Mechanical watches are more than just tools for telling the time. For many, they’re intricate mechanical instruments, pieces of wearable art, and treasured heirlooms, so whether the timepiece is worn daily or makes an appearance for special occasions, it’s important to keep it in top condition. Which begs the question, how do you properly look after a watch?

Drawing on his extensive experience at Ninety Watches & Jeweller, Richard Mille’s certified pre-owned boutique in Mayfair, watchmaker Thomas Mason is one of the capital’s pre-eminent timepieces restorers and rejuvenators. At Ninety, every Richard Mille watch is serviced to the brand’s exacting standards, specialising in the care of complex movements like tourbillons, long a hallmark of the house’s craftsmanship. “Haute horology pieces are meticulously crafted and finished works of art. Much like owning a beautiful luxury car, some of the emphasis for the function and longevity of this mechanical object lies with the owner,” explains Mason.

So, what are the day-to-day measures you should be taking to look after your watch? Here Mason offers his tips on how to best protect and maintain your timepiece, ensuring it lasts for years, and even generations, to come.

Water Resistance Maintenance

If there is one thing with the potential above all else to cause immense damage to your watch, it’s water ingress. I have personally seen some horrific examples of movements rusted almost to, and sometimes beyond, reasonable repair.

Water resistance relies on compression of rubber gaskets on all possible entry points, the number of potential ingress points depending on the model. These gaskets naturally degrade over time and the grease they rely on can perish. For this reason, if you are keen on swimming in your watch, I recommend regular testing to ensure the integrity of the case under pressure. This can usually be achieved with the aid of the manufacturer, or an official service centre.

As a side note, I would also recommend that you also pay close attention to the depth rating and add a safety factor to it, as rapid movements in water can increase the pressure exerted on the case. I personally suggest a watch rated for 50m, for example, be taken to only half that.

Undertake Regular Authorised Maintenance

Water resistance aside, when considering the life and longevity of any mechanical watch, I would rank regular servicing as the most important thing you can do to look after your watch. To ensure the best outcome, every service should performed by knowledgeable and qualified technicians who work for or on behalf of the manufacturer or a trusted source. Unauthorised services can cause immeasurable damage to the movement and its parts and there is no guarantee any new parts are genuine.

All mechanical objects have components which interact with each other in various ways. Watch companies expend huge effort to create efficient components and material combinations which work well together with minimal friction and wear. These pieces, however, almost always require lubrication for function. Over time these oils dry out, at which point the congealed nature of them, and the particles they have accumulated, can start to cause damage.

A regular full service of mechanical watches shouldn’t just involve cleaning, every component should be checked and adjusted if necessary for optimal function, then tested to ensure performance and function. During service there is also usually a degree of case reconditioning – which brings us neatly to point three.

Avoid excessive watch polishing

Scratches on your watch can be annoying – some owners I have spoken with cannot tolerate even the tiniest blemish. However, my advice is always to try and live with the natural and completely inevitable wear your timepiece will receive. In my mind these marks show the piece is loved and that the timepiece has been through what you have been through as it was intended.

Every time you polish a watch you remove material and excessive refurbishment over time will alter the look and geometry of the case. This may ultimately end up devaluing it or leave you requiring new case components. I am by no means anti-polishing, refurbishing cases is one of the parts of the service I enjoy most, but recommend that it is done sparingly.

Care for straps, bracelets and buckles

Like the tyres on your car need to be in the best condition possible to keep optimal contact with the road, your watch strap or bracelet is the contact with the wrist and what stops your beloved timepiece from being lost while you’re out walking the dog. I have seen some pieces come in with the strap hanging by a thread. Straps in particular have a finite lifespan so take the time to ensure form and function is up to scratch. Even older clasps on bracelet watches will need occasional adjustment to keep them clicking closed and staying closed.

Get to know your watch

This seems obvious but it’s remarkable how many people don’t know the full functionality of their watches. This can be either not fully understanding a complication or not understanding how to safely operate and set it. For example, even though most modern date watches have safety features to prevent damage, I always advocate putting the hour hand at a safe time (around 5 o’clock works well) before using a rapid date advance function and only moving the hands forwards.

Doing this ensures no part of the gearing which drives the hands is in contact with the date mechanism. These small practices can help you avoid damage to a watch which is sensitive to setting operations. As mechanical objects, many watches have nuances and procedures which should be considered and learned to get the most from your investment.

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