Automatic watches are the epitome of classic and timeless style. Like any other device, the automatic watch also needs to be taken care of and maintained to ensure it’s running perfectly without any issues – for decades. Thus, these sophisticated timepieces require a bit of extra care, time, and attention from you. This leads you to the question: “How to care for your automatic watch?”
No worries, the Timergeeks have got your back! Here’s a quick guide on how to care for your automatic watch! So, let’s dive in!!
Automatic Winding
The power source of an automatic watch is its movement—the gears and springs that work together to keep time. To ensure that your watch is always running at peak performance, you should wind it every day.
This will help keep the oil in the watch lubricated and prevent any damage from occurring due to lack of movement. To wind your watch, simply turn the crown clockwise several times until it stops. You should also periodically check that your watch is keeping accurate time by setting it against a reliable reference like an atomic clock or GPS signal.
Minimal Manual Winding
Even though manual winding is a recommended method to easily fill up the power reserve of an automatic watch, it’s not wise to perform it frequently. Simply because an automatic watch is designed with self-winding capability. So, if it’s not absolutely necessary, stay away from manual winding.
Most brands purposefully make the manual winding mechanism weak so that it’ll keep away the user’s temptation for manually winding it. So, be very careful and responsible when manually winding your automatic watch.
Save It From External Impact & Damage
The most important thing that you have to remember when it comes to caring for your automatic watch is to not drop it or subject it to any external impact.
Dropping, bumping, or dropping hard and heavy objects on your watch are some of the accidents that can happen. These accidents will damage an automatic watch both externally and internally. So being careful with your automatic watch is a must.
The automatic movement is made up of more than 100 parts. Thus, the effect of a damaged movement can be very costly to repair.
Cleaning and Maintenance
When cleaning your watch, make sure to use only soft cloths and mild soaps without any abrasive chemicals or detergents. Avoid using harsh solvents when cleaning as these can cause permanent damage to your watch’s components.
Also, be sure not to submerge your watch in water as this can lead to rusting of internal parts. A good rule of thumb is never to open up an automatic watch—leave all repairs or maintenance tasks to professional technicians who specialize in working with watches of this type!
Careful When Changing The Strap…
Another important aspect taking care of your straps, especially when changing them.
When changing the straps by yourself you can easily get some scratches on your automatic watch. Changing the straps involve getting out the spring bar from the lugs.
This task has to be done very carefully or else you can end up with deep scratch marks on the lugs. Always use the correct tools to change the straps. Don’t try to be cheap or over-confident by using the tools that you have lying around your house such as screwdrivers, needles, etc. – this is a recipe for disaster!
The good news is the watch strap removal and adjustment tools are easily available online for less than $10 bucks. So, if you don’t have them, we recommend you to get one!
Wearing Habits
When wearing an automatic watch, try not to expose it to too much shock or pressure as this could cause damage over time. If you plan on exercising while wearing your watch, be sure that it isn’t too tight around your wrist as this could cause harm over time due to restricted blood flow. Additionally, if you are going swimming or taking part in any other aquatic activities, remove your watch beforehand as water exposure can lead to rusting of internal components and eventual malfunctioning of the device altogether!
Avoid Magnets
Be sure not to expose your automatic watch to magnets as these can interfere with its accuracy and performance. Magnetic fields are present in all sorts of everyday items such as laptops, speakers, cell phones, microwaves—even hair dryers! So be mindful of where you set down or store these and other magnetic items near your automatic watch.
Get It Serviced Regularly
Automatic watches should be serviced every few years by a professional technician to maintain optimal performance. A service typically involves cleaning all components of the watch, lubricating moving parts, replacing worn-out gaskets and seals, and adjusting any settings that may have changed over time due to wear and tear or exposure to extreme temperatures. This type of servicing helps ensure that your automatic watch runs properly and looks great for many years down the road!
Extreme Weather Is Not A Friend…
Steel is susceptible to temperature change as it contracts with coldness and expands with heat. Modern automatic watches use a lot of steel for their movement. So it’s obvious, extreme temperatures will definitely cause issues with these automatic movements.
As a result, the accuracy of the internal steel cogs and the oil can change in their properties with the temperature. You can also have an issue with condensation due to temperature differences. So we recommend you to not use an automatic watch when going into extreme temperature environments. Places such as jacuzzis, saunas, or winter areas do fall into this category.
Conclusion
An automatic watch is an investment in both style and quality craftsmanship that requires special care if you want it last for years—or even generations—to come! By following these simple steps, you can keep your timepiece looking great while ensuring its proper functioning over time. With just a bit of regular maintenance and attention, you’ll never have to worry about missing an important meeting or appointment again thanks to your trusty sidekick–your automatic watch!
