WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN YOUR LUXURY WATCH?
Luxury watches offer the promise that they will last for generations. However, this is contingent upon how well its taken care of. Naturally, the better a watch is maintained, the longer it will last. Additionally, if a watch is in near pristine condition, it will command much higher prices when it’s time to resell it. So with that in mind, our top tips on good luxury watch maintenance are the following:
1. Clean your watch
2. Service your watch
3. Store your watch correctly
1. HOW TO CLEAN YOUR WATCH
The best way to clean a watch is dependent on a few factors. Firstly, it’s important to take note of the water resistance of a watch.
Water resistant watches: do not use any liquids to clean it or it may suffer some damage. Instead, use a dry soft cloth to wipe it down, paying close attention to every nook and cranny to ensure no dirt is left behind.
Water resistant watches: a soft damp cloth can be used (make sure the crown is pushed or screwed down all the way) followed by a dry one to remove any excess moisture.
Leather bands: should not be cleaned with water, but rather with specialized leather cleaner. On the other hand, metal bracelets, which can be removed from the case if need be—can be cleaned with warm soapy water.
2. HOW TO SERVICE YOUR WATCH
Watch servicing differs between a quartz movement and a mechanical movement.
Quartz Watches: The battery life of a quartz watch typically runs from 1 – 3 years and it’s absolutely imperative to change the battery as soon as it stops working. Delaying the change can cause the battery to leak, which can lead to extensive damage to the watch. Unless you’re an expert, we would recommend using a watch professional for a battery replacement.
Mechanical Watches: Mechanical movements require even more skill and knowledge to service. The standard recommendation is to have a mechanical movement serviced every five years or so. When it comes to servicing, there’s the choice between sending the watch to the official brand or using a third party instead and both have their pros and cons.
Servicing Options: While a brand’s service center will no doubt use all original parts, have the best equipment, and normally have the most knowledge about your particular timepiece, this comes at a cost. And the cost includes both time and money. Servicing your watch at the official brand will generally be more expensive and take longer than using a non-official service center. Furthermore, the brands will commonly fix any and all issues they see even if the wearer didn’t see a need for it thus racking up the bill even more. Nevertheless, having service papers from the brand is usually advantageous when reselling a watch because it gives the buyer more confidence in the integrity of the piece.
Alternatively, third party service centers tend to be a cheaper and faster option when servicing a watch. However, make sure you do your homework when selecting a company. Confirm that they have the appropriate knowledge, skills, certifications, and equipment to do a solid job.
3. HOW TO STORE YOUR WATCH
Once your watch is properly cleaned and maintained, it’s just as important to store your timepiece correctly when it’s not in use. There are two options for storing your luxury watch:
- Safely tucked away in either its original packaging or in a high quality watch box away from other metals that can scratch it is always a safe bet.
- For more serious watch collectors with several automatic mechanical timepieces to their name, a watch winder is the ideal storage solution.