Buying a watch is a long-term investment that you may aim to pass on to the next generations. Watches are withstandable and can run for decades or even centuries when you give them proper care.
So either you are planning to buy a new watch or got an inherited one, you need to give it great care so it can smoothly serve for years. Maintaining a watch is better than paying a heavy amount for its repair.
There are different simple practices to take care of a watch, and to do so right, read out our below-mentioned basic care and maintenance tips.
1: Clean Your Watch Daily
There are several crevasses and creases to watch that need to be cleaned regularly; otherwise, oil and dirt can accumulate.
By using a lint-free cloth, you need to wipe down your watch daily, but besides this, you also need to do deeper cleaning every couple of months.
2: Wind Your Watch When Unused
Another crucial step that you can adopt to protect your watch from malfunctioning is winding a watch when it is not in use. An automatic watch stops working when it goes to power reserve mode, and it is safe for its life.
If you have a manual watch, develop a habit of carefully winding (avoid over-winding) it each day when it is not in use.
3: Wear Your Watch Regularly
You may get it counterintuitive, but you are recommended to wear your watch regularly instead of storing it somewhere. By wearing your watch regularly, you can keep the viscosity of the lubricants in motion. An untouched watch’s lubricants harden and create friction; this friction can damage the movement of lubricants. If you want to keep lubricants fresh for longer, you need to get them serviced every year. It will increase your watch’s life and ensure it works well.
4: Store Your Watch Properly
If you don’t need to wear your watch regularly, it is important to keep it in a safe place. The best place to keep your watch protected is the watch winder.
A watch winder keeps your watch dry and gear moving; it also protects the lubricant from hardening.
5: Know Your Watch’s Water Resistance
The latest watches are water-resistant, but vintage watches typically are not resistant to water. Often, they lose their resistance with time. However, it is best to protect your watch from the water, particularly if the watch’s band is of leather. Water can make the leather damaged and weakened.
6: Avoid Extreme Heat And Humidity
Many watches are made with good enduring capability, yet it is appreciable to protect them from severe heat and humidity. Direct heat can reduce the quartz battery life and fade the watch face and leather band.
Humid conditions can also kill your watch and increase the chances of rusting. Thus, there is a severe need to protect the watch from drastic changes in temperature or humidity that could be detrimental to your watch’s ability to function properly.
7: Avoid Chemicals and Colognes
Here is another suggestion: keep the watches away from colognes, lotions, perfumes, and chemicals. Chemicals are sharp enough to weaken the leather and can cause it to tear in some cases. Dirt can also build up in the creases and crevasses of your watch.
Every watch is sensitive to chemicals; for instance, swiss-made watches are very durable, yet they can wear out when they are consistently in contact with the chemicals.
If you want to apply perfume, lotion, or collagen, you should take off the watch first. Before putting your watch back, make sure that your applied material is dried off.
8: Avoid Magnets
Magnets are harmful to watches, so keep them away. Whether it is a little magnet (handbag clasp) or a larger one (airport detectors), do not bring them in contact with your watch.
If your watch stops in front of the magnet, take it to the expert. Remember – magnet can create an expensive slowdown.
9: Read Your Manual
There are many basic rules that you can follow for your watch care and maintenance. Still, you need to remember that you need to pay different attention to every watch. You can read your watch’s manual and follow the mentioned tips for ease and clarity.
10: Get Your Watch Serviced
Do not attempt to open your watch at home. A watch can damage more when an inexperienced person opens it. If the watch stops working or shows any error, it is recommended to take it to an expert.
Our Summary
Watch is a one-time investment that requires appropriate care. A watch can serve you for long years, but a little negligence can instantly damage it forever.
So don’t let your expensive watches be mishandled – follow the outlined tips and keep your watches well-maintained.
