How to Properly Maintain Your Watch: The Essentials

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The goal is not just to have your women’s watch on your wrist, but you must also know how to maintain it! We all tend to think that a watch simply goes on the wrist and voilà! But that’s not the case… If you really care about your accessory, the best thing to do is to perform regular maintenance.

As a fashion accessory, the watch is the one that requires the most pampering. Otherwise, it can stop suddenly without any warning.

Keeping a watch until the end of time is possible! Modalova gives you all the advice and tips you need to know to maintain and preserve your watch.

Understanding how your women’s watch works, the first step!

Sometimes, we buy the watch without knowing whether it is an automatic watch or an electronic one. We buy it just for the model or the color without caring about its functioning and technical specifications.

The first thing to do when you buy it is to note all its characteristics and read the manual that comes with it. You should at least know the type of watch you are dealing with.

Once you know a bit about everything concerning your watch, there are guidelines to follow for its maintenance. Never think that a watch maintains itself automatically; it is a fashion accessory and, like any trendy accessory in your wardrobe, your watch needs to be well maintained so it can function normally and last long.

The quartz watch vs the electronic movement watch

You may have seen this word on many watches, right? Quartz is the term for the movement of the watch. So we refer to it as a quartz movement watch or an electronic movement watch.

If you have a quartz movement watch, the first important thing to know is to ensure that its battery is changed regularly.

If, for example, its battery has stopped and you didn’t notice, the battery can damage the inside and lead to the total stoppage of the watch. Never leave the battery inside for too long.

The best thing is to frequently check if it is still working well and take it to a watchmaker to have a new battery installed.

The mechanical watch

The mechanical watch comes in two forms:

The manual winding mechanical watch

This type of watch requires that you wind its spring every morning from the crown. When the crown begins to resist during rotation, it means it is wound.

Manual winding mechanical watches are among the most expensive and the most fragile. Repairing them costs twice as much if they are not taken care of. Therefore, it requires regular maintenance to avoid any disaster.

The automatic mechanical watch

The principle is the same as that of the manual winding mechanical watch. Both types of watches are sensitive and fragile and require maintenance. Unlike the manual winding watch, the winding mechanism of this one is activated by the movements of the wrist. Therefore, it needs to be worn every day. It should not be left idle, as it works thanks to the oscillating mass.

Are you looking for an analog watch for women? We suggest you read this guide to choose your analog watch wisely!

We can also recommend reading this practical guide to choose your chronograph watch for women.

How to maintain a women’s watch? We explain everything

Maintaining a watch, whether it’s a luxury watch, a connected watch, or others, starts as soon as you have it in your hands. You might think that it’s difficult to take care of these fashion accessories, but once you acquire our maintenance tips, everything will come naturally.

A watch, whether it costs €5 or €10,000, must be maintained. You will see that these are not complicated steps.

Collectors know very well how crucial it is to maintain a watch, and what if we all had a collector’s spirit? You could then pass it on to your great-grandchildren. To do this, there are guidelines to follow.

How to clean your watch: how to do it?

There is nothing more satisfying than having a watch that sparkles on your wrist. Cleaning our accessories is also a form of therapy for ourselves. Watches should be cleaned as often as possible.

A simple dust particle that sticks to it can gradually damage it. Before proceeding with this act, you should check the watch’s water resistance to prolong its lifespan.

If you plan to wear your watch while swimming:

If 10 ATM is written on your watch, it is recommended to be able to wear your watch at least 100 m underwater. Otherwise, if the ATM is below 10 ATM, it is strongly advised not to wear it underwater. It could get damaged immediately.

Even if you have a watch that is waterproof up to more than 10 ATM, it is best not to test wearing it more than 100 m underwater. Better safe than sorry.

If your watch is not waterproof:

Don’t worry; if you have a waterproof watch, you can clean it with a microfiber cloth that is slightly damp. Just avoid wearing your watch underwater, whether in the pool, the sea, or putting it in a basin.

If you have a vintage watch:

Swimming in the ocean is strictly prohibited. Vintage watches cannot come out intact from the ocean. However, if your watch is 100% waterproof and has a screw-down crown, just rinse it with clear water after swimming.

Be careful! If you feel tight in your watch, it is likely that the wear or dirt on your strap is due to your wrist size not being suitable! To ensure that your watch strap fits your wrist size well, we advise you to read this guide to properly choose the size of your watch according to your wrist size!

If you want to clean a 100% waterproof watch thoroughly:

We recommend using a small soft brush with soapy water if you have a water-resistant watch. Clean it thoroughly, then wipe it with a dry cloth.

Wear your watch daily

As we explained above, automatic watches must be worn regularly. They function through wrist movement and are also lubricated to preserve their movement mechanism.

If you don’t wear it, the mechanism can stop. And even if the watch is not automatic, it is better to wear it as often as you can.

Keep your watch safe from danger

• The sun:

A watch is so fragile that even the sun can damage it. It is not good to expose the watch for a long time under the sun. Heat can instantly stop a watch’s functioning.

Sunlight can also damage the material and color of the watch, which is not pleasant at all. The same goes for humidity! If your watch is exposed to it too much, it can attack the watch’s seals and simultaneously create condensation under the glass.

• Chemical products:

For any form of cleaning, avoid using chemical products. A slightly soapy water is far better.

Consult a watchmaker in case of problems

Never make the mistake of opening your watch yourself. And even if it’s just to change the battery, it is best to always consult a watchmaker. You don’t have the right tools, so you could damage it or do something wrong.

Apart from problems, it is also wise to have your watch serviced by a watchmaker from time to time for a quick check. You need to ensure that everything is fine or not, so it can be repaired immediately.

My watch is broken: how to repair it?

If you have a broken watch, do not waste time and take it to a watchmaker immediately.

The fact is that we will never know what could have been damaged by that breakage. You might think that only the glass is broken; but maybe the inside is also affected. Only a watchmaker or an expert in the field will know what to do.