Timepiece Education

Watch Bands

Without a band of some type, you’d have a pocket watch (though there’s certainly nothing wrong with that). But today’s watches are primarily wrist watches, bound to your wrist with a strap made of leather, rubber or fabric, or a metal bracelet. Save for a few activity-specific guidelines, your choice of band comes down to personal preference.

A leather strap is suitable for everyday wear. Finer grades of leather, ranging from alligator to patent, are a great choice with dress watches. However, if you are planning on wearing your watch during water sports, you might prefer to go with a rubber strap instead. Leather straps are not as durable as metal bracelets, but they are easier to replace. Finally, leather straps are typically connected using a standard buckle, but you can also find some that are joined by a deployment buckle (or a butterfly clasp), which opens symmetrically.

Metal bracelets are typically composed of individual links and are joined by a metal-hinged clasp, such as the aforementioned deployment, as well as a fold-over or jewelry clasp. The bracelet attaches to the watch case at the lugs, usually with spring bars, which enables you to easily switch to a leather or rubber strap. However, some higher-end watches have an integrated bracelet, where the watch case and band are designed as a whole, and it usually can’t be replaced by a strap.

Sizing a Metal Bracelet

While leather straps are pretty easy to fit around your wrist with its buckle and punched hold, a metal bracelet can be trickier as one or more links may need removal to correctly size to your wrist. While this can be done on your own using a bracelet tool accessory, we recommend taking your watch to a local jeweler for precise sizing, which can usually be done for $10 to $30. Be sure to keep any links that are removed in case you need to replace a link somewhere down the line.

Caring for Your Watch

While a watch can be considered a decorative accessory, it is also a tool that needs cleaning and tuning from time to time to ensure its accuracy, looks, and longevity.

Read the Manual

Timepieces with chronographs or specialized complications, such as dual time functions or day-and-date subdials, can be complicated to set for the first time (or remember after several months of not using the function). The first resource you should turn to is the manual that came with your watch, and you should keep it for future reference, as well as warranty and service information. If you have a watch with automatic movement, the manual will also specify maintenance intervals. Should you lose your manual, be sure to check your manufacturer’s website as many provide downloadable PDFs.

The Case for Cleaning

Just as you wash your car to keep its exterior looking fine and protected from corrosion, you’ll want to periodically take a few moments to make sure your timepiece is a clean machine. Here’s a few tips for overall care and cleaning.

Watch Case

Wipe with a lint-free cloth and use a toothpick to extract dirt from crevices. If your watch is water-resistant, you can wipe it with warm water and mild soap, and dry it with a cloth.

After wearing in salt or heavily chlorinated water, rinse the watch in fresh water and dry with a soft, lint-free cloth.

Wipe your watch with a soft cloth after heavy perspiration.

Crystal

A watch may have a scratch-resistant crystal, but no crystal is truly scratch-proof, so you shouldn’t toss your watch onto the dresser or into a drawer at the end of the day. It’s better to store or wrap it in a soft cloth before placing it down. The more care you take with the watch, the less scratches the watch will acquire. Replace broken or scratched crystals immediately. Even a hairline crack can let dust or moisture into the mechanism, threatening its accuracy. If you place the watch in a drawer with other jewelry, this too may scratch the watch, as it might rub against the other pieces. You might also store the watch in its original case since these cases are generally soft and made specifically for the watch.

Metal Bracelets

Wash it in warm, soapy water and use a soft-bristled toothbrush to extract excess grime. Dry with a soft cloth.

Leather Straps

To keep a leather strap looking its best, avoid submersion in water. If it does become wet, wipe it dry with a cloth. Never use a hairdryer.

In the summer, wear leather straps loosely to avoid absorption of perspiration (and to prevent perspiration rash on your wrist). Dry with a cloth, or let it dry in a well-ventilated spot.

Crystal

No crystal, whether it be mineral or sapphire, is scratch-proof, so you should take care in storing your watch at the end of the day. Wrap it in a soft cloth for optimal protection.

