Usually, mechanical watches are more expensive and can be used as a long-lasting accessory. Mechanical watches have a long lifespan, but the problem that comes along with it is that as the watch grows in use, small imperfections such as dirt and scratches on it may make you feel that the watch is not as attractive as it used to be. This is when the importance of cleaning and maintaining your watch in general comes to the fore.TUDOR Black Bay M7941A1A0RU-0003 Of course, maintenance does not necessarily mean going to the watch store to ask a professional repairman to deal with, in fact, usually we can help the watch at home to carry out some simple cleaning action. In addition, after some watches are used for a certain period of time, there will be bumps or scratches on the watch body, is it necessary to refurbish and polish it? We will break it down with you today.
Watch polishing and refurbishing is awesome, but you may be shortening its useful life
Watches are worn on the wrist, and it's hard not to get scratches from friction when you raise your hands and feet, and almost as long as you're wearing it, you'll get tiny scratches on the watch case.TUDOR Ranger M79950-0001 The case can be made of 18K gold, gold-plated, titanium, stainless steel, copper, etc., and the process is generally brushed and polished, and occasionally you will see the process of brushing and polishing.
Polishing equals irreversible metal depletion
Many of us think about polishing and refurbishing our watches when the scratches are more numerous and noticeable. Cases are always new when they are polished, so the slightest scratch on a watch down the road makes it tempting to take care of it. It's great that the case is always as good as new, but every time you have it serviced, you lose a little bit of case thickness, and it's irreversible, which means that your case suffers a certain amount of wear and tear every time you have it serviced. This is because the so-called polishing maintenance simply means that the scratches in your case are rubbed away, and the ones that are not surrounded by scratches are also rubbed away in order to achieve an overall balance. So if your case is K gold, it is recommended or not easy to polish, do not have a one or two scratches to polish, and so the scratches are really more and then go to a time to solve the problem, in fact, this is to a certain extent to reduce the overall wear and tear of the case. If only very small scratches, wipe with a K gold cloth can be. On that tip, 18K white gold watches can't be polished, causing a layer of plating on the outside of the K white gold watch, which when polished reveals a yellowish base color at the bottom.
Gold-plated / PVD-plated table can not be polished
As for the stainless steel PVD-plated case, it is recommended to pay more attention to the usual, more soft cloth to wipe, because the PVD-plated watches can not be repaired later polishing, for grinding to the scratches after revealing the stainless steel bottom color, which very much affects the aesthetics.
Brushed processing is more difficult
What I said before is the polished case, but most of the senior watch brands to brushed case, polished repair costs compared to the polished case is slightly more expensive, because the brushed repair is more difficult, and brushed are polished in one direction, the repair is the same is the first to smooth the scratches, and then by the watchmaker according to the original brushed texture with a grinding wheel to re-polish out the same brushed, and the process is also This process is also done by hand, which is a bit more complicated than just polishing.
Easy way to clean metal bracelet at home
Metal straps are more durable than leather straps, and watches with stainless steel straps are the most long-wearing, but no matter how careful you are when wearing a watch, the dirt that condenses from sweat and dust over time will be hidden in various places on the strap. Although the surface of the bracelet is easy to wipe clean, but stuck in the joints of the dirt is not easy to clean up, long time will also send out the odor. So the metal chain strap needs to be cleaned and maintained frequently, so how can you clean it without harming the watch and the chain strap?
Of course, the more professional way to clean the metal strap is to use ultrasonic cleaner, but this kind of equipment is seldom owned by families, so we will introduce another simple way:
1. Prepare a magazine, an old soft-bristled toothbrush and lint cloth for wiping, as well as an appropriate amount of toothpaste or detergent. If you don't want to get the magazine wet during the cleaning process, you can put another layer of plastic wrap over the outside of the magazine.
2. When you are ready, roll the magazine into a tube, then buckle the watch band and put it on the tube; then you can slowly release the rolled magazine so that it can completely open the watch band, so that the dirt in the joints of the watch band has nothing to hide. 3.
3. At this time, you can use a toothbrush to dip into the detergent, carefully brush the stains on the surface of the bracelet and in the crevices, and then rinse it with water. If the watch is not waterproof, be careful not to let the case touch water during the cleaning process. 4.
