An expensive luxury watch can be your pride and joy, but taking care of such a watch can be a challenge, especially if you have never owned a luxury watch before. Luxury watches such as a Rolex in Kansas City can cost anywhere from several hundred to several hundred thousand dollars. When spending that much money on a watch, it is important to protect your investment with proper care and maintenance.
How to Maintain a Luxury Watch
The easiest way is to clean a watch with a soft cloth preferably a microfiber. Wipe down the watch to get rid of any dirt and dust.
Some watches can be cleaned with water while others should not be submerged. Consult the user manual for your watch in order to understand the proper cleaning method.
Sometimes it is possible to soak the watch in soapy water. This can be an effective method to break down dirt and grime that can build up in the crevices.
What to Avoid
It’s important to avoid certain things while wearing your watch. For example, keep your watch away from magnets, as magnets can disrupt a watch’s inner workings.
Most watches should not get wet, especially by a liquid with sugar or any corrosive substance. Even if your watch specifies it is waterproof and can be used for diving, is there really a need to test this out? When you’re talking about a watch that costs thousands, leaving it at home on dive day might be the smarter move.
Another thing to keep in mind is that although it is difficult to damage a high-quality watch face, the crystal face of a watch can be scratched. When wearing your watch, avoid rubbing your wrist against walls, door frames, or any other surface that could scratch the crystal.
How to Store a Watch
Storing a watch may sound simple enough, but there are some habits to avoid such as storing the watch on its face. The best way is to store a watch in a cool dark area with a padded surface such as the box the watch came in.
You also want to store your luxury watch away from extended periods of sunlight. Keep it away from any substances such as cleaning supplies or other toiletry items such as cologne soaps.
How to Conduct Repairs
When you’ve spent thousands of dollars on a luxury watch, it is best to take it to a licensed technician for watch repairs when they’re needed. Absolutely do not try to take apart your watch by yourself as this will void any warranty and expose the watch to elements such as dust and particulates in the air.
When high quality mechanical objects such as luxury watches are manufactured, they are often assembled in vacuum-sealed spaces where there is not a speck of dust or skin cells in the air. You can imagine how taking apart a watch by yourself in just any area such as your home or garage can cause damage even if it’s not intended.
Service Regularly
Most watch manufacturers recommend having your watch serviced at least once every couple of years. Even if you have an extended warranty, you should still take your watch to be regularly serviced. Some watchmakers will even provide complimentary servicing.
A watch can cost as much as a car and like a car, it should be regularly maintained in order to preserve both its function and value. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendation when it comes to having your watch serviced and always take it to a licensed technician. One way to remember to have it serviced is to have it scheduled regularly.
Band Care
While the watch face, crystal, and mechanical components may seem like the most important parts of a watch, the band is also an important part that must be maintained. Similar to how you would clean the crystal, you should use a cloth to wipe down the band and avoid getting it wet.
Make sure you know your watch’s water resistance level so in case it does get wet you will know the severity.
Some bands are made of leather and require extra special care in order to keep clean and looking nice while other bands are made from materials that are more durable. Regardless of the type of band you have, you should take extra care with both the watch itself and the band. Both are vital components for the watch to be wearable and you want the watch to retain as much of its value as possible throughout the years.