If a crystal has even a hairline crack, replace it immediately.

Automatics

Automatic watches require a bit more care than those with battery-powered quartz movements, as the self-winding mechanism is more complex. For one thing, an automatic watch is powered by the kinetic movement of your arm, and it will require winding if not worn for several days. Automatic watch mechanisms also benefit from continued movement to keep it calibrated and prevent lubricants from congealing. If you have more than one automatic watch that you switch between, you should consider a watch winder, a device that holds one or several timepieces and moves it in a circular fashion to emulate the human motion that keeps it ticking. They’re also a great way to display your watch collection. When choosing a watch winder, look for devices that have a “turn-and-rest” program, which stops the motor after a specified cycle of spins to more accurately emulate daily activity.

If you don’t wear your automatic watch daily and don’t have a watch winder, wind the watch twice a week and try to do it at approximately the same time of day. (A fully wound automatic watch will keep running for approximately 40 hours.)

Avoid wearing mechanical watches when playing high-impact sports or those that require continuous arm motion (such as tennis).

Maintaining Water-Resistance

To help keep your watch protected from the elements:

1. Never submerge even the highest rated water-resistant watch in a hot shower, sauna or hot tub. The extreme heat can cause the metal parts to expand at a different rate than the rubber gaskets. This creates small openings that can allow water droplets to penetrate the watch. Sudden temperature changes are especially harsh. Take care not to jump into a cold pool after wearing your watch in the hot tub.

2. If your watch has a screw-down crown, make sure to screw it tightly into the watch case to help prevent any chance of water getting into your timepiece.

3. After swimming or diving in salt water, immediately rinse the watch in a stream of fresh water. If your watch has a rotating bezel, turn the bezel several times while rinsing it. This will prevent salt buildup and corrosion of the bezel ring.

If you detect any moisture in the watch or the crystal begins to fog, take it to a service professional as soon as possible.

Leather straps can be made to be water-resistant too. Generally however, leather straps are more easily damaged by frequent exposure to water, so if you are going to wear your watch while swimming, think of buying one with a metal bracelet or a rubber or nylon diver strap.

Let the Professionals Handle It

While there are several things you can do on your own to ensure that your watch can be handed down to the next generation, you’ll need to turn to professionals for a few things.

While some metal bracelets can be sized on your own with the purchase of a sizing tool, a watch professional can take the stress out of it and help you size it correctly.

Changing batteries in quartz movement watches (about every two to three years).

If you notice your timepiece running slow or fast, bring it in to a professional for a tune-up that includes internal cleaning and oiling.

Watch FAQ

What if my watch bracelet is too big for my wrist?

If you ordered a watch with a metal bracelet, you may need to have one or more links removed for the watch fit your wrist properly.

You can take your watch to a reputable jeweler or watch repair shop for sizing. Expect to pay a small fee for this service. If you choose to size your own watch, exercise extreme caution and ensure you have the correct tools for the kind of watch band links you’re removing. If sizing is done incorrectly, a watch can be scratched or damaged. Be aware that most retailers will not accept returns once a watch has been sized, so be sure you want to keep it before you size it.

Tip: Keep the removed links. Watch bracelets occasionally break, and it is a lot easier (and cheaper) to have the bracelet repaired with your own links rather than order new ones. You will also be able to adjust the watch with the extra links if you prefer to wear your watch looser in the future. The best place to keep them is in the watch box with your insertion manual.

What’s the difference between quartz and mechanical (or automatic) movements?

The movement, or inner workings, of the watch are what make up the main timekeeping mechanism. Most watches have either a quartz movement or a mechanical movement. The type of movement you choose depends mostly on one’s taste. Mechanical movements are a tribute to the watchmaker’s art and monitor the passage of time by a series of gear mechanisms.

