A guide on how to care for your luxury watch

Service your watch regularly

As a rule of thumb, it’s always a good idea to keep on top on top of servicing your watch every 3-5 years. To keep your watch ticking over nicely, wear it regularly, enjoy it regularly and care for it regularly. Check out the breadth of services we offer here at Charles Martin and book your watch service with us today.

Clean your watch often

There are several things you can be doing as part of your daily routine to ensure you’re taking good care of your luxury watch. You can clean your watch regularly as part of its upkeep by using a soft, clean cloth to remove any surface dust or debris building up on the case and glass. For
more stubborn marks, you can use a soft-bristled toothbrush. Take precaution when cleaning your watch with soapy water, since a watch’s water resistance can degenerate overtime, but this is an effective way to remove a build-up of surface dirt and sweat when done cautiously.

Store your watch properly

If you aren’t wearing your luxury watch on a daily basis, it’s always a good idea to store it in its presentation box (if you have it) or a watch
winder, watch safe or multi-watch storage case. The less time the watch is spent out on surfaces getting moved from one place to the other, the better. Limiting the watch’s exposure to direct sunlight wherever possible is also beneficial. That’s not to say you should ever avoid wearing your watch on a sunny day. Moreover, don’t leave your watch on a sunny window for months. Exposure to sunlight hour-upon-hour, like anything, will cause unwanted damage.  In the same way, exposure to magnets can damage the performance of your watch, hence why many luxury watch brands today are focusing on creating their movements inside protective structures integrated with anti-magnetic technology.

Wind your watch

Wind your watch, but don’t overwind it. If you own a mechanical watch, wind it daily. Automatic watches and manual watches need to continue running to maintain accuracy, but keeping it regularly wound and ticking over also ensures the gears, levers and other moving components inside the mechanical heart of the watch won’t stiffen over time.

Don’t get in too deep

Lastly, if your watch has a high water resistant rating of 200 meters or more, it’s fine to wear it for activities like snorkelling, swimming, diving and sailing (depending on its respective water resistant marking). Other luxury watches, however, such as those less than 100 meters, should not be submerged underwater. To avoid damage, do not exceed depths of water that your watch cannot withstand