Watch care
A good watch asks for very little. These few habits keep it running well, and they protect it from the kinds of damage the warranty doesn’t cover.
Water resistance, in plain words
Every watch’s page shows its rating. The number is not a depth you can dive to: watches are tested in still water, and moving through water presses much harder on the seals.
- Under 100 m (often 30 or 50 m): rain and splashes only. Take it off to swim or shower.
- 100 to 199 m: swimming and snorkeling, but not scuba diving.
- 200 m and over: swimming, snorkeling and water sports.
Seals age, so a watch’s water resistance doesn’t last for ever. Keep the crown pushed in, never press a button under water, keep the watch away from hot showers, saunas and steam, and rinse it in fresh water after the sea or a pool. Water damage isn’t covered by the warranty.
Quartz, automatic and solar
- Quartz watches run on a battery and keep very accurate time. When one slows down or stops, it usually needs a new battery. We change batteries, and so can any jeweler. Don’t leave a flat battery inside for long.
- Automatic watches wind themselves as you wear them, with no battery. Worn every day, they keep going; left in a drawer, they stop after a day or two. To start one again, set the time and wear it, or give the crown a few turns if it can be wound by hand.
- Solar watches are charged by light, indoors or out. Leave one by a window now and then rather than in a drawer.
Straps and bracelets
- Steel bracelets are shortened by taking out links. We adjust bracelets: ask us.
- Leather doesn’t like water. Keep it dry, and if it gets damp, let it dry in the air, away from heat.
- Silicone, rubber and resin straps can be washed with a little soap and water.
- Changing the strap gives a watch a new look. The strap width on each watch’s page, the space between its lugs, tells you which straps fit.
Every day
- Wipe the case and glass with a soft, dry cloth.
- Keep watches away from strong magnets, such as speakers and magnetic phone cases, which can upset an automatic movement.
- Take your watch off for heavy work and contact sports. Knocks aren’t covered by the warranty.
- Store it in its box, apart from other pieces, so nothing scratches it.
Need a battery, a bracelet adjustment or a clean? See warranty and repairs, or ask us.