5 Tips On How To Take Care Of Your Watch

Going out of the house without a watch makes me feel naked. Who else shares this sentiment?

For me, wearing a wristwatch is an essential part of daily living to the point that I feel a bit off without its subtle weight on my wrist. Aside from its primary function to keep track of time (or date), watches have become a part of how I present myself to the world. It has become a personal branding, though sometimes I am unaware of it.

For some, one reliable timepiece is enough for everyday use. While for watch enthusiasts, different timepieces represent different kinds of things. There’s a piece for every momentous time in your life or a different one for every mood. Nevertheless, each of them portrays your personality and preferences. We are drawn to different watch styles and features that we think resonate with ourselves – like a siren song that calls to us. 

Growing your watch collection means being responsible for the upkeep of each timepiece that you own. If you think that letting your watches sit on your dresser until its time to use them again is enough, well, I tell you, it is not. I know that sometimes, it is easy to just leave them be, but let us not forget that watches need proper care too. Taking care of your timepieces makes them last longer and maintain their good working condition.

So, when it comes to watch care, where do we even start?

Worry not because we are here to give you some simple but effective watch care tips in order to keep your new and old watches in tip-top shape.

1) Keep your watches in a box.

Before you drop your watch box into the trash pile, think again because they might come in handy in the long run. The first thing that you need to do to preserve your watches to have a proper storage. In short, a watch box.

Keep your watches safely insidie their own boxes when you do not intend to use it for a certain period of time. Having proper storage for your watches keeps dirt, dust, and moisture away. It also protects your watch from unintentionally dropping them and potentially damaging the mechanisms inside it.

If you need some help with looking for the right watch box for your timepieces, let us help you with an article on where to buy your ideal watch boxes here: 5 Places To Buy A Watch Box In Singapore

2) Do not expose your watch to magnets, chemicals or long hours in the sun.

This might be a no-brainer but just a reminder in case you feel extra curious to see what happens to watches when you expose them to magnets. Please do not expose your watches to magnets, chemicals, or direct sunlight.

Exposing your watches to powerful magnets for an extended period of time tends to mess with the internal functions of your watch. In the event that this happens, we recommend that you have them checked to make sure that it is not damaged. 

Likewise, avoid exposing your watch to soap, detergent, perfume, alcohol, lotion and other chemicals. This will weaken the durablity and appearance of the watch strap especially those that are made with leather. Leather tends to react poorly to different chemicals and may cause it to stain, or worse, tear over time. In the case of metal watches, lotions and perfumes may cause it to rust or accumulate grime. 

Lastly, avoid exposing your watch (and yourself) to extended periods in direct sunlight. Sunlight can fade the color of your watch straps and the heat can shorten your watch’s battery life (if it is a quartz watch).

3) Learn how to change straps properly.

I have to admit that there was a time that I tried changing watch straps all by myself. I mean, who doesn’t attempt to do that even once? And so I have it in good judgment to advise you to learn the proper method and use the right tools. You can find an instructional video on how to do it yourself here:  How to change a watch strap

4) Have your watch serviced.

This is one of the most important watch care tips that you should remember, and one that is often overlooked. 

Bringing your watch to service centers is the equivalent to having an annual health check-up. It is necessary because lubricants in your watches dry out after a period of time. The cogs also wear out and grime and dust accumulate. It is good to have your watches cleaned for maintenance. We suggest servicing every three to five years.

In any case that you need to have your watch checked up or repaired here is an article on 5 Places To Go For Watch Repair Services In Singapore

5) Wind your watch with care

There are three things that you need to remember when winding your watch:

1) Remove them from your wrist before winding, and

2) Be careful where you wind them. 

Do not wind your watch when you are still wearing them on your wrist. Winding them in an awkward angle creates pressure on the stem causing it to bend or break. Since you’ll be taking your watch off to wind it, make sure to do it in a safe place. Do NOT wind your watch while walking, in a hurry, or inside the bathroom where there is a  high chance of you dropping it. You don’t want that, especially out on the streets, in the sink or in the toilet, right? 

The ideal place is on a flat surface counter or sturdy table where you can wind it safely and peacefully.

3) For a mechanical watch with date function,  do not change the date when the time is between 10pm and 2am. This is when the movement is in a position to carry out the automatic date change. Each movement has its own guidelines so this may vary a little, but I personally set the time to 6 o’clock prior to changing the date as a habit now just to stay on the safe side.

Bonus tip!

Understand how your watch works

Never underestimate the power of your watch manuals. Tinkering with your new watch is exciting, heck, I’m guilty of experimenting on how the dials and cogs in my watches work. You might think, “how hard can it be to adjust a watch”, but of course, it still pays to have a quick read on the different features and quirks of your own watch. You never know, you might find some hidden feature in there somewhere.

Take Away

The watches that we wear are extensions of ourselves, it is more than an object that tells you what time it is. Your watch may be a gift from someone special and holds sentimental value. Taking proper care of it not only preserves the watch itself but the memories and meaning behind it too.