Luxury watches are just that – a luxury. However, they’ve become somewhat popular and more accessible for those who are passionate about timepieces.
Caring for a luxury watch to ensure it lasts a lifetime will require a combination of regular and gentle cleaning, with proper storage and scheduled professional servicing.
A well-maintained mechanical watch can last for well over 100 years and often outlives its owner, too.
A Comprehensive Guide To Caring For Your Luxury Watch
To help ensure your luxury watch lasts a lifetime, there are some useful steps that will help keep it ticking for longer and looking the same as the day you bought it.
1. Regular cleaning
Daily maintenance is important when it comes to keeping your luxury watch in good condition. That starts with a gentle wipe of your watch, ideally with a soft microfiber cloth after each use. This helps in removing sweat, oil and debris that sits on the surface of the watch and would otherwise damage it over time.
Every few months, you’ll want to do a deep clean of your luxury watch, especially where you’ve got metal bracelets and water-resistant cases. A soft-bristle brush with warm water and mild dish soap helps to clean in between the links where dirt and bacteria can build up.
You’ll then want to rinse this thoroughly before letting it dry completely in order to avoid water spots. For leather straps, don’t use water or soap on leather. Instead, you’ll need to use a dry cloth or specialised leather cleaner/conditioner to help prevent it from cracking. Never use any harsh chemicals that will damage seals and polish.
2. Proper storage and handling
In order to keep your watch safe, it’s important to properly store your luxury watches to avoid damage and to also handle them correctly.
A watch box is a good way of storing it in a place that’s not going to be exposed to anything that would otherwise damage it. Store it in its original box if possible or in a padded watch case, rather than leaving it on a hard surface.
Store the watch in a cool and dry place, away from any direct sunlight and humidity. You must never store a watch in high-humidity environments like a bathroom, for example. If using a safe, you should consider using silica gel packets so that you prevent any moisture buildup.
3. Wearing and operation habits
To continue caring for your luxury watch when using it daily, there are some helpful tips to follow when it comes to wearing the watch and operational habits to follow.
Firstly, be sure to set the crown, ensuring it’s always screwed down or pushed in completely to prevent any moisture from entering the movement of the watch.
Do not change the date or day-date functions between 9 pm and 3 am, as this is considered the red zone. You could end up interfering with the gear mechanism as a result. Wind the manual watches daily at the same time, off the wrist and stop immediately when you feel any resistance. This is something that will help avoid overwinding.
Remove your watch during any high-impact sports such as tennis, golfing or boxing. This avoids damaging the internal movements of the watch.
It’s also helpful to keep your watch away from any magnets that are found in refrigerators, laptops and speakers, which can cause the watch to run fast or stop.
Professional Servicing
Improving your luxury watch’s functionality can be done effectively with professional servicing. Professional watch servicing starts with the frequency of services. Have your mechanical watch serviced by an authorised company every three to five years.
You’ll want to replace any lubricants and check gaskets, too. Have you checked your water resistance annually, particularly after any situations where shock or impact was caused?
For quartz watches, replace the battery every 1.5-3 years in order to prevent it from leaking acid or damaging the movement.
What To Avoid
To avoid damaging your watch, remember these helpful pointers:
- Never leave the crown in the open position. Always check it’s closed.
- Never wear the watch in a sauna or hot tub, as heat and steam can damage the seals.
- Never wear the watch while spraying perfume or using a lotion. Apply these first and let them dry before wearing the watch again.
- Never shake an automatic watch aggressively in order to start it. Use the crown to gently jumpstart it.
Caring for your luxury watch is important, and in order to ensure it lasts a lifetime, the above tips will keep it ticking over for many years to come.
Thanks for stopping by!
Magda
xoxo