If you have a watch that is important to you, you want to keep wearing it for a long time. Daily care is important, but if you care for it in the right way, you can significantly extend its lifespan, even if it is not a luxury watch that costs over 100 million yen. In this article, we will explain how to properly care for your watch.
2025/9/1 update
Regular cleaning will extend the life of your watch
Proper daily care is extremely important to keep things in good condition for a long time. Wristwatches are especially important as they are a part of everyday life and many users want to keep them for a long time.
The lifespan of a watch often depends greatly on how it is handled by the user. If you use it carefully, the lifespan of the watch should be extended significantly. However, if you continue to use it in the wrong way, it will quickly malfunction, shorten its lifespan, and in the worst case scenario, it may become unusable.
In order to provide effective care, it is important to know the correct method and focus on the key points.
Wipe off the dirt with a cloth
When you wear a watch for several days, sweat, sebum, dust, and other dirt accumulate at the joints between the case and bracelet, and between the crown and case. This is especially important in the summer when you sweat a lot, as even wearing a watch for just one day can easily cause sebum to accumulate. Also, vintage watches and other older watches often rust if moisture such as sweat accumulates for a long period of time, depending on the type of metal used.
After wearing your watch, it's important to remove any dirt. The easiest way to do this is with a cloth. Use a soft cloth, such as a commercially available microfiber cloth or chamois, and gently wipe the entire surface of the watch. A cotton swab will help you reach even the tiniest crevices.
Also, while wet towels and tissues may seem effective at removing dirt, they are generally a no-no as they can allow moisture to get inside the case, especially for models with low water resistance or non-waterproof vintage watches.
Be careful of moisture when using leather straps
Natural leather straps made from animal skin are known to be vulnerable to moisture. While it's common to replace them after a period of use, carefully wiping off sweat with a dry cloth after use will extend their lifespan, just like shoes and bags. It's also important to avoid storing them in high temperatures or in direct sunlight.
Don't forget to take care of the movement
It's important to pay attention not only to the exterior, but also to the movement (drive mechanism) inside the case that powers the watch. Whether it's a battery-powered quartz watch or a mechanical watch that runs on a mainspring, both are made up of small parts, so rough use that exposes them to constant shocks should be avoided.
Direct sunlight can also have a negative effect on the movement, not just the dial and strap. This is because the temperature inside the sealed movement can rise due to sunlight, which can cause the oil used in various parts of the movement to deteriorate. If this happens, it is important not to leave it as it is, but to have it overhauled at a watch shop.
Also, for automatic watches, which wind the mainspring with the movement of your arm, it's important to remember that once the watch stops, you shouldn't wind the crown by hand too often. The manual winding mechanism of an automatic movement is merely an aid to starting the watch, so if you use it too much, the gears and other parts will wear out and cause a breakdown."If my automatic watch stops, should I wind it manually? / Spring Wisdom - Answering your watch-related questions"Please check out the article.
