Self Service

Like anything in life the toughest part of achieving things is maintaining what you have. The same holds true after buying a fine timepiece. When I got my first good watch I was on cloud 9. For me it was better than getting laid for the first time. I mean I was so elated,especially for the first year or two because owning a fine timepiece seemed extravagant and unreacheable,that I didn't even realize how important it is to get my watch serviced and cleaned. At first I was so naive that I thought water resistant meant shower all you want with it, and abuse it in a hot tub. What the hell did I know I was only 17. After I got my first repair bill I nearly passed out because it was almost half the price of the watch.

I then realized quickly I was destroying the watch with my excitement and naivety of testing the waters of owning something so nice. I think it is crucial for anyone out there owning a nice timepiece to get it cleaned and repaired about every three to five years. To be honest a watch is like a car, if you don't maintain and up keep it you will have to replace it very soon. You may ask yourself how do I even go about this? Don't worry, I know this can be quite stressful, but believe me once you do it you will feel a million times better. The best way to do it is go to the dealer you purchased it from and go to their repair department.

A good repair department will tell you everything you need to know. Be sure to ask questions and don't be afraid. Having worked in retail over the years one thing I will say is please be patient. Fine timepieces are not built in a day, take into account what goes into making a nice watch and you will understand. I didn't have much respect for watch makers when I was younger, but when I woke up and had the opportunity to attend watchmaking classes for the best watch companies in the world,I know I got really spoiled but hey my faith and respect was immediately restored. I will say this just to save yourself time and money make sure you don't shower or go in a Jacuzzi with any watch because you will destroy it. Swimming is absolutely fine, but hot water will kill the watch because most water resistant watches have rubber gaskets, when exposed to hot water they expand and contract and do it enough times they will break causing water to get in ensuring a hefty bill to correct the problem.

I often hear if the watch is not broken don't fix it. It really depends. To be honest send it in for service so it won't break. Remember an automatic or manual wind watch have many parts that have been oiled and regulated so the watch runs smoothly, after working for three to five years the oils dry up and the watch has to work harder to perform the same function, which can result in loosing or gaining time. In most cases what happens when a watch goes for servicing is that the movement is completely disassembled and the parts get chemically bathed and watever parts need replacing get replaced and then the movement is reassembled, lubricated and resealed and retested for accuracy which can take time.

So, at the end of the day it is in your best interest to do yourself the service of getting your watch cleaned regularly so that it lasts a lifetime!