0 Menu

The maintenance of mechanical watches

The many movable, small and fragile parts can only continue to move smoothly by wearing your watch with care and by having it serviced periodically.

What does this periodic maintenance involve?

First of all, your watchmaker will make an extensive analysis to determine which maintenance your watch needs. Your watch is completely disassembled, all parts are cleaned and checked in detail. The parts that show traces of wear or are defective are replaced in order to guarantee an accurate functioning of the watch. Then everything is reassembled. Specific oils are applied where necessary. Using electronic devices, the watchmaker will examine whether there are any faults in the movement and will also adjust the time perfectly. 

Maintenance does not only include adjusting the movement, the case, the strap and the clasp are also treated ultrasonically and, if necessary, polished.

What about the maintenance of quartz watches?


A quartz watch or in other words a watch that works with a battery usually needs little maintenance. It is important that an empty battery is not left in these watches for too long. Dead batteries can leak and sometimes cause irreparable damage to the inner workings.

Some maintenance tips

  1. Avoid hard impacts and shocks. Avoid wearing your mechanical watch during sports.
  2. In general, avoid bringing your watch into contact with humidity.. This can cause rust in movement. Seawater, warm water and soaps can corrode the seals. Of course, certain watches such as diver's watches are specifically protected for this, but even these watches should be checked regularly for waterproofness if you want to avoid catastrophic damage.
  3. Check the glass of your watch regularly. Damage can cause humidity or dust to enter the movement. Glass splinters can also damage the hands and dial.
  4. Avoid extreme temperature fluctuations. Do not wear your watch in a sauna or steam bath. Do not suddenly enter cold water after sunbathing. Due to damage to the gaskets, large temperature fluctuations can lead to condensation. Do not postpone a check-up of your watch if you notice this.
  5. Do you have a watch with a date mechanism? Do not adjust it between 21:00 and 03:00. The mechanism adjusts the date itself during this period. Disturbing this manually can cause damage.
  6. Mechanical movements are best kept in motion by wearing them and/or winding them regularly. Prolonged standstill dries out the oils. Your watch will run irregularly and the parts will show extra wear. Please note that the watch spring may run off completely every now and then. Do not let the watch run continuously with a fully wound spring.
  7. Contact with chemicals such as mercury, chlorine, perfume, hairspray, alcohol, etc. can affect the colour of the case and the straps. 
  8. Defective or worn watch straps are a risk of loss
  9. Unless you are a watchmaker yourself, we recommend that you do not open the watch case yourself. The handling of the dozens, sometimes hundreds of small parts is best left to a professional.