The Dos and Don'ts of Watch Maintenance

You’ve waited all morning for the courier to arrive, you’ve carefully unpackaged your new watch, and you’ve found the perfect light to take a photograph for the group chat (Nigel is going to love it!). And then you realise that you’re not 100% sure how to set it. Do you need to start planning for its next service? And it was water-resistant, wasn’t it? But you’re not planning on diving down 30m any time soon, right?

It can be a little overwhelming, so I’ve put together a quick guide on some of the do's and don’ts of watch maintenance. However, I will add here that over the years, I’ve heard contradicting advice so please feel free to get in touch with any questions, or if in doubt, refer to the brand’s own instruction manuals.

Setting your watch

Most watches have either a screw-down crown (usually dive watches) or a pull-out crown. A screw-down crown will unscrew in an anti-clockwise direction, and you’ll feel it “pop” off of the thread to position 1. For pull-out crowns, position 1 is when the crown is pushed in flush to the case.

For most mechanical (automatic or manual-wind) watches, position 1 is the winding position. With mechanical watches, and within that, usually vintage pieces, you can wind the crown clockwise until it starts to feel stiff or you get to an end point. It’s important not to go beyond this point as it’s likely to damage the movement.

Automatic watches can be wound approximately 40 times to fully wind them. Watches with a power reserve of more than 48 hours may need to be wound more, or if you’re in a rush, you can wind the watch approximately 20 times, and by wearing it, the movement of your wrist should “top-up” the power.

As a general rule, if you fully wind your automatic watch and wear it 8 hours a day, the movement of your wrist should keep it running. If you take it off for a day, it’s unlikely to stop, but you might want to manually wind it 20 times to top it up.

Setting the date

The date setting is usually position 2, which is easier to find if you pull the crown fully out (to position 3, for setting the hands) and then carefully push it in again. Some modern watches are the exception, but as a rule, you want to avoid setting the date between 8pm and 4am as the date mechanism is already working. If your watch has stopped and you’re unsure if it’s AM or PM, move the hands forward to the bottom half of the dial (something like 6:30) and then I tend to change the date to the day before the current date, and move the hands forward past midnight. For some vintage watches without a quick date setting, there is a way of rocking the time between 8pm and 4am instead of going through a full 24 hours.

Water resistance

Water resistance can be a bit of a minefield, but it’s important to remember that meters refer more to atmospheric pressure than depth downwards underwater. As a guide, watches with a water resistance of 30m – 50m are only really considered splash proof. With 100m, you’re probably okay with surface water sports and light swimming. And for more adventurous water sports and serious diving, you want to be looking at anything with a water resistance of over 200m.

If you regularly wear your watch in water, particularly pool water or sea water, I’d recommend getting the water resistance tested once a year as the gaskets can deteriorate.

Maintenance

As a general rule, I would say that most watches would need a full overhaul every four to six years, and I’m a big fan of Omega co-axial movements and modern Rolex movements, which can go a little longer. If a watch is running well, you can leave it without any maintenance but as soon as it’s showing signs of slowing or stopping, it’s a good idea to get it looked at before the dry oils cause additional wear on components.

Vintage watches

Vintage pieces need a little more TLC. I often say think of a vintage watch like your grandad - take it out regularly but maybe not every day, take care when moving it about, take it to the pub but don’t leave it out in the rain. Vintage watches are also more susceptible to magnetism, so avoid leaving them too close to laptops and other electronic devices.

Watch winders

I’m still in two minds. They are very helpful at keeping a set watch wound – imagine having to set a perpetual calendar every time it stops! But I’ve had watchmakers tell me that they put excessive wear on a movement, as even when wearing your watch, your wrist isn’t constantly moving. And there’s something enjoyable about setting your watch, right?

Storage

If you don’t keep your watch on a winder, there are so many other storage options! Leather pouches that don’t take up much room, travel cases, cases for multiple watches. Which leads me on to…

Security

For multiple watches at home, you might want to consider installing a safe. It gives additional peace of mind and could lower your insurance premium. When you have one too many watches, you could use a security deposit box at a local bank.

Insurance

Speaking of insurance, I think most household insurance policies cover single items up to £3,000. For more expensive watches or multiple pieces, you can get specialist watch insurance. I strongly recommend T.H. March (I can give you a referral code) but there are other specialist insurance companies too.

Enjoy it!

Serious stuff aside, watches are meant to be enjoyed! Wear it, add memories to it, stare fondly at it when it catches the light, photograph it and tell your watch friends why you love it. And if you get a little overwhelmed with the technicalities, drop me a message and I’ll talk you through it.