Your luxury watch is a statement of your persona and status and to keep it looking as good as new, you need to give a lot of attention to its care, maintenance, and servicing. Custom made luxury watches require more efforts to be taken care of given the modifications made to their bezels and straps. This adds to the list of elements that further need regular servicing to keep up their optimum appearance. Here is a guide to ensure your luxury watch is getting the care it needs.
1. Time for a Service?
Every luxury watch manufacturer recommends regular servicing for your watch to ensure that if any repair is necessary, the warranty is in effect for its coverage. Expert luxury watchmakers recommend a 3 to 5-year regularity to be established between each watch servicing to keep up the perfect condition of your watch. This general timeline for servicing might differ from brand to brand and it is advisable to consult with your brand expert on the specific time period.
If and when damage occurs, be sure to get your watch serviced immediately. Also, keep in mind to send your timepiece to a certified watch servicing center. This is to avoid the watch from losing its warranty and possibly being carelessly handled by third-party repair services. By doing so, you will ensure that your watch is taken care of by expert horologists that specialize in watch servicing.
2. Look Out for Magnetic Fields
There are magnetic fields present all around us with our increased use of electronic devices and appliances. These devices and appliances include refrigerators, phones, speakers, and magnets amongst others, and can magnetize your watch causing considerable damage to the internal mechanics. It is highly recommended you remove your wristwatch before walking through metal scanners since the magnetic fields of the security scan can severely impact the watch machinery. This then affects the timekeeping of the watch and causes it to either run fast or slow down.
You can also make an observation by placing your watch beside a compass to see if the needle of the compass wanders. If it does, it indicates that your watch has been magnetized. This then calls for a need to service and demagnetize the watch to set the mechanics right.
3. Taking Care of Leather Straps
If your luxury watch has leather straps, more care is required to maintain the material and ensure that it does not lose its shape and color over time. Sun exposure can lead to the color of the leather drying up and fading out and thus the straps must always be protected by avoiding long exposures. Extra care must also be taken when tightening the straps to avoid cracks in the leather.
Special care must be given to ensure that the straps are not immersed in water for long. However, if this does happen, the straps must be immediately dried to remove any residual water. This stands true despite the time piece being waterproof. Also, ensure the watch does not come in direct contact with other liquids and chemicals, such as perfumes, as these could cause severe damage to the leather. This is also applicable to watches that have metal straps that can corrode from repeated exposure.
Liquids including detergents, grease, solvents and cleaning liquids that are otherwise recommended to clean leather surfaces, actually prove to be harmful given leather’s permeable nature.
4. Avoid Water and Heat Complications
If your timepiece remains in water for long, regardless of its waterproof nature, it is good practice to rinse it again with warm water. This then removes any salted or treated water and prevents further corrosion and damage to the watch. Drying out the watch immediately is a must to keep the watch in a better condition if water contact cannot be avoided. If any condensation appears within the watch dial, it is a good idea to approach a service center and have your watch checked to prevent permanent irreparable damage.
If your watch has a chronograph, ensure that it is not operated underwater as it could allow for the entry of water into the dial. Fastening down a screw-in crown if present on the watch can also prevent water entry; if not, a watch could use the crown being at the neutral position to avert the same difficulty. Furthermore, extreme temperatures such as those set in a sauna prove to be intensely damaging to the inner mechanics of a timepiece. Any shocks that are either thermal or of any other nature must also be avoided at all costs to maintain optimum mechanical functioning.
5. Store It Right
Ensure that at all times your watch is stored in a space that is dry and lacks the direct permeation of sunlight to keep your watch safe when you are not wearing it. When storing it away, it is a recommended practice to wipe your watch with a microfiber cloth to remove any dust, dirt, and sweat that the watch might have collected over the course of the wear. This will help prevent any damage that could be caused by these pollutants lingering on its surface.
Do not use any unnecessary wipes or cleaners for the watch unless recommended by the manufacturer or craftsman of your customized watch as these might cause unknown harm. Make sure that the crown of the watch is not left open when being stored as this can allow entry of dust particles that could fog up the glass of the dial. Storing the watch in its rightful case or a case for watches will give it enough space to be cushioned and prevent it from getting scratches upon contact with other surfaces or materials of other accessories.
Your custom made luxury watches most definitely require even more specialized care that can be best delivered by experts. They can provide you with personal customization services that will meet the needs of your bespoke watches. You might also be interested in investing in a watch winder that can keep your watch moving hours after you have last worn it, to avoid its mechanics from getting stuck. A smart reason for such an investment is based on the idea that the oils that aid the gears to operate get clogged over time from the lack of movement. This motion is then supplied to the watch through the means of electricity powering the watch winder to continuously move the watch.
If you believe that your watch is in need of a service or repair irrespective of the recommended timeline, then you most definitely must take it to its respective service center for a check. According to the feedback you receive you could have the parts of the watch replaced or the problems fixed and restore your watch to its original condition.
