The use of water resistant wristwatches in swimming pools, hot tubs and sauna can be harmful due to temperature changes. Soap, salt and chloride can also damage the surface of watches and jewelry.

I reccommend bringing your beautiful watch to a respected watch repair person once a year to be oiled (Jbaldwinwatch will cover the cost if from a qualified repairman and at a reasonible cost (up to $40 per year for the first two years.) 

Mechanical watches are regulated by a simple hair spring that has a life of its own. The mood, temperature, position, and age of the hairspring affects the overall speed and reliability of your mechanical watch.  

If your wristwatch is gradually becoming slow over years of use, then the watch might not necessarily be out of regulation, but rather requires a cleaning, we recommend our watches to be serviced every 4 - 5 years. If your watch either gradually slows down, or all of a sudden slows down as a result of a drop or precipitating incident, get it serviced.

If your wristwatch all of a sudden speeds up, then most likely the balance spring became magnetized.  Powerful magnets found in stereo speakers, laptops/tablets and mobile phones have been found to magnetize balance springs causing the coils to stick together, effectively shortening the balance spring and speeding up the watch.  Most watchmakers have demagnetizers and is a simple 10 minute repair that does not require removing the case back.

what to avoid

Stay clear of strong magnetic fields. You could magnetize your watch inadvertently and cause erratic gear behavior. The watch may also stop entirely! 

If you can avoid it, do not wear your watch in extreme temperatures. Moving between excessive hot and cold temperatures can cause the parts to expand or contract, which may cause erratic rate behavior. Keeping your watch in extreme heat for too long can also cause your watch’s lubricant to congeal, causing friction on the gears.

Just because a watch is “scratch-resistant” does not mean it is “scratch-proof.” Avoid harmful objects that can scratch your watch, as well as dirt and chemicals that can cause damage slowly over time. 

Schedule Maintenance Regularly.

Like any car, mechanical watches need regular cleanings and oil changes to continue running effectively. We recommend between 1-2 years mechanical watch maintenance.

Regular oil changes are necessary to prevent all of the parts from slowing and breaking. It is much easier to change the oil in a watch than repair or replace broken components.