How to Maintain a Wristwatch?

1. When wearing a wristwatch, the sweat on your hand can be corrosive to the watch case. The all-steel case, composed of nickel-chromium alloy, has better corrosion resistance, while the semi-steel case is made of copper and is prone to corrosion when in long-term contact with sweat. Therefore, it is recommended to frequently wipe away sweat with a soft cloth or place a plastic watch holder underneath to prevent corrosion caused by sweat.

2. Do not open the back cover of the wristwatch at will to avoid dust entering the movement and affecting the normal operation of the watch.

3. Do not store the watch in a closet containing mothballs, as this can cause the watch oil to deteriorate.

4. Do not place the wristwatch on an amplifier, speaker, or TV to avoid magnetization.

5. For long-term storage of watches that are not worn, it is recommended to wind the watch once a month. For automatic movements, the watch should be gently shaken back and forth for a few minutes or worn on the wrist for a period of time to automatically wind the watch. This ensures that the parts are not in a static state for a long time and maintains the performance of the watch movement.

6. If a regular custom mechanical watch gets damp, it can be pressed with dry cotton and baked for 5 minutes with a 40-watt light bulb to evaporate all the moisture in the watch. If a quartz electronic watch gets damp, several small pieces of calcium chloride can be wrapped in gauze and placed together with the electronic watch in an airtight plastic bag or glass bottle after opening the cover of the electronic watch. Generally, after about 3 hours, the watch will be free of moisture and return to normal. For severely damp watches, the moisture absorption time can be appropriately extended.

7. When receiving a wristwatch, be sure to keep the packaging box used for the watch. These packaging boxes, which protect the watch, can provide the safest protection for the watch when it is not worn on a daily basis, preventing damage or collision to the watch, so it is absolutely necessary to keep the packaging box. It is also recommended to develop a habit of placing the watch in the box when not wearing it on a normal day, which can greatly reduce the probability of watch damage.

8. It is better not to wear the same watch every day. Prepare several different watches for alternating use, which can not only enhance personal style but also avoid dust and sweat from concentrating on the same watch. As for custom leather strap watch, it requires more careful care to avoid frequent wear and tear of the strap, which can make even a new-looking watch appear very old.

9. Do not wear wristwatches to sleep, especially if the watch has night vision. This is because the luminous material on the hands and scales of night-vision watches is mainly a mixture of radium and zinc sulfide crystals, and the radiation from radium can stimulate the zinc sulfide crystals to emit light. If you wear the watch to sleep, your body will be exposed to radiation from radium for eight to nine hours, which can be harmful to your health. Therefore, it is recommended to remove the night-vision watch before sleeping and place it on the table.

10. Watch polishing. If the watch surface has been scratched with many marks, a drop or two of water can be dripped onto the surface, and toothpaste can be used to rub away the scratches and make the watch surface look new again.