After you have purchased your luxury watch, maintenance and aftercare are essential to keeping your watch in top condition and retaining its value. This is extremely important for both investment timepieces and watches that you wear on a regular or semi-regular basis. This article provides guidance on how to care for luxury watches that you intend to wear or watches that you purchase as an investment timepiece. We cover:
- Care and maintenance for watches that you are going to wear. This includes how to clean your watch, the best way to wear your watch and what to avoid, arranging for professional maintenance and preventing common issues with your watch when it is worn.
- Care and maintenance for investment timepieces. Guidance on where to store your watch after you have purchased it and long-term preservation such as keeping all of the relevant documentation in great condition and the ways in which you can ensure that your watch retains value and pitfalls to avoid that can reduce your investment’s value.
- Urgent care in the case of an emergency that can seriously damage your watch.
We are one of the leading luxury watch dealers in the UK and we are able to help you source the perfect luxury watch for you. Whether you are looking for a timepiece to wear on a regular or semi-regular basis or an investment timepiece – we can source the perfect watch that suits you. Get in touch with our team to find out more and to find your first or next luxury timepiece.
Care and Maintenance For Regular Use Watches
If you are wearing your luxury watch regularly or for special occasions, your watch will naturally require more care and maintenance than if it is stored as an investment timepiece. The main aspects of care and maintenance that you need to consider are as follows:
Cleaning Your Watch and Arranging for Regular Servicing
As you will be wearing your watch on a regular or semi-regular basis, your watch is going to encounter some wear and tear and potential damage from use over time. It’s very important to have a regular cleaning and maintenance schedule to keep your watch in top condition. This helps your watch retain its value, although it’s important to remember that your watch will likely naturally depreciate through regular use apart from rare circumstances.
- Ensure that you regularly clean your watch before and after use. Clean regularly with a non-abrasive and lint-free cloth to remove any oil, dirt and perspiration on the watch itself. Clean metal bracelets and water-resistant cases with mild soap and warm water to clean harder-to-reach areas with a soft brush. Dry thoroughly after any cleaning takes place and avoid any submerging of non-water resistance watches.
- Arrange for regular maintenance of your watch. Mechanical watches need servicing every 3 to 5 years, quartz requires battery replacement every 1-2 years, with servicing every 5 years. Annually test watches that are regularly exposed to water if they are water resistant.
- Get into good wearing practices. Avoid wearing your watches in situations where they could become damaged and avoid wearing your watch around extreme temperature changes or magnets. Don’t wear your watch during sports or activities that could damage the mechanics of the watch and store your watch in an appropriate area when not in use.
If you drop your watch then you need to carry out a visual inspection and check for any visible damage or loose components. If you have concerns, then seek a professional assessment of your watch.
For water or condensation entering the case, remove the water immediately, dry the surfaces, and then urgently seek the support of a watchmaker to prevent further damage.
Cleaning Your Watch and Arranging for Regular Servicing
When you purchase a timepiece as an investment, you likely aren’t going to be wearing the watch at all or you will wear it on very rare occasions. This makes appropriate storage for your timepiece extremely important as the main aim of your investment is for your timepiece to retain and appreciate in value. When storing your watch, make sure that you:
- Take the environment into consideration. Keep your watch in a cool, dry environment that isn’t exposed to direct sunlight with consistent regulation of humidity and temperature. A lockbox or safe is the ideal storage location for investment timepieces.
- The paperwork and boxes that accompany your watch also need to stay in pristine condition if you want to retain its value. Ensure that these are stored in environments where paper doesn’t become damaged in the same conditions mentioned above.
Need Guidance?
Our team is here to help. We can advise you on the best investment timepieces as well as discuss the best watches currently available.