4. Finally, dry the bracelet with a flannel cloth and place it in a cool place to dry. But remember not to expose to the sun and blow with a hair dryer, so as not to cause damage to the watch and the chain.
How often should I wash and maintain my watch?
How often should a mechanical watch be washed and oiled? The answer to this question has many different opinions, and it is often heard that the watch should be washed and maintained once in 3 to 5 years; however, in fact, some people's watches have not been washed and maintained for more than 10 years and the timekeeping is still accurate, so in the end, how often should the correct maintenance cycle be?
In fact, as long as the mechanical structure, all inevitably need regular maintenance and lubrication. Mechanical watches are no exception. The argument that oil washing is needed every 3-5 years is not unfounded, because the lubricant in the heart of the watch will gradually dry out over time, generating sludge and affecting the smoothness of the watch's operation. In this case, an oil cleaning is required. However, there is no fixed standard for the frequency of oil washing, but rather it depends on the lubricant used and the individual wearer. In today's society, as the processing precision of various watch brands is getting higher and higher, the watch tuning is getting better and better, and the lubricating oil used is getting better and better, the cycle of watch maintenance has been prolonged to a certain extent. However, we should still decide the maintenance cycle of the watch according to the personal wearing environment.
The balance wheel oscillation of 250 degrees is the key
Generally speaking, the balance wheel of a Swiss mechanical watch oscillates between 280-310 degrees when the watch is fully wound under normal circumstances. However, with the passage of time, the lubricating oil in the bearings of the time-winding wheel system gradually evaporates, resulting in a smaller and smaller amplitude and less efficient transmission of power. Therefore, it is generally recommended that when the amplitude of the pendulum falls below 250 degrees, it should be serviced with an oil wash. Of course, we can go to a familiar watch repair store or after-sales service to measure the amplitude of our watches.
The more frequently it is worn, the faster it wears out
Wearing conditions also have an impact on the frequency of oil washing. In principle, the center parts of a watch worn frequently are more prone to wear; on the contrary, the parts of a watch worn less frequently are less prone to wear. However, we can't completely ignore the natural volatilization of the lubricant caused by a long period of time. In fact, the principle of washing oil for mechanical watches and cars needing maintenance is the same, closely related to the conditions and usage of the watch itself.
It is important to check the water resistance of your watch at the right time
In today's world, almost all watches have some waterproof ability, only the degree of waterproofness is different, there are waterproof 50 meters, 100 meters, 300 meters, 600 meters, 1000 meters grade. However, it is important to note that the water resistance of a watch of any water resistance level is not permanent. This is because the rubber gaskets in the exterior parts of the watch that are used to keep out moisture will deteriorate with use, and will gradually lose their effectiveness through the action of water, sunlight, perspiration or temperature changes. Therefore, it is best to check the waterproof performance of your watch every few years at a branded after-sales service or professional watch repair store to see if you need to replace the rubber gaskets, which are a consumable part. If your watch only has the ability of life waterproof, then you should be more careful in daily use, try to avoid contact with water, and don't make the cloth too wet when you usually clean it with a soft cloth.
There are solutions for small scratches on the mirror
Usually, the sapphire crystal is very hard, but it does not mean that it will not be scratched at all to produce small scars. If you are unfortunate enough to have some small scratches on your watch's mirror, you don't have to be in too much of a hurry to go to a watch repair store to have the sapphire crystal replaced. If the scratches aren't very large, consider using a scratch remover to fix them yourself. Simply applying a small amount of scratch remover to the scratch and rubbing it back and forth will usually restore the mirror's shine.
Taking the watch head and band apart for further cleaning is a good option
If you have the appropriate tools on hand, try removing the strap. This way, you can clean areas that you wouldn't normally be able to wipe, including some nooks and crannies. We can start by cleaning the case once with a soft cloth or jewelry wipe; or if your watch comes with a bracelet, you can soak the bracelet in a jewelry cleaner and gently brush it through with a soft-bristled brush. After the cleaning is complete, be sure to wait for the watch to dry thoroughly before attaching the band and head back into place.
By:Yvonne