How to Maintain Watches?

Whether your watch is powered by a battery or runs on its own, it is very important to take care of it on a regular basis. While some watch brands are sold at very affordable prices, as the quality of the watches increases, the watch prices rise to millions of dollars.

Whether your wristwatch belongs to a luxury brand or an affordable fashion brand, it requires regular maintenance and care in order to function properly.

For example, it’s very important to take care of high-end, automatic wristwatches like Rolex. Automatic watches, in particular, are made up of too many parts and contain too many tiny components to work with. It is very important to take good care of watches that have all these elements. The best part is that you don’t need to know how it works to care for your watch. Knowing the technical details is of course an advantage, but being careful and following a few rules that will make it easier for you to maintain your watch will guarantee that its life will be very long.

Things to Consider While Maintaining Watches

1. Maintenance of Automatic and Mechanical Watches

Most people don’t agree on how to take care of automatic and mechanical watches, which is the most controversial part of watch maintenance. There are various arguments between these two watch models. Some people say that an automatic or mechanical watch should be run continuously, either by wearing it all the time or by placing it in a watch winder. They explain this by arguing that their internal fat must be constantly in circulation. On the other hand, he thinks that it does not cause any damage to the watch when you are not using it.

Actually, it’s partially true on both sides. There is no need to wind the watch that you wear every day or at intervals. However, if you have an automatic clock that you do not use for a long time, it is useful to set it up once a month or from time to time.

There are many parameters in the maintenance of automatic watches. If you have a modern, cutting-edge watch, it is likely that it has synthetic oils that are affected by heat or cold rather than constantly winding it. So, the best way to take care of these watches is to lubricate them regularly instead of moving them.

In addition to all these, the complications of the watch are also very important. Relatively, it is not so important to stop and restart a classic watch without extra features. You simply wear the watch on your wrist, and it starts to work if it is an automatic watch; if it is a wind-up watch, you turn the crown. However, if your watch has complex complications, such as a perpetual calendar or moon phases, it should be in constant working order. Resetting these features can pose much greater difficulties.

2. Keep Your Watch Clean

One of the most important and simple watch maintenance methods is to keep your watch as clean as possible. Keeping your wristwatch clean will not only keep it looking good but also prevent dirt from entering its case from damaging the mechanism.

The best way to clean your wristwatch depends on the water resistance level of the watch. If it is waterproof to 30 meters, it is best to clean it with a soft, slightly damp cloth. Soft-bristled toothpaste can also be used, thus cleaning between the cords in more detail. If it is a professional diving watch with 100 meters of water resistance, you can completely submerge it in water.

The most important thing to consider when cleaning with water is to keep it away from hot water. If you immerse it in hot water, the gaskets of the watch may be damaged. In addition, if the watch has a leather strap, you should ensure that it never gets wet. When a leather strap comes into contact with water, it can be damaged and the material weakens. Also, do not use soapy water. Soap bristles can get into the smallest points of the satin, and melted soap can damage the mechanism. Finally, dry your watch with a non-marking cloth.

3. Know the Limits of the Clock

In the previous article, we gave recommendations according to the water resistance degree of the watch. However, you should know the real durability of your watch and be careful not to go beyond it. A watch with a water resistance level of 30 meters is only resistant to hand- and face-washing. For example, it would be a good idea to remove it while washing dishes. A watch with a water resistance rating of 50 meters can be used safely in the pool. You can swim and dive in the sea with a 100-meter watch, but if you really plan to dive with full gear, you should be careful to use watches with a water resistance rating of 200 or 300 meters.

Furthermore, knowing the production years of watches with water resistance features is beneficial. A watch has a high degree of water resistance when it is first produced, but it may lose this feature over time. In such cases, at least the gaskets on the watch should be replaced. It is important that this process be carried out at an authorized service and that the pressure test be performed after the gasket replacement. Authorized services can easily perform these operations, and it is a very cheap process. Since the severe impacts that the watch will be exposed to may affect the seals around the crown, it would be a good idea to do these operations annually.

4. Avoid Magnets

Strong magnetic fields (magnets) have been the biggest enemies of watches. Even something small like a refrigerator door, audio speakers, or a radio alarm clock can have a big effect on how well your wristwatch works. In some cases, much larger power supplies can bend the components of the watch’s mechanism, causing serious damage.

In recent years, watch companies have tried to take a series of measures to prevent this problem. To counteract these effects, several models have been produced with parts made of materials that will not be affected by magnetic fields, such as silicon. Omega‘s model, which can withstand 15,000 gausses or more, is an example. Older watch models, which do not use modern watch technology, have a high sensitivity to magnetic fields. For this reason, if you have an automatic, mechanical, or battery-powered watch produced with old technology, staying away from mechanical areas as much as possible will prolong the life of your watch and prevent it from being damaged.

Experienced watch repair centers can purify your watch from the influence of magnetic fields. But if the impact is strong enough, it may be necessary to replace the parts and fix the whole mechanism.

5. Other Things to Avoid

Strong and direct sunlight may cause the colors of the watch to fade. The best example of this can be seen during the old hours. Unless that’s a problem for you, of course. Also, if you’re using a battery-powered watch, a high temperature will shorten the battery’s life.

Another factor to consider is the effect of chemicals on your watch. If you use a leather strap on your watch, you should be careful when spraying perfume or cologne on your wrists. These products are also quite dangerous for plated watches. These products may discolor the watch.

6. Do Not Neglect to Leave Your Watch for Service Periodically

Service is the most important thing you can do to make sure your watch works perfectly. Although luxury watches are more expensive, just like cars, timely maintenance will extend the life of the watch.

If it is a new watch, maintenance will be sufficient for between three and five years. If it is an older watch, it is useful to take it to the service every year.

You can also review our website for the Best Watch Brands.