It is easy to forget that your watch requires maintenance. Yet, it demonstrates how well these little machines are built. They contain hundreds of tiny components that operate at extremely fine tolerances; we expect them to keep time 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and to take a lot of punishment along the way.
What are ways that you can maintain your luxury watches? Some ways to maintain them are to avoid prolonged contact with direct sunlight, keep it clean, and avoid water contact.
Water Resistance
Some watches, such as the Seiko 5, have a certain level of water resistance. However, the label of a water-resistant watch does not permit you to attempt a cannonball with it. Watches with a 3 bar rating (or 3 ATM/30m/100ft) do not imply that you can dive to 30m with them. This can seriously harm your watch. These figures represent a standardized water resistance classification rather than in-use scenarios.
Keep Out Of Direct Sunlight
The biggest enemy of luxury watches is direct sunlight. Direct sunlight (and at prolonged contact) speeds up the wear on painted parts of your watch (usually the dial, bezel, and hands) while drying out lubricants that run the components smoothly. As a result, your luxury watches age and degrades.
Some watches, especially older ones, can fog up if the temperature changes too quickly, resulting in condensation and water damage in the long run. So keep your watch in a cool, dark place with little temperature fluctuation.
Insurance
Insurance is hardly a glamorous subject. However, consider getting it insured if you want to keep your luxury watch in good shape. It is pointless to spend thousands, tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands of dollars on the watch of your dreams only to drop it, catch it on a brick wall, or worse, have it stolen.
While most expensive watches come with a manufacturer’s warranty, these are only intended to cover mechanical breakdowns and occasionally wear and tear. On the other hand, a watch insurance policy protects you in the event of theft, loss, or damage caused by unforeseeable events.
The model and value of the watch determine the cost of insurance. Prices can start at £5 per month, so we’re not talking about car insurance here – unless you have a drawer full of Rolex Daytonas.
Do your homework, make sure you have adequate coverage – that is, that you will always receive the value of the watch if it is stolen and that you are insured against loss – and the peace of mind will be worth the cost.
Cleanliness
Luxury watches may appear tough, but sweat and the general grime of daily life can wear down any material, including gold, silver, and stainless steel. Remove the strap from watches on metal bracelets and carefully clean every surface with glass cleaner and a non-abrasive cloth. Jewellery clothes designed to buff the metal to a brilliant shine can be purchased online for a reasonable price.
Bronze watches are an outlier in this category, as many are designed to age and develop a distinct patina when exposed to oxygen. These watches can still be cleaned traditionally, but their original appearance cannot be restored – that is the point.
Servicing
The servicing schedule and cost vary by manufacturer, but Rolex recommends a service every ten years, costing between £500 and £700.
Restoration work will significantly increase the cost. However, it is not necessary to have the watch serviced by the company that made it or by the shop where you purchased it, so it may be worthwhile to shop around for a deal.
Wrapping Up
Purchasing a luxury watch within your lifetime is one of the best investments you will make in this lifetime. You get style and quality in one package. However, your luxury watch will last longer if you take care of it.
Author’s Bio:
Luther Abrams is quite a jack of all trades type of guy. He loves exploring new things and cultivating his knowledge every now and then. Today, he grows more and more interested in jewelry and watches and even writes about such things in his free time.