A mechanical movement that does not have to be wound is known as an automatic movement. These self-winding movements are wound by the movement of your wrist (you don’t have to shake it to work – the normal, everyday movement of the watch on your wrist charges the winding reserve). When this type of watch is removed from your wrist, the movement winds down in 10 to 72 hours, depending on the size of its winding reserve.

Quartz movements, on the other hand, are powered by a battery and do not stop working once removed from your wrist. When activated by a battery or solar power, the thin sliver of crystal very predictably vibrates at an extremely high frequency (32,768 times per second), providing very accurate timekeeping. The battery in a quartz watch generally needs to be replaced every 1.5 years.

What’s a watch crystal?

The crystal is the clear cover over the watch face. Three types of crystals are commonly found in watches. Acrylic crystal is an inexpensive plastic that allows shallow scratches to be buffed out. Mineral crystal is composed of several elements that are heat-treated to create an unusual hardness that aids in resisting scratches. Sapphire crystal is the most expensive and durable, approximately three times harder than mineral crystals and 20 times harder than acrylic crystals. A non-reflective coating on some sport styles prevents glare.

Are watches really water-proof?

No. In fact, they aren’t. It is actually illegal to represent a watch as being water-proof. Watches, however, can be water-resistant. In fact, most watches have some sort of water-resistance. A watch marked as water-resistant without a depth indication is designed to withstand accidental splashes of water only. Do not submerge such a watch. Higher levels of water-resistance are indicated by increasingly higher acceptable depths, usually indicated in meters.

There are a variety of ways to make a watch water-resistant. All such watches use rubber gaskets or “O” rings to seal the case back. A watch with a back that screws onto the case provides a higher degree of water-resistance. Some crowns (the “winding stem”) actually screw into the case to further increase water-resistance.

We do not recommend swimming or diving with your watch unless it has a screw-down crown (also known as “screw-lock” or “screw-in” crown) and is water-resistant to at least 100 meters.

What is a dive watch?

Dive watches traditionally feature a graduated rotating bezel, a screw-down winding crown, and a case back. Dive watches must be water-resistant to at least 200 meters (660 feet).

How do I get the functions on my watch to work?

Because watches offer many different functions, the best way to learn what each function means and how each function works is to refer to the instruction manual that came with your watch.

The typical functions on an analog chronograph watch are a seconds hand, a 30 or 60 minute timer, and 1/10th of a second. These functions are controlled by the buttons above and below the crown.

What do the different movement types mean?

Automatic Movement (Automatic Winding or Self-Winding): Powered by the motion of the wearer’s arm rather than by turning the winding stem. In response to this motion, a rotor turns and winds the watch’s mainspring so that it keeps accurate time. Most automatic watches have up to 36 hours of power reserve. If an automatic watch is not worn for a day or two, it will need to be wound by hand to restart again.

Mechanical Movement: A watch’s mechanical movement is based on a mainspring which slowly unwinds in a steady motion to provide accurate timekeeping. As opposed to a manual mechanical watch, which needs to be wound on a consistent basis, an automatic mechanical watch requires no winding because its rotor winds the mainspring when the wearer moves their wrist. Read the section on automatic watch maintenance for more details.

Quartz: Quartz is a caliber that uses the vibrations of a tiny crystal to maintain timing accuracy. The power comes from a battery that must be replaced about every 2-3 years. In recent years, new Quartz technology enables the watch to recharge itself without battery replacement. This power is generated via movement similar to an automatic mechanical watch, or powered by light through a solar cell (Kinetic and solar-tech).

What is a screw down crown?

A screw-down crown aids water-resistance by sealing the crown to the case of the watch. A seal is achieved when the case locks with the crown’s internal threads and gaskets fastening the crown in its place.

What does it mean if a watch is Swiss Made?

Swiss Made is a label used to indicate that a wrist watch was in Switzerland. A watch is considered completely Swiss Made if it contains a movement that is Swiss, if the movement itself is encased in Switzerland, and if any final quality control by the manufacturer occurs in Switzerland. This is current Swiss law, and changes may occur in the future