This winter you may be wondering what the best ways to protect your watch or watches are. The more you spend on a watch, the more vested interest you probably have in taking care of it. Unless you’re a certified watchmaker, you’re likely going to lack the knowledge and resources to make it happen on your own.
Below, My Jewelry Repair goes over a few ways you can protect your watch (and your investment) against the harsh hand of mother nature.
Keep Your Watch Wound
Winding your watch is important, if you have a mechanical watch that is. A mechanical watch will never say “Quartz,” “Kinetic,” or “Eco-Drive” on the watch face, and, if that’s the case, this watch will need to be wound every once in a while, in order to operate properly.
To wind your watch, first remove it from your wrist, and unscrew the crown. Wind the dial clockwise and give it about 20-40 full turns. When you start to get resistance it’s a good time to stop winding your watch. When finished, turn the crown of your watch back 5-6 turns to lubricate and reduce watch strain.
Cleaning
If the watch can stand up to it, dip it in warm water with an easy soap (and very little of it) added. Rinse with clean water and dry with a soft cloth. Invest in a soft bristle toothbrush and use that to clean your watch often, which will help get rid of tiny debris particles.
Store in a Cool, Dry Place
Think of humidity and dust as the two primary adversaries to your watch. Keeping your watches dry is of paramount importance, so, the bathroom is probably a place you do not want to keep your watches. If you can manage to hold onto the original packaging of your watch, this is a good method of storage. Make sure to never store or set down your watch face-down, which will compromise your watch glass, not to mention scratching metal surfaces as well.
Avoid using any sort of bubble wrap for watch storage, which can often house moisture.
What’s the Big Deal About Magnets?
Keeping your watch away from magnets is also crucial. Magnets can adversely affect watch components and can be found in laptops, TVs, and other electromagnetic devices. Some watches on the market have anti-magnetic technology that will help prevent magnetic damage.
Give Your Watch the Routine Maintenance it Needs
Do you have the necessary workbench, Horotec crystal tools, pin vises, watch case and movement holders, and the numerous additional expert tools it takes to properly maintain and repair a high-quality watch? If not, My Jewelry Repair is here to make the process simple and pain-free for you.
We fix watches of showcase quality and make over half a million repairs each year across the nation. Get in touch with My Jewelry Repair today to give your watch the repair and routine maintenance it needs to hold up in any conditions.