Surprisingly Easy Ways to Damage Your Luxury Timepiece

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Scott Meller

Your luxury timepiece is tough but it’s certainly not indestructible. Believe us, we’ve seen it all! Check out these surprisingly easy ways your watch can get damaged and avoid them at all costs.

Changing the battery yourself

When your watch battery dies, you may be tempted to replace it yourself. How hard could it be, right? Wrong! When you open up your timepiece (for any reason!), you run the risk of ruining it by damaging its inner workings, destroying the water-resistance, etc. Always take it to a professional watchmaker as soon as you notice the battery has died or if the second hand starts skipping.

Actually, doing any type of repair yourself

Never, we repeat never, try to perform any type of watch repair yourself. We almost guarantee you’ll do additional damage (not to mention you’ll void your warranty!). When in doubt, bring it to a watchmaker for an estimate.

Not understanding water-resistance

As we’ve discussed before, water-resistant does not mean water-proof. Water-resistance is actually used to describe the water pressure, not necessarily how much water, your timepiece can withstand. When you purchase your watch, make sure to thoroughly understand its water-resistance. Don’t let something as simple as a shower ruin your investment!

Dropping it

One of the most common ways to damage a watch is to drop it or let it fall. Be sure to store your watch properly and keep it away from ledges when you aren’t wearing it. And, remember that there’s more to your watch than the eyes can see so if you do happen to drop it, bring it in to be looked at by a professional even if it appears no damage was done.

Magnets

Magnets may seem harmless but they can drastically affect the performance of your luxury watch. When a watch becomes magnetized, or is exposed to certain levels of a magnetic field, it may start to run fast. Avoid exposing your timepiece to things like speakers, medical equipment, refrigerator doors, radios, electronic devices, etc. Luckily, if your watch does appear to be magnetized, it’s a quick and usually inexpensive fix that can be performed by a watchmaker.

Not keeping up with scheduled maintenance

Neglecting to service your watch is just like neglecting to get the oil changed in your car. Timepieces require service, at a minimum every 3-4 years, to ensure they are running correctly and don’t require any type of repair. During your service appointment, your timepiece will also be cleaned and lubricated, helping to extend its life.

Were you aware of all of these ways your watch could get damaged? Do you have any to add to our list? Tell us below!