Throughout this Christmas season, we at WatchO received numerous calls and messages from people who wanted to buy their friend and family (as well as themselves) a new watch. If I can guess, a lot of people reading this are wearing a new watch (lucky you). We at WatchO are here to help, so here are a few ways to take care of your watch.

Know Your Watch

If you are purchasing a watch, research it and familiarise yourself with it, that way you'll know what to expect from the watch in advance. In the lucky chances (lucky you) you’ve received a watch as a gift, look at the specs of the watch, see what the watch can do, all it’s features, the more you know about the watch the better.

Watches have specs and features that are meant to be used to give you the full experience of the watch. The watch might have some cool features you didn't even know about; who knows your watch might have a projector that comes out the dial (see what you could be missing out on).

So I would advice you to do some research on the watch that way you can enjoy and use it to its full potential. If you can't seem to find the information you need simply give us a call, we'll be happy to help.

Watches in Water

Is your watch water proof? Before going for a swim or a shower with watch, research how resistant your watch is.

Here are different types of water resistance:

- 30M  / 3ATM: Splash proof

- 50M / 5ATM: Swimming and showers

- 100M / 10ATM: Snorkelling

- 300M / 30ATM: Deep sea diving

Ahh, that's why my splash proof watch stopped working when I went for a little swim. I wish I knew this back then. When wearing your watch in water, make sure to clean it with a dry cloth and wipe it down every time. To avoid condensation, you must ensure the crown of the watch is in properly; some crowns need to be screwed in so make sure it's pushed in properly and ensure the glass and case is without cracks. Also, if your watch has recently been repaired, please ensure the watch has been re-sealed and pressure tested

Various brands offer water resistant watches – Citizen, G-Shock, Elliot Brown & Seiko. Styles vary from stainless steel bracelets to leather, EPDM and silicone straps. When wearing a watch in water, you must understand that even though the case may be water resistant, the strap isn’t. Try to avoid wearing gold metal bracelets and leather straps in water as it can degrade the leather and cause the gold colour to fade.

Take Care of the Watch

One must see a watch like a new born baby; it must be handled with grace, care and delicacy. You can’t just through your baby on your nightstand and leave it there overnight (I’m talking about the watch). Keep your watches in a watch box, that way it’s out harms way and you won’t lose or misplace it.

Try to clean your watch with a soft cloth as often as possible, wipe the band and case to remove finger prints, dirt or stains. Also, read the manual as it may include more safe ways to clean your watch. Sunlight and water can affect the watch strap as it’ll cause the strap to lose colour. Wearing it while in contact with chemicals like perfume, soap and washing up liquid could damage the strap and effect the watch.

Opening the watch yourself is not advised as the watch will be exposed to dirt, dust and other things that may get inside the movement. If you’re experiencing any problems with your watch, send it back to the retailer or manufacture. Also, contacting the manufacturer may be insightful as they could suggest local repair stores or jewellers who are authorised to repair the watches.

Kids vs. Watches

To adults, watches are delicate and harmless, but once in hands of kids, it’s a different story. When removing a watch, place it somewhere safe (watch box), away from infants as they’re not aware that watches are not meant to be dropped, scratched, bitten, chewed or flushed.

Children don't know the importance or value of a watch; when I was a kid, I thought my mom's Bvlgari watch was cheap because they misspelt the word. Obviously I now know it was done on purpose but kids wouldn't know things like this.

In the care of little ones, watches can be hazardous. If the winder is pulled out or links are removable, it could be a serious choking hazard. So, I’d advice storing your watches in a cupboard or watch box, away from kids’ range; this protects you, the child and the watch.

Watch Repairs

If your watch needs to be fixed, be aware that any mistakes that occur during the repair process will affect the performance of the watch. Therefore, you must be careful and picky about where you send your watch to be repaired. Before sending your watch off to repairers, make sure they are reputable or authorised repairs. Simply give them a call, ask a few questions and once you’re confident that they’re trust worthy, you can make a decision. 

Watch parts are accessible anywhere, you can find watch straps, links, bands and hands almost anywhere. As parts are easily located, some people are sold low quality generic parts without them knowing until the part wears out. I’d suggest purchasing high quality generic watch parts from authorised retailers of the brand as both companies work in collaboration. 

The warranty/guarantee allows you to get your watch repaired without any hassle of extra forms, details, and depending on what's wrong with the watch cost also. If you're experiencing some problems with your watch, ensure it is still under warranty, that way you're able to send it back to the manufacturer. Please be aware, the mechanism is under warranty for all brands but the strap and glass are not. See our warranty page for more details.

Mistakes happen all the time (especially on a night out), we’re here to help.

WatchO