Basic
Guide To Maintaining a Wristwatch
The
best thing you can do to make sure your mechanical watch stays in
good shape is to wear it. Mechanical
watches are designed to operate continuously, so
don't sit around and let your watch wind down. Wear it and keep
it wound all the time. If you have more than one mechanical watch,
a watch
winder (a powered box that turns the watch for you,
keeping it wound) might be a good idea. If the watch is operating,
the fine oils don't have a chance to dry up and the watch will function
well for a long time.
The
following are tips and procedures that if adhered to will provide
you with years of trouble-free use of your fine timepiece.
Adjusting Bracelets, Watchbands & Watchstraps
What
to do when the watchbracelet or watchstrap needs adjusting:
In
the case of bracelets, there is often some adjustment available
in the clasp itself, through the use of a spring-loaded pin which
locks into holes in the clasp. Usually, there is no problem attempting
this adjustment using a tool thin enough to press the pin from the
outside, thus releasing it. But be careful, these small pins can
accidentally spring loose and fly across the room, never to be found
again. Always make sure that the watch is lying on a soft cloth
or other similar surface before attempting this adjustment, or you
may inadvertently scratch or dent the side of the case or the crown.
Straps
have multiple holes so finding a comfortable position is no problem.
Removing Bracelet Links or Adding Holes to the Watch Strap:
Some
bracelets utilize push-pins and others use screws for attaching
links to each other. If you don't have the proper tools to remove
these (such as jewelers' screwdrivers or bracelet pin removal tools)
then usually it is best left to a watchmaker, since one slip is
all it takes to inflict a scratch across the face of the link. In
the links are secured with screws, and you have the correct screwdriver,
then ensure that the bracelet is held securely before attempting
to unscrew the fasteners (there are special bracelet holders available
for this). It is imperative that the screwdriver is not only the
correct size, but also the correct thickness, otherwise you can
end up with a damaged screw slot.
If
your bracelet utilizes push pins, there are usually little arrows
on the underside of the links indicating which way the pin should
be pushed out. Some pins are of the split type, these are normally
found on lower-to-mid range watches. Again, it is possible to remove
them yourself if you have the proper tool that fits the pin hole
correctly, and if the bracelet is supported properly while removing.
Usually, lightly tapping the tool is enough to remove the split-pin
type fastener. The links are then inserted and the pins are carefully
replaced from the opposite end from that used during removal.
The
solid type pins can be significantly more of a problem as bracelets
utilizing these often have special collars within the bracelet links,
which must first be in the correct location when the bracelet is
reassembled, and secondly are incredibly easy to use. Solid pins
are often an extremely tight fit, and without specialized tools
it is recommended that you have a watchmaker do this for you.
If
the watchstrap has too few holes, and you feel confident doing it,
then the easy solution is to take a leather awl/punch and insert
the holes where you need them. Otherwise, it is recommended you
take the strap to someone who can do this for you and has the necessary
tools, such as a shoe cobbler.
How-to Properly Wind and Set a Watch
If
it's a manual/mechanical watch don't you just wind it up?
Yes
and no. If you have a manual/mechanical watch then try to wind it
at the same time every day. It is probably best if wound in the
morning, as the watch will then have optimum power throughout the
day, resulting in more consistent timekeeping. When winding a manual/mechanical
watch, do so relatively slowly and consistently; when it is fully
wound you will feel resistance as the mainspring tightens. Don't
try and force it any further as damage could be done both to the
mainspring itself and to components in the escapement.
When
winding manual/mechanical watches it is highly recommended that
you remove the watch from your wrist. If you wear the watch while
winding it, it is quite possible you'll put unnecessary strain on
the winding stem at all points, but particularly where the stem
attaches to the winding crown.
But
what if it's an automatic
watch, those don't need winding?
They
do if they've stopped! Some of the cheaper automatics watches out
there don't have manual winding capability. In cases such as these
you swing the watch gently in an arc for a minute or so to get the
watch running. In the case of watches with a manual wind capability,
it's normal to give the watch approximately 30-40 gentle and slow
turns of the winding stem; this puts the movement in an optimum
state of wind to start with. Normal arm motion should then be enough
to keep the watch wound. If you are relatively active during the
day, it should be fine removing the watch overnight without need
of any further manual winding.
Watch
Settings
There
are special considerations when setting the time and date:
First, a watch equipped with a date feature will normally have three
positions for the crown:
Watches and Daily Wear
Watches
and Exposure to Water
How
wet a watch can get depends on how much water the watch was designed
to withstand. Generally, a WR30m watch is designed to withstand
a little water being splashing on it, a WR50m is fine for light
swimming but not prolonged immersion in water, a WR100m watch can
be used for swimming, and a WR200m could be considered a diver's
watch.
Avoid
submerging even a depth rated watch in hot water, such as a bath
or shower - the heat of the water can distort the watch seals and
detergents can damage them. Also, the chlorine found in swimming
pools can be harmful to watch seals. After swimming in a pool thoroughly
rinse off your watch in fresh water. The same applies to swimming
in the ocean - use fresh water to rinse off the salt as soon as
you come out of the water.
