A watch is one of the most delicate mechanisms in daily use, yet it supposed to function day in and day out. Of course you want the watch to give you good reliable service and it will do so if you treat it kindly.
Many antique watches are accurate timekeepers, others are not! The accuracy of a mechanical watch depends on many factors and can often change when the watch is used in a different environment. The movement of our body, the restlessness of our arms can jolt and jar a watch and as a result the timekeeping can be altered. The changes can be so minimal that we often don’t notice them until may be a week has passed. Sometimes it is possible to compensate a little by making adjustments to the movement, in other cases these variations are due to design and/or quality of the watch or it's age and state of wear and maintenance.
Vehicles are ruggedly constructed. Some weigh tons with many of their parts are so heavy that ordinary people cannot lift them. And yet, vehicles must receive frequent attention. The oil has to be changed at regular intervals and components have to be replaced. If this is not done, trouble is sure to follow.
A watch is made up of tiny precision parts, some are so small that they can hardly be seen by the naked eye. Certain watch parts can be so delicate and are thinner than a human hair. It is usually expected from a watch to work twenty four hours a day, for an indefinite number of years. The magic is that unlike vehicles, watches can do this, provided they receive a little care and attention from time to time. All you need to do is this:
Do not open the watch case. The tiniest speck of dust or moisture can harm the mechanism or the finish!
If you wear a water protected watch and you want it to stay protected make sure that the water tightness is tested frequently to ensure that no moisture can get inside the case. Otherwise remove the watch from your wrist when you are in contact with water, even when washing your hands or in heavy rain. A small drop of moisture entering the case may cause rust on vital components such as the hairspring.
With water protected watches, only rely on the water protection if the watch has been tested in a workshop equipped to do so.
If the glass ever breaks or cracks, stop using the watch and immediately have the glass replaced with another. Don’t let dust or moisture get on to the dial or the inside of the watch.
Don’t expose your watch to any strong impacts. The delicate pivots may break or bend and the tiny jewelled bearings could crack as a result.
Have your watch serviced on a regular basis. If you choose to use it daily the recommendation is to have it checked by a watchmaker every five years or earlier.
Only use workshop services with experienced and qualified watchmakers .
Never try to oil your watch yourself. Lubricants used in Horology are specialised substances which have to be applied with great care. The wrong lubrication can result in serious damage to your watch.
If you follow these simple instructions you will get a lifetime of satisfactory service from your watch.
Günter Dähndel FBHI 2023
