Tips for Prolonging the Life of Your Timepiece

The way you treat your luxury watch greatly affects its appearance and longevity. Many modern timepieces are protected by a sturdy case and shock-resistant glass, but they are still exposed to moisture, dust, scratches, and other issues on a regular basis.

Thus, the more you take care of your watch, the longer it will keep you happy. Many treat their watch as an item with a certain intrinsic value. What is that value? Well, it's the history that is associated with the watch, whether it's a Rolex or a lesser-known brand, the emotions you feel when you wear it, the glances that friends and business associates throw at your wrist. So it's obvious that if your timepiece is more than just a combination of gold, silver, precious stones, and other materials, it needs to be treated accordingly.

Here are some simple and obvious but very effective tips for maintaining your timepiece's longevity and precision.

The Importance of Regular Servicing

There are a large number of reasons for regular servicing. When it comes to some significant mechanical damage or the need for repair, it should be handled by professionals.

In any case, regular servicing provides the following benefits:

Accuracy A luxury watch, regardless of how reliable and sturdy it is, is a tangible object, and therefore its components can experience wear and tear. This affects its precision. Cleaning these components allows the watch to maintain its timekeeping accuracy.

Preventing costly repairs If you forget or for one or another reason neglect regular servicing, this can lead to more severe issues. Sometimes they result in extensive damage. This, in turn, may require costly repairs or replacement of critical parts.

Longevity A luxury watch is like an expensive car. Both are designed to last for many decades. Regular maintenance helps the watch to run error-free for as long as needed.

Peace of Mind It’s always great to know that you can wear your timepiece confidently without worrying about it suddenly stopping.

Proper Cleaning Techniques for Different Materials

Since your watch is subject to scratches and other mechanical effects, it makes sense to take a clean cloth to wipe down the case, strap, and crystal. Make sure that your timepiece is water resistant, and every few months you can soak it in water for several minutes to loosen the dirt. 

Another item that requires regular cleaning is the strap. If your watch comes with a leather or rubber strap, wipe both sides of the strap with a damp microfiber cloth using a small amount of regular soap.

A stainless steel bracelet is easier to clean. First, remove the watch from it. Second, soak it in a small bowl filled with soapy water. 

After that, leave it under water for half an hour. If it is dirty, it makes sense to keep it under water for another 15 minutes. Afterwards, take it out and clean between the links with a soft-bristled toothbrush.

Avoiding Common Hazards for Watches

You can be the most careful watch owner in the world, but that still doesn't guarantee that your watch is safe from all kinds of mishaps. Here are some tips:

Avoid water exposure. Even though the overwhelming majority of luxury watches are waterproof, prolonged stay underwater or extremely high humidity can damage your watch's internal components.

Avoid magnetic fields. Not sure if your watch is METAS certified? Strong magnetic fields interfere with the movement, causing your timepiece to lose accuracy. Thus, it’s always a good habit to keep your watch away from magnetic devices.

Prevent physical impact. Do not drop the watch or subject it to excessive physical impact, as this may damage the case and internal parts.

Stay away from chemicals and harsh substances, since some strong cleaning agents may damage the crystal or strap.

Avoid excessive exposure to sunlight and UV exposure. If you are happy to live in sunny Florida or Alicante, remember that prolonged exposure to direct sunlight can fade the dial and affect the luminescence.

Use the crown properly. If your watch happens to have a crown, make sure not to forcibly pull it out or push it in. This is especially relevant if your watch doesn’t have that slipping clutch to prevent damage from overwinding. Anyway, there is no need to overwind your watch, it won’t work longer than it is designed to. 

The Role of Storage and Handling in Preservation

While some people purchase precious materials in the form of jewelry to enjoy using them directly, others buy gold coins or bars and store them in a safe deposit box. The same logic is followed by some investors in relation to luxury watches.

You know best how you should use your luxury watch, but don’t store your watch incorrectly. Use the original box for storage, or purchase a special watch holder. Put your watch in it and store it in a dry place.

Proper storage of a watch affects its accuracy, performance, appearance and, in turn, its real value - the amount of money you can get if or when you decide to sell it.

Consider your watch as your body or your car. Our body, like our car, house or watch, requires regular checkups. Service your timepiece every five years. This advice can be ignored, particularly if your watch is resting in a safe deposit box. But regular inspection is never a bad idea.

Can you clean your watch yourself? Of course, for example, when it comes to removing dirt from the strap or doing some other simple work. However, you should be extremely careful. Use advice and recommendations from professionals only. Otherwise, the process can be really harmful. For example, many recommend cleaning water-resistant watches with rubbing alcohol. There are countless instructions on blogs and YouTube. However, experts know that this solvent, even if used once, can dry out the gaskets and seals whose job is to make the watch water-resistant. You’ve cleaned your watch, but now it’s not water-resistant anymore. What a nuisance!

If you’re not 100% sure you're doing everything right, it’s really important to choose the right repair and maintenance service.

Choosing the Right Repair and Maintenance Services

It is crucial to handle your timepiece with care and expertise. If you own a new watch and it is still under warranty, it’s best to use an authorized service center. This ensures that the warranty will remain valid. On top of that, this ensures that the watch will be serviced to industry standards. 

In case you decide to find an independent watchmaker, check their certifications and reviews. Some watchmakers and service centers specialize in particular brands and particular types of watches. Choose your service center? Make sure they use authentic components!

Never order services unless you have been told the cost. You must be given a detailed estimate before any work is done.

The right repair and maintenance service offers a warranty on the work performed to give you peace of mind!