Maintaining your mechanical watch properly

The movement of a mechanical watch is a very sensitive organ and therefore, your watch needs regular cleaning . Indeed, in addition to hygiene and aesthetic issues, impurities can lodge deep in the watch and find their way to your mechanism and disrupt or even damage it .

To refresh your watch and make it last over time , a deep bath is recommended. Of course, the deep bath is only reserved for waterproof watches, the others will be cleaned without or with little water.

If you are still in doubt about the water resistance of your watch, ask directly, so as not to damage it during this cleaning but also during its daily use. For old watches that have not had any watchmaking revision, assume that they are not water resistant.

 

Our advice for cleaning your watch properly

As you will have understood, depending on the water resistance of your watch, different techniques apply, regardless of the mechanism on board . The tools remain essentially identical.

The material

Equip yourself with a brush with soft and flexible bristles . Yes... your old toothbrush will do the job perfectly. You will need a dry cloth, a wooden toothpick, a container with clear or slightly soapy water . Most importantly for the end, equip yourself with your bracelet remover. With the exception of the latter, do not use metal objects under any circumstances during this maintenance.

House cleaning

Cleaning involves removing residue from your watch so that it does not penetrate inside it, but also for hygiene and aesthetic reasons. Here are our tips for cleaning your watch like a pro:

First step : Remove your band . If it is leather, you can moisturize it and give it a little care with a cloth. For your metal band , place it in water, preferably hot .

Second step : First, gently use the toothpick to remove any dirt from the crown , then from the case . Brush dry to remove any residue. Secondly, if your watch is waterproof, moisten (dip and lightly wipe) your brush and repeat the process. The more waterproof your watch is, the wetter you can make the brush. Be careful, never rub the crown with a wet brush , as water could get stuck there and enter your watch. Instead, brush your watch on the case, lugs, between the lugs, etc.

Step 3 : Dry your watch and leave no trace of water. If your watch is particularly waterproof (10-20 ATM) you can rinse it under running water.

Take your steel band out of its bath and brush it as well to remove impurities.

Step four : Put your band back on (buckle at 12 o'clock) and you're off for a good while again.

Don't try anything dangerous , if you are not confident do everything with a dry brush and a cloth. Don't try to disassemble your watch, except the band, leave everything as is. Remember that there are professionals !

 

In a professional workshop

As you can imagine, a professional cleaning will be much more complete and thorough than an amateur maintenance. Indeed, the watchmaker will have more tools and instruments but above all, he will have experience. We remind you that once every 5 years a complete maintenance is recommended for your mechanical watches, take advantage of this visit for a complete cleaning that will remove inaccessible impurities.

Your watchmaker's main instrument will be an ultrasonic tank. If you are a dusty person, a trip to this tank is probably your worst nightmare. Once the watch is disassembled, the various components such as your (empty) case and your bracelet will be immersed in a solution that will be irradiated with ultrasound. Roughly speaking, these waves will "dissolve" the dirt.

This system will be much more effective and more complete than a home cleaning and we are aware that not everyone has an ultrasonic bath. This is why from time to time, a professional cleaning is recommended.

Our advice for properly maintaining your watch

Now that your favorite wrist jewelry is cleaned, how do you best preserve and maintain it ? You've come to the right place, we have all the tips for you.

Know your watch well and take care of it

Obviously, for your watch to last as long as possible, you have to use it according to its usage range . Each watch has a specific use and very particular characteristics, which is why dozens of different types exist. We can mention: diving watches, chronographs, pilot watches, telemeters, etc.

If you haven't already, find out what type of watch you're wearing, so you can show off to other watch lovers and, more importantly, know how to use it. A city watch is for the city and won't like water or sports , and a sports watch won't be suitable for diving either. So you have to use your watch within the norms and not ask too much of it.

Daily use

To begin with, your watch must be adjusted to the right size . If your metal band is too wide, your band will become too "loose" and the risk of it breaking will increase considerably. In addition, you are less likely to damage it by keeping it close to you . Remember that the slightest shock can be fatal to it.

Take care of your movement

The dead zone:

Some actions, however innocuous, can severely damage your watch and movement without you even noticing . The most insidious of these is changing the time/date or lunar cycle while the natural change is in progress.

In other words, any time or date setting will probably be fatal if you do it between 9pm and 3am. This time period is called the Dead Zone . During this time zone, your watch is changing date. On a mechanical watch, you have to be careful and not touch anything at this time.

Wear your watches:

Counter-intuitively, your mechanical watch is less damaged by running than by standing still , at least if it has been serviced recently. Indeed, the oils dry out and solidify very quickly. In the space of a few weeks, the efficiency drops by an average of 10%. If the watch is left stationary, the oils solidify and “stick” the parts together. This is why it is better to run your watch and have it serviced every 5 years or so . Even if it works like a charm, the parts are subject to more friction and therefore wear.

Beware of the crown:
This time it is more specifically the crown than the movement but everything is linked. Never wind your watch with just one finger. Pinch the crown between your index finger and thumb and turn gently so as not to warp it. When your watch is on your wrist, do not set it and do not wind it , you risk warping the crown again.

A warped crown will damage the crown stem , the mechanism and compromise the water resistance . In addition, a warped crown is systematically repaired and this will have a cost.

 

Store and warehouse

How to properly store and stock my watch? Nothing could be simpler. In the evening , if you plan to put your watch back on the next day, place it naturally on your bedside table, you will simply have to wind it in the morning , whether it is manually wound or not, depending on your power reserve.

If you plan on not wearing your watch for several days or weeks, your timepieces' favorite burrows will be a dry place away from light, such as the original box, a marmot or a case . However, wind your watches frequently to avoid solidifying the oils!

As always, there is a more practical alternative for your automatics , " range simulators " that automatically wind your watches. The advantage is that your watch is constantly on time, fully wound, and the oils do not have time to solidify.

A watch winder is a small machine that stores your watch and imitates the movements of your wrist. The Rolls Royce for storing your mechanical watches.

 

Have your watch serviced by a watchmaker

Indeed, even if your watch works perfectly , the components inside can suffer wear and tear over time but also damage due to the loss of effectiveness of the oils . The older the oils, the stickier they are. Your vintage watch found at a garage sale will therefore systematically need a good overhaul.

So contact either your watchmaker who will have all the parts necessary for servicing, or go through your watchmaker , whichever is more convenient for you!

 

Mind your bracelet

On your watch, the strap is also very important and it is essential to take care of it if you want it to last over time. Not all straps are good with water.

Rubber bracelets and metal bracelets for example are created and designed to resist water without worries . So you can swim and do your water activities or even sports with complete peace of mind.

The leather strap , on the other hand, will be recommended for use in the city; it will not appreciate being soaked , even during a quick shower or hand washing. It is a strap that deserves more attention.

Depending on the strap that equips your watch, do not hesitate to ask the brand for advice on how to use it and these days many straps are quickly interchangeable so don't panic, you can easily switch from leather to tropical in order to enjoy swimming with your favorite diving watch.

Don't play the watchmaker's apprentice

The most important thing for the end, never disassemble or open your watch by your own means . The components are extremely fragile and the slightest dust can harm its functioning. Do not try crazy things . It is not uncommon to ruin your first watches “artisanally” opened so unless your watch is good for the trash, it is better to go through a professional and not regret bad handling .

To conclude

Your watch needs regular maintenance to keep it in Olympic shape and serve you best. To do this, clean it and take care of it daily , it will know how to give it back to you. Take out your brushes and cloths, it's time for monthly cleaning .

And finally, for more expensive watches, don't hesitate to contact watchmakers directly, who often offer this type of service.