Watches and Exposure to Heat and Sunlight
Heat,
such as that found in saunas, is not recommended, particularly if
after exiting the sauna you get into the cold water of a plunge
pool. The rapid hot-to-cold exposure makes it more likely that the
watch may contract too rapidly, compromising the integrity of the
watch seal and potentially leading to serious problems. Also, because
it has air in it any watch will contain some degree of water. Subjecting
the watch to rapid cooling means this water may condense, probably
only to disappear again, but it could result in stain under the
crystal or worse.
Heat, in terms of wearing the watch in hot weather, can't be avoided.
Since this is fairly constant compared to the conditions stated
above, this shouldn't be too much of a problem. However, if at all
possible avoid leaving or wearing the watch in direct sunlight.
First, the watch will get very hot causing a thinning of the lubricants,
degrading their lubricating ability. Second, exposure to direct
sunlight can prematurely age dials and cause dial lacquers to lift
or micro bubble. This is not to say that your watch must be kept
shielded under shirt sleeves whenever it's sunny. Just try to avoid
excessive exposure to these conditions.
Watches and Shockproofing
Even
though a watch might be listed as being shock-resistant, it's best
to avoid exposure to excessive shock. Mechanical watches are almost
always fitted with certain shock absorbing devices nowadays, but
even so avoid exposing your watch to sudden shocks, vibration, dropping
etc. Mechanical watches are fairly rugged, but there are limits.
Exposing a watch to a severe shock can at the very least affect
it's timekeeping ability, and at worst result in mechanical failure.
Watches and Anti-magnetism
Most
watches are antimagnetic to some degree, which is to say that they
will withstand exposure to limited magnetic fields without adverse
affects to their timekeeping ability. However, only specialized
watches are built to withstand high magnetic fields and exposure
to them.
So,
for everyday automatic watches what should be avoided? First, it
should be remembered that mechanical watches have a lot of metal
inside them. These metal components are interacting with each other
in various ways - wheels meshing with pinions, for example. If these
or the even more delicate components become magnetized, then at
best the watch will run very erratically, or at worst will stop
altogether.
Try
to avoid getting your watch too close to devices with magnetic fields
such as magnets, stereo speakers, computer monitors, etc. All these
devices could potentially be a source of trouble for your watch.
Fortunately, if your watch ever encounters problems due to exposure
to a magnetic field, a competent watchmaker should have the equipment
to demagnetize the watch and return it to its normal operation.
Watch Maintenance
How
Should I Clean my Watch?
A
watch needs to be cleaned externally once in a while. Assuming your
watch is water resistant to a minimum of 50m, it can be cleaned
by using warm water, a little soap, a very soft brush, and a very
soft brush to gently remove dust, grime, etc. from difficult to
get to areas. Grit and particles in bracelets can act rather like
sandpaper, causing premature wear to the watch. It's best to keep
the watch clean. Once clean, simply dry the watch off with a soft
cloth.
If the watch crystal has been scratched - can it be polished?
If
your watch has an acrylic crystal, the answer is yes. People use
compounds such as specialty polishes for this, and some even use
toothpaste! Apply a little polishing compound by using a soft cloth
and rubbing the crystal in a circular motion. This should work fine
for light-to-medium scratches. Deeper scratches will require more
effort and sometimes it is necessary to follow the line of the scratch
first, then follow that up wiyh a circular motion. Buff the dried
polishing compound off and the watch crystal should look like new.
Mineral
crystals can be a big problem if they get chipped or scratched.
You can't polish this yourself unless you have access to optical
lens polishing equipment. The suggestion here is to have the watch
fitted with a new crystal. They are inexpensive and easy for an
experienced watch professional to install.
Sapphire
crystals are extremely difficult to scratch, but a diamond will
do it, so it's a good idea to avoid contact with diamond jewelry.
Also, keep in mind that a sapphire crystal chips more easily than
others. If the sapphire gets scratched and it bothers you, you'll
have to replace it with a new crystal. Sapphire crystals can be
purchased and fitted for around $50 to as much as $200 or more.
How often should a watch be serviced?
Like
any other mechanical object, including your car, your watch may
need servicing from time to time. Some watch manufacturers recommend
service at roughly five year intervals, while other manufacturers
don't advise owners to get service until the watch is not operating
properly (losing time, running fast, etc.). Heed what the manufacturer
advises and do it.
That
being said, it is suggested that no mechanical watch go more than
five years without a complete servicing, since it is likely that
by this time any lubricant will, at the least, have started to lose
its lubricating properties. Also, some parts of your watch - like
water resistant gaskets, chronograph pushers, watch
bands and more - may wear out quicker, depending
on how you use your watch. The gaskets may dry out and lose their
water resistancy in as little as two years, so keep track of how
long you have had your watchand get it checked by your authorized
retailer every so often.
Consequences of Ignoring Routine Watch Maintenance
A
watch could run for ten to fifteen years without encountering any
problems. However, when a problem eventually does occur it could
be major, and expensive. Also, parts may be required that need to
specially ordered, further extending the time that you are without
your watch. To avoid this inconvenience it is best to adhere to
the maintenance guidelines set forth in this section.
