Caring for an automatic watch: the habits that make it last
A well-maintained automatic watch runs for decades. The essentials come down to three habits: rinse it with fresh water when it has met the sea or perspiration, never operate the crown while it is wet, and have it serviced every five to seven years.
Routine cleaning
The dirt that really damages a watch is what builds up between the bracelet links: a mix of sweat, soap and skin that turns abrasive. Once a month, with the crown screwed down, run the bracelet under lukewarm water with a soft toothbrush and a drop of neutral soap, then dry with a microfibre cloth. The case and the glass are cleaned dry, with a microfibre.
What to avoid: household cleaners, alcohol on painted parts, and consumer ultrasonic baths on a watch whose seals are of unknown condition.
Water resistance, what it really means
Water-resistance ratings are measured in a laboratory, on a new and stationary watch. In practice:
- Rain, washing hands: no problem at all.
- Shower, swimming: possible if the crown is properly screwed down, but soap and hot products attack the seals over time.
- Sauna, steam room, very hot water: to be avoided. It is temperature swings, more than pressure, that let moisture in.
- Sea water: always rinse with fresh water afterwards. Salt crystallising in the gaps is a bracelet's worst enemy.
Seals age, even without use. A water-resistance check at a watchmaker every two to three years takes ten minutes.
Magnetism, the most common and least known problem
If your watch suddenly starts gaining several minutes a day, it is very probably magnetised. The everyday culprits: speakers, magnetic closures on bags and tablet covers, induction hobs, car phone mounts. The fix is painless: any watchmaker demagnetises it in two minutes, often free of charge.
The service
The oil in a mechanical movement degrades over time, even if the watch is not used. After five to seven years, friction increases and parts wear faster. A service means dismantling, cleaning, oiling and regulating the movement. On a Seiko calibre this is routine work that any watchmaker can do, with no rare parts to order. It is one of the concrete advantages of these movements over more prestigious manufacture calibres whose parts do not circulate freely.
Storage
Store the watch flat, away from direct light and from any magnetic source. If you own several and wear one a day, let the others stop: it does them no harm at all. A regulating tip: left dial down, a watch that gains tends to settle; crown up, a watch that loses often gains back a few seconds.
The bracelet
This is the part that wears out first. On a steel bracelet, check from time to time that the link pins are not working their way out, and that the clasp closes with a clean snap. On a leather strap, count on one to two years of daily wear: replacing it makes a watch look new again for a few dozen francs.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a watch winder?
Not for a simple watch. Winding it by hand when you pick it up again is plenty, and many watchmakers consider that a winder turns the mechanism for nothing.
Condensation has appeared under the glass, what should I do?
Stop wearing the watch and take it to a watchmaker quickly. Trapped moisture oxidises the movement within days. If it is still under warranty, contact us first.
How much does a service cost?
On a Seiko movement, count on roughly a hundred francs at an independent watchmaker, which remains far below the cost of a manufacture movement.
For everyday handling (winding, setting the date), see our automatic watch instructions.
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