The moment you take home a luxury watch is just the beginning of a lifelong journey of owning and experiencing it. Because of that, you need to do your share to make sure that your timepiece will last for more than a lifetime. Luxury watch manufacturers surely used high-end materials and crafted them using pristine engineering. However, just like any other accessories or gadgets, if you do not maintain your timepieces, they are prone to damage.
Luckily, there are easier ways to make sure that your timepieces will always be in good condition. It will start by taking care of them properly and providing ample maintenance. In this article, we will list down some of the most effective ways to take care of your luxury watch.
How to take care of your luxury watch?
Before we begin with the pointers on maintaining your timepiece, do take note that it will be more effective to keep the box or case that comes with the watch. It is designed to make sure that the timepiece is secured and protected. Hence, it is recommended to use them as storage. Here are more ways to take care of your timepiece:
- Know about the after-sales support
Every watch comes with a warranty. As an owner, it is your responsibility to know the coverage of your warranty to maintain your timepiece properly. Keep in mind, though, that every manufacturer has different lengths and points of coverage. For instance, if you have a Panerai watch, you will have 8 years of warranty coverage. For the first 24 months, all the manufacturing defects are covered for repair and replacement.
One of the most important things that you need to remember when it comes to watch repair is that most, if not all, luxury watch manufacturers void their warranty if the timepiece is serviced via a third party. It means that for as long as you have store or manufacturer coverage, it’s better to send them in for maintenance to the right venue. Aside from the guaranteed quality of servicing, you can also make sure that it will use reliable and high-end materials.
- Understand the features
Another factor that you need to remember is understanding the features of your timepiece. Every luxury watch model has unique capabilities and capacities. For instance, not all watches are water or shock-resistant. If you are not wearing the appropriate timepiece for an athletic or sports event, there is a high chance that you can damage or ruin the watch. Once you are aware of the different features of your timepiece, it will be a lot easier for you to know when to use it and not to use it.
- Learn the capacities
Aside from understanding its features, it is also recommended that you know the capacity of its features. For example, water-resistant watches have different depths of capacity. For divers, you may want to choose a timepiece that has more than 50mm exposure capacity. In that way, your outdoor activity will not damage the mechanism of your timepiece. The same goes for shock resistance, chronographs, subdials, and more. By knowing the scope and limitations of your watch, you can protect them properly.
- Maintain the movement properly
Luxury watches still embrace the real beauty of watchmaking. Because of that, some models and collections are made with automatic and mechanical movement. These two movements are more high maintenance compared to the modern Quartz or battery-powered mechanism.
Automatic watches need to be worn more often because their power is transmitted through kinetic energy from their wearer. Mechanical watches, on the other hand, are more technical. It uses a self-winding mechanism that needs to be wound regularly to maintain absolute performance.
- Always clean after use
Make it a habit to clean the timepiece before storing it. Some people tend to just store the timepiece directly right after use. This habit can help accumulate more dust and grime that can damage both the watch’s interior and exterior elements, especially if you wore it outdoors or during sports activities. As much as possible, wipe it first with a damp cloth before storing it. In that way, you can be sure that it is clean on the surface.
- Store properly on drawers
Collecting timepieces is almost the same as collecting shoes or bags. It is recommended to have proper storage shelves or drawers to keep it safe and protected. Some well-off collectors even build a customized drawer to store their collection of luxury watches. However, if you don’t have the space and budget to create a fortress for your timepieces, you can just use the box that it came with and store it in a secured drawer.
- Avoid chemical contacts
Since the timepiece is made with the smallest gears and materials, it is prone to damage when exposed to chemical materials. Some people prefer to use different types of cleaners to maintain the exterior shine of their watches. However, some of these chemicals can be harmful to the watch. You can ask the manufacturer which of the many choices in the market is the most recommended. Otherwise, it’s best to just use a little damp water to clean it.
- Magnets are not their friends
Aside from chemicals, timepieces are also sensitive to magnets. As you know, watches are created using metallic materials, which can easily be attracted to magnets. If you happen to expose your timepiece to extreme magnetic elements, it can harm the performance of your watch mechanism.
- Review the user manual
At the end of the day, reading the fine prints on the user manual can be helpful. Understandably, some people just ignore the users’ guide and prefer to not read it. However, this material is included in the packaging because every watch user must know how these complicated timepieces function.
Key takeaway
Owning a luxury watch requires more than what you think. It’s not just about wearing and displaying them for the public to see. As much as possible, make sure to preserve its mechanism and maintain it regularly. In that way, you can guarantee that your investment will last for more than a lifetime.
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