How to care for your watch so it lasts

None of this is complicated. Most of it is knowing what to avoid.

Automatics: keep it wound, or accept it stops

An automatic winds itself if you wear it about eight hours a day. If you wear it less, it will stop overnight. That is normal, not a fault. To restart it, wind the crown 20–30 turns and set the time. Do not wind it every day “to be safe”; the mechanism does not need it.

Set the date only when the hands are between 6 and 9 o’clock. Changing the date while the mechanism is engaged (roughly 9 pm to 3 am on the dial) can damage the date wheel, and that is not covered under warranty.

Magnets

The most common reason an automatic suddenly runs fast is magnetism from a laptop, phone case clasp, handbag clasp or speaker. If your watch starts gaining minutes a day, that is probably it. Any watchmaker can demagnetise it in a minute, often for free. Quartz watches are barely affected.

Straps

• Leather: keep it dry. Take it off before showering or swimming, and let sweat dry before storing. Expect 1–2 years of daily wear; replacing a strap is normal, not a defect.
• Rubber: rinse it in fresh water after the sea or a pool.
• Steel: wash it occasionally with warm water, mild soap and a soft toothbrush, especially around the clasp.

Batteries

A quartz battery lasts about three years. When the seconds hand starts jumping in four-second steps, that is the low-battery warning. Have it changed within a month or two; a dead battery can leak. Ask the jeweller to check the gasket when they close the case.

Cleaning

A soft dry cloth handles most of it. For a steel case, a damp cloth and mild soap. Never use solvents, and keep leather away from water.

Service

Automatic: every 5–7 years, or sooner if it starts losing more than about 30 seconds a day. A service costs roughly $80–$150 at an independent watchmaker and is worth it. Quartz: a battery change is the service. Have water seals checked every 2–3 years if you swim with the watch.

Storage

Out of direct sun (it fades dials and dries straps), away from magnets, and not in a bathroom. A drawer is fine. A watch winder for an automatic is unnecessary unless you own several and rotate them.

If something does go wrong, the warranty page explains what is covered, and we answer questions even when it is not.