How to look after a luxury Timepiece
One of the most googled, watch-related sentences is ‘my watches always stop working’.
I’m afraid to tell you that if you’ve bought a cheap, poorly-made or unbranded watch then it’s just an eventuality that it’s only so long for this world. But if you’ve paid a decent amount and got one from a reputable company then there should be no reason for it to just stop working, and you’d be perfectly within your rights to get seriously annoyed if it kept happening. Maintaining your watch and knowing how to take proper care of it will increase its lifespan no end, so here’s 10 simple ways to do that.
A watch for every occasion
- Now, repeat after me: regular servicing! Your watch needs to be serviced by a certified Swiss watch professional every couple of years, even if it looks fine. They will be able to see damage that you can’t and sort it before it becomes a problem.
- If you go swimming in your watch, always rinse it after (although we recommend you don’t take your Tighes Timepiece in water). Chemicals in pools and the sea can erode the material of the timepiece if it isn’t washed off, so give it a rinse in clean water and then make sure you dry it off. It shouldn’t stay wet for any length of time, especially if it has a leather strap! In fact, if it does, it might be a good idea to store it in some absorbent paper when you take it off.
- Another water-related tip is to keep the crown pushed in when you go for a dip – even a shower – as water can get in there and cause damage. Look out for condensation under the face as a sign of this, or of damage to the seal. (Again we recommend you don’t expose your Tighes Timepiece to water).
“Maintaining your watch and knowing how to take proper care of it will increase its lifespan no end!”
4. Speaking of leather, if you don’t want your leather strap to deteriorate as quickly then it’s simply a case of keeping it away from bright light and oils. That means no leaving it on the window ledge or spraying Gucci on it when you’re going out. Simple really.
5. Avoid extremes of temperature which cause the metal to expand and retract. You might not be planning a trip to the arctic, but holidays and sun-beds can be deadly silent killers of beloved timepieces.
6. Do you regularly clean your timepiece? Thought not. It’s not difficult once you get into the routine, you just need to buy a soft toothbrush and get between the hinges once a week or so if you wear it regularly to stop a build-up of dirt which will eat through your beautiful finish.
7. Whilst cleaning, watch out for signs of oxidation or condensation and check the seals. Catching damage early makes it much cheaper and easier to fix.
8. Keep the battery fresh. You can tell when it’s running out, but don’t wait for it to actually stop to change it. If you leave it to deteriorate it could leak battery acid, all over the inner workings. Nightmare.
9. Here’s one which goes a bit beyond common sense, don’t keep your watch near any magnets for any length of time. It messes with the mechanism and it’s very easy to avoid. Magnets can be found all over the house in fridges, computers, speakers and even your phone. What’s wrong with just putting it on the bedside table?
10. Bit of an odd one here, but bear with it. Never adjust the date when the hour hand is between 9pm and 3am. Don’t ask why, you don’t want to know. But seriously, it causes damage to the inner workings. Try to remember and you’ll be doing your timepiece a favour.
