With proper care, a watch will provide its owner with many years of
pleasure and reliable service. Here are a few tips that will help you
take care of your new chronograph watch, skeleton watch, or tourbillon
watch:
Water
Resistance - Understanding the water resistance limitations of your
watch is an important part of protecting it from unnecessary damage.
Here are some general guidelines to help you determine the level of
caution necessary to protect your watch:
Non-Water Resistant -
Watches that are not rated as water resistant should be shielded from
water or other sources of moisture, including rain, excessive
perspiration, etc.
Water Resistant - Watches that are water
resistant but have no specific depth rating can safely withstand
incidental splashes from activities such as hand washing, getting caught
in the rain, etc.
Up to 50 Meters Water Resistant - Watches rated
as water resistant up to 50 meters can be safely worn while swimming in
still water, such as in a swimming pool. However, many watch
specialists recommend exercising caution when doing such things as
diving to the bottom of a deep swimming pool, as the rapid change in
pressure may affect watches with low water resistance ratings.
Up
to 100 Meters Water Resistant - Watches rated water resistant up to 100
meters are suitable for wearing during activities such as swimming,
surfing, snorkeling, or other similar water sports.
Up to 200
Meters Water Resistant - Watches rated as water resistant up to 200
meters can be worn for sport scuba diving and other water sports.
Up
to 500 Meters Water Resistant - Watches with this water resistance
rating are suitable for use in all types of water sports, including
deeper-water scuba diving such as wreck diving, reef diving, etc.
Watches
and Temperature Extremes - You should always be careful not to expose
your watch to extreme temperatures. Don't ever wear your watch in a hot
tub, or leave it on the dash of a car exposed to the sun, as this can
damage key components of the watch. Also, if you have a quartz watch,
heat may damage the battery, causing the watch to function incorrectly
or stop working altogether.
You should also avoid leaving your
watch exposed for extended periods to extremely cold temperatures, as
this may cause it to keep time poorly until it returns to a more normal
temperature range.
Cleaning Your Watch
Dirt, stains, and even water spots detract
from the appearance of your watch, and may negatively impact its
performance. To maximize the life and quality of appearance of your
watch, you should thoroughly wipe it down once a month or so with a
soft, dry cloth. A high-quality linen or silk cloth works well, but even
a terrycloth wash cloth works fine as long as you take care not to snag
the crown or pushers on the terrycloth loops.
We're not big fans
of wearing a watch in the shower-soap was meant to clean people, not
watches. But should you choose to do so, make sure you rinse it
thoroughly to get any soap off of it, and gently pat it dry with a clean
towel or cloth. Also, after wearing your watch in a swimming pool or in
the ocean, you should make sure you thoroughly rinse it in fresh water
to wash away any residual chlorine or salt, and then gently dry it.
Caring for Watch Bracelets and Straps
Leather Straps
With
proper care, your leather watch strap will last many years. When
wearing your watch, be sure to allow a little space between your wrist
and the strap so that moisture can evaporate. The width of your little
finger between the strap and your wrist is plenty. Also, it's a good
idea to occasionally clean the inside of the strap with a soft cloth
dampened with rubbing alcohol to remove body oils, dirt, etc.
Heavy
perspiration should be removed by blotting it with a dry cloth or paper
towel to prevent the leather from losing its natural oils and becoming
dry and brittle.
Salt, soil, and chlorine should always be removed
as soon as possible by gently washing the strap with a damp, soft cloth
and saddle soap, and patting it dry with a dry cloth or paper towel,
and then allowing it to air dry.
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