5 Steps For Taking Care of Your Watch

Wondering how to take care of your watch? In this article, we’re going to find out how to maintain a watch in its best condition, as well as checking out some fantastic examples by Filippo Loreti. 

Your watch is one of your most trusted and treasured possessions. You rely on it every day to keep you on time, and its looks and character can say so much about you that it almost becomes an extension of your personality.

Something as important and personal as your watch needs to be well looked after. Ideally, you want it to last you a lifetime (even longer if you plan to pass it on as an heirloom), so a little basic care and maintenance are needed to keep it in tip-top condition!

In this article, we’re going to discuss how to properly take care of your watch, including some general cleaning and maintenance, as well as winding (for mechanical watches), servicing, storage, and strap care. We’ll also check out a few stunning and affordable examples by Filippo Loreti, all with different characteristics and strap types, that you can add to your collection.

Ready? Let’s jump straight into it!

Keep your watch clean

The most basic and obvious thing you can do to maintain your watch is to keep it clean. If your watch isn’t waterproof, simply use a soft cloth to wipe it down every night. If it is waterproof, you can use a mild soapy water to cut through any oils that might have accumulated on the areas in direct contact with skin. 

Never wear your watch in the shower though - even waterproof watches were not designed for hot water, which can cause delicate components to expand and loosen over time. 

Have your watch serviced by professionals

Wear and tear will inevitably occur over time, even in high-end watches that use the very best quality components. In fact, high-end watches will usually need a little more attention than their cheaper, battery-powered counterparts, due to their complex mechanical mechanisms that require a delicate interplay between hundreds of tiny parts. 

Never open the watch to try and service it yourself - you could easily interrupt this intricate balance. Wondering how to service a wristwatch? Take it to a professional (either a local watchmaker or jeweller or, if you can afford to wait a while, send it off to the manufacturer) every two years for a proper service.

Keep your watch wound

This only applies to mechanical watches, which need daily winding to keep accurate time. Automatic watches are also mechanical but are self-winding from the motion of the wearer’s wrist. For automatics, you just need to ensure that you wear it regularly. Wearing is caring! 

For your non-automatic mechanical, you should gently turn the crown 20-30 times each evening before going to bed. Always take the watch off your wrist to avoid potential damage to the crown and be careful not to overwind - stop as soon as you start to feel resistance. Keeping your watch consistently wound and all of its components in motion is the best way to ensure a long life. However, don’t worry too much if you need to store it away for some time.

Store your watch properly

Sometimes you’ll need to put your watch aside for some time, as you add to your collection and enjoy other styles and models. In this case, put it in a good quality box to avoid humidity and dust, away from sunlight, and with the watch face up. It’s also a good idea to keep your watches secured and separate to avoid scratching. 

Take care of your straps

Different straps require different care. You can remove your straps from the body of the watch to focus on cleaning your strap. For example, if you have a suede or Italian leather strap, you gently wipe it with a damp, soapy cloth and finish with a leather protectant such as beeswax. 

Use a fine bristle brush you clean your mesh strap, taking care to remove dirt from deep inside the mesh with a little warm water. Same with your steel bracelet, making sure that it dries thoroughly before putting it back on. 

Rubber and Cordura straps are more forgiving - these can be simply washed in the sink with warm soapy water and left to air dry. Whichever strap you use, take care to clean it thoroughly every couple of weeks or so, nobody likes a smelly or sloppy strap!

Wrap Up 

While premium watches are well-built and made to last a lifetime, like anything else, they still need a little love and care. We hope that these simple steps will help you learn how to maintain a watch in optimum condition, and you’ve been inspired to add another Filippo Loreti Men’s Watch to your collection today!