Tips for caring for a luxury watch

A luxury watch is an elegant accessory and a worthwhile investment at the same time. To preserve or even increase this value, the care of a luxury watch is indispensable. To ensure that these valuable pieces of jewelry do not suffer any damage, the following care tips are particularly helpful.

Avoid heat and sunlight exposure

Mechanical Watches are complex masterpieces that react to external influences. In particularheat and direct sunlightcan take a toll on a Watch. UV radiation causes fading of optical components such as the Dial, hands,leather and rubber straps. Excessive heat causes the existing lubricants to evaporate, which means thePower Reserve of a Watchis lost over time. Thanks to synthetic oils, this problem has been almost completely solved.

Individual components such as seals and plastic parts become brittle due to excessive temperatures and UV radiation, reducing their lifespan.

Avoid magnetic fields in everyday life

Our living conditions mean that luxury Watches can regularly be exposed to magnetic fields. Examples includemobile phones, electric motors, car speakers, and induction cooktops,which are used without concern. Regular contact with magnetic fields reduces the precision of a luxury watch. In specialist shops and workshops owners have the opportunity to have their Watch examined and demagnetized.

Winding the Watch correctly

What may seem trivial at first glance is of particularly high importance for luxury Watches. A distinction is made between an Automatic Watch or a hand-wound Watch. For an Automatic Watch, it is completely sufficient to turn the crown about 30 times. Withregular wearing, the integrated automatic winding through the rotor ensures that further winding is not necessary. If an Automatic Watch is taken off, winding is required again. For a hand-wound Watch, regular winding is always necessary when thePower Reserve has run out. Caution is advised here, because if a crown can no longer be turned, it must not be overwound to avoid damage.

Proper storage of a luxury watch

Collectors and watch enthusiasts, in particular, do not wear their Watches regularly. One option isoriginal watch boxes, which can be supplemented bywatch cases, –travel cases and rollsto avoid inappropriate dents and scratches. Varying in size, most storage options for luxury Watches can be kept in a safe or another secure place. An interesting alternative for the storage of Automatic Watches are watch winders, as the Watch winds itself through movement and does not stop. Thus, the time, date, etc., do not have to be reset. For longer storage, a watch winder is not recommended, as the Watch is always running and thus constantly subject to wear, which would also occur during daily wear. This applies especially to the components of the automatic assembly. Particles caused by abrasion can spread throughout the Movement and shorten the service interval. For longer storage, a motionless option is recommended. There is no concern about the “gumming up” of oils beforehand, as modern Watch oils are fully synthetic and their properties change only very slightly.

Regular cleaning of Watches

Careful and regular cleaning of Watches is absolutely necessary for long-term value retention. Dust and small impurities can be removed with amicrofiber cloth. If sufficient water resistance of at least 10 bar is present, cleaning withlukewarm water and perfume-free detergentis helpful. No water should enter the Watch. It must be checked beforehand whether all screw-down controls are fully screwed down. Operating the pushers underwater is also not recommended. Optimal helpers are microfiber cloths, a soft toothbrush, fine brushes, and a dust blower. With enough time and attention to detail, cleaning contributes to perfect functionality and the preservation of appearance.