Maintenance Skills Of Mechanical Watches
Water penetration and collision are the most common reasons to send mechanical watches for repair. Unless the watch is marked with a waterproof function sign, avoid the contact of water, because water can cause corrosion, very destructive, still less seawater. Even though the watch is said to have waterproof function, the protection only lasts for one year, since the waterproof loop will be tired after a year’s fair wear and tear besides inevitable external factors like sweat and dust, so a new waterproof loop must be replaced after one year, otherwise the watch is waterproof no more.
Attention should also be paid to avoid collision. If your financial strength allows, you might as well have two or three watches to alternate—sports watch for exercise and mechanical watches for other activities, right crop for right land, in this way the life of a watch can be prolonged.
Mechanical watches are driven by the machinery gear and clockwork spring, during which friction is bound to arise, therefore lubrication is necessary to lower the components’ wear rate. When the watch goes wrong and needs repair, the problem is often very serious.
You’d better take the watch back to the watch shop for inspection, to see if there is any improper use or water penetration every year. Southeast Asia’s hot and humid climates, plus the long-term accumulation of sweat, rain water and dirty air, which causes chronic mechanical erosion, lead to much frequent and serious damages to watches than in Europe, America and Japan, therefore regular inspection is very important, so are thorough cleaning and maintenance once every three years.
Have a proper agent to handle the maintenance and repair is most suitable. Cleaning of the internal part must be handled by professional, while the cleaning of the outer can be done by wearer. Clean the watchband with a soft bristled brush and cleaning fluid and water. This method can also be applied to clean watches with water-proof function, but not the non-water-proof ones. Daily cleaning is important, because sweet and dust are too subtle to detect, they do accumulate and lead to rustiness, decay and brittlement of the wqtchband, therefore pay attention to it.
