your wrist again
- In the case your watch has a screw-down crown, be sure to secure it after the watch has been wound and set to ensure the water- tight integrity of the watch.
- If the automatic watch is worn daily, wind it once every two weeks. Wind the watch twice a week if it is not worn daily.
Batteries
A quartz watch battery life is 1 to 3 years, in average. The life of the will depend on several factor, such as age, condition of the movement, and the type of the watch.
The battery replacement will depend on the number of functions a watch has, the more functions, the more replacements. As soon as a battery can no longer power the watch, change it immediately.
In the case you have a smartwatch, such Apple Watch, you don’t have to worry about its batteries, you just need to charge it.
Water resistance
You may be thinking if you can swim with your watch, the answer is: It depends. There are some watches designed for such activities, but not all. More, there are different degrees of water resistance.
And remember, water resistance is not a permanent condition, and it must be tested and renewed periodically, because the gaskets and seals deteriorate over time and need to be replaced time to time (have your watch teste for water resistance every 12 to 18 months).
Again, Smartwatch offers a serie of advantages, if you have one, you probably don’t need to worry.
Swimming with your watch:
- Even if your watch is designed for water activities, make sure the crown is pushed down or screwed in tightly before wearing it in water.
- If you are in a moist environment, do not adjust the crown or push buttons as water can seep into the case.
- Watch out chlorinated or salt water, if in contact immediately clean the watch with fresh water and dry with a soft cloth.
- If the watch has a ‘rotating bezel,’ be sure to rotate the bezel while cleaning to dislodge any debris (sand or salt).
Tips for watch maintenance
Impacts
Watches can be designed for some degree of impacts, such as military watches, but in general it is not. Impacts may damage your watch and all its components. In this case, you better have your watch serviced, because many times, there is no physical evidence on the outside indications the watch has suffered an impact, nevertheless it need to be fixed.
Extreme Temperatures
Exposure to moisture and temperature changes and temperatures above 60°C/140°F and below 0°C/32°F can affect timekeeping and water resistance to most watches, so you better avoid it.
Magnetic Fields
If you have a mechanical watch, you better know that exposure to magnetic fields will cause the watch to run incorrectly. Anything can happen, the watch may run fast, slow or stop.
Speakers, computers, magnetic hooks on refrigerators, etc., they all have magnetic field, so avoid placing your watch near to them.
Chemicals
Avoid direct contact with chemicals, like detergents, cosmetics, perfumes, solvents etc., because it may damage the case, gaskets, leather strap, and/or bracelet of a watch.
Properly store it
If you don’t plan to wear it daily, you should considerer buy a watch winder to place your watch when not in use. A watch winder will keep your watch safe from the environment, but if don’t want to invest in a watch winder, consider using the original box to store your watch. Remember to wind it at least once a week, though.
This guide, completely as it is, can have some gap to be filled… But don’t worry we have separated more tips in FAQ’s format. Check below:
FAQ:
How do you maintain a watch?
The most important tip for maintain a watch new is to avoid exposing it to chemicals, magnetic fields, sun, and water (if it’s not water resistant). Also, wind it frequently and clean it at least once a month.
How do you take care of a watch?
You can take care of a watch by cleaning it frequently (once a month) and avoiding contact with certain chemicals components, magnetic fields, and extremes temperatures. By doing that, your watch will last generations.
How do you clean a watch box?
You can clear your watch box or watch winder with a moist soft cloth. Take care of mechanical components and don’t push to much. Be gentle while cleaning it.
How often a watch needs to be serviced?
It will depend on the conditions of your watch and your skill to maintain it. In general, if you take care properly, your watch needs to be serviced each 3 to 5 years. If you exposure it to sun, chemicals or magnetic fields, it will need be serviced as soon as possible.
Do automatic watches need maintenance?
Yes! If you don’t take care of your watch and don’t learn how to maintain an automatic watch, its performance will decrease and will last for a few years over generations, as it should be.
How can you tell if a watch is magnetized?
Watch magnetization is easy to diagnose: You need to check if you watch is pacing faster or slower than a compass. Set the compass to 60 bps, your watch must pace the same as the compass. If it’s not, your watch is magnetized and need to be repaired.
What should you not do with an automatic watch?
Avoid contact with magnetic fields all cost, it will damage your automatic watch and it will need to be serviced. And avoid water if it’s not water resistant.
How do you care for a wrist watch?
Clean it frequently, avoid contact with chemicals, sun, and magnetic field, store it properly in a box (winder watch).
Final comments
We are finishing this guide to watch care and maintenance. All the tips were prepared to help you with your watch during its life.
Always remember that watch must be treated like a child, it’s important to always clear and take care of it.
Every time you’re in doubt about how to take care of your watch, come back in this article. All this tips are ever green and if there’s something new you must know, we’ll update this article.
