Many people assumed that phones and fitness trackers would spell the end of the traditional wrist watch. Yet, people across the globe continue wearing them on the traditional left hand. Although the transition to typing over writing by hand may eventually wear that tradition away.
Of course, those who enjoy wearing a watch must also concern themselves with taking care of the watch. Like most things, regular care will improve the lifespan and maintain the functionality of the watch.
Not sure what you should do to take care of watches? Keep reading for some tips on how to effectively care for your wrist watch.
Clean Your Watch
The most basic step you can take in caring for your watch is cleaning your watch. Not sure about how to clean your watch?
Tip one, avoid using soap and water. Soap can find its way inside the watch and compromise the watch movements of mechanical watches. A very small amount of water can help you clean the watch’s surface.
In general, all you need is a microfiber cloth to wipe down the watch and band.
Avoid Rough Activities
Unless you specifically bought a sports wrist watch, you shouldn’t wear the watch during rough activities. Sports or manual labor increase the odds that you’ll bang the watch into something. Those impacts can damage the watch crystal.
Impacts can also potentially jar the movements inside the watch and make the watch less accurate. These activities also increase the risk of water exposure.
Some watches may or may not fare better depending on the watch design and quality. For example, dive watches hold up well to water exposure compared with other watches.
Limit Chemical Exposure
People get exposed to chemicals on a regular basis. For example, most home cleaning supplies include chemicals that aren’t great for watches. Even perfumes and colognes may damage leather straps on a wrist watch.
Proper Storage
If you only own one watch, hang on to the original box. It’s a convenient storage solution for when you don’t wear the watch.
What if you own multiple watches?
You can also get dedicated watch storage boxes. These boxes help keep the watches protected from environmental contaminants. It also prevents the watches from scratching each other.
Professional Service
You should get your watch looked at by a professional every few years. Watch repair services or jewelers can often repair watches or replace damaged parts, such as bands or watch crystals.
Caring for Your Wrist Watch
Caring for your wrist watch doesn’t take a lot of special effort on your part. Most of your effort will go into basic cleaning and proper storage. You should also take the watch off before strenuous activities or likely chemical exposure.
Beyond that, you typically need a professional watch repair service or jeweler for other maintenance or repair tasks. Even removing the back of the watch for battery replacement often takes specialized tools.
Looking for more watch tips or information? Check out the posts over in our Watch News section.
