News

How To Look After Your Vintage Watch?

by Michael Mondelli on Oct 19, 2021

How To Look After Your Vintage Watch?

Vintage watches, especially those from high-end labels, are built so that they last really long. Although, with decent care, there is still a little reason they can not continue ticking indefinitely.

But when these watches are in their twenty, fifty, or even a hundred years old & if not given the best care probably the story ends up being thrown in a drawer. Some of the vintage watches, which are in good condition & taken care of properly, are lucky to still be around.

If you want to ensure your vintage watch stays young & continues ticking well into its later years, read this article from Time Source Jewelers, publishing six top tips for looking after a vintage watch.

Get it Serviced

The most crucial piece of advice for looking & caring about a vintage timepiece is to get it properly serviced every two to three years if it’s a mechanical watch & after three to four years if it’s an automatic one. 

In general, most Swiss & German manufacturers recommend service after every five years. Still, it depends on how often the watch is worn or used & in what conditions the piece is kept.

Know The Specs

Just bought a vintage diver's timepiece but not certain about its exact level of water endurance or resistance? Have a stunning vintage field watch from World War II but again, not sure about its impact-resistant?

Vintage watches could be tricky when buying them from unauthorized dealers because most unauthorized dealers don't know the exact specifications. In contrast, knowing the specs of your vintage watch is supreme; as knowing its limit, you intentionally will never push it past its limits & make sure it lives a long & healthy life.

Keep it Clean

Pre Owned & vintage timepieces can be magnets for dust & dirt. Keep your watch clean & in good condition & clean often by taking a soft, non-abrasive cloth & wiping down its case & band. 

Tip- You can also wash or clean the case in somewhat warm water mixed with mild dish soap.

Care For the Crystal

Although recognized for its durability & strength, it is still not unusual for a timepiece's crystal, which is generally made from mineral glass or sapphire in vintage watches, to pick up the odd scratch or scrape. 

Besides taking some extra care not to crash it & not to wear it when going for athletic activities, you can also learn how to fix your watch minor crystal problem if it ever happens by contacting experts at Time Source Jewelers.

Keep It In Its Box

The best spot to put your vintage watch so that it stays in its best condition, rather than just leaving it on your bedside table or stuffing it in a drawer, is absolutely in its box. 

The box of the watch is definitely made to keep the watch safe during transport & have materials & coverings that treat the watch pretty well — unlike pet paws, kitchen tops & grimy child hands.

Leave It To An Expert

With hundreds of running parts, vintage timepieces are certainly not something one with minor or no experience should be repairing within the garage.  

As you can imagine, when exposed to dirt, dust & the hands of an amateur, it’s obvious to make things worse & ruin your watch even further.

A simple yet effective rule for looking after a vintage timepiece is to leave anything that requires opening up the back to a well-known watchmaker &, of course, better & well recognized & appreciated than Time Source Jewelers in New York.