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Though crafted from the world’s most beautiful metals, jewels and leather, today’s luxury watches aren’t just works of art. They’re also precision instruments with life-saving capacity. Did you know, for instance, that when the Apollo 13 suffered an electrical fault during its 1970 space mission, the Omega Speedster played a part in the mission’s rescue? NASA engineers counted on its precision as they used it as a timer.
You may not need to rescue imperilled astronauts, but your everyday life depends on accurate timekeeping. And when you wear a luxury watch on your wrist, you can feel a connection with the brilliant minds that have developed timepieces over the centuries.
What can you do to keep your luxury watch winding impeccably? Follow these eight tips.
Self-winding watches don’t require winding, but if your mechanical watch must be wound, do it daily. Your timepiece will always operate at peak capacity. Even if you don’t wear your watch one day, continue your daily winding habit to prevent its lubricants from congealing.
Try to wind your luxury watch at about the same time every day. Most experts recommend winding your watch first thing in the morning to keep its energy steady throughout the day. By establishing this habit, you won’t have to remember when you last wound it.
If you do need to wind your mechanical watch, do so before you strap it on your wrist. If you turn the crown while you’re wearing it, you might put unnecessary stress on the winding stem. Over time, the stem will weaken.
As you wind your watch, you’ll feel increasing tension as the mainspring tightens. When you sense resistance, stop turning. Further strain may cause the mainspring to break. Fortunately, mainsprings are not difficult to replace, but it’s always best to prevent damage in the first place.
When you first purchase your watch, wind it completely. Automatic mechanical watches are sold with the spring completely unwound. As soon as you start moving it around, it will start running, but mere movement will not be enough to tighten the mainspring fully. Use your watch’s full power reserve by giving it a proper, full winding for starters.
If you haven’t worn your watch in a few days, give it an excellent manual winding to reset the power reserve. Remember that automatic watches need your assistance from time to time, especially when you’ve been mainly sedentary or given the watch a break.
Most luxury watches are designed to be wound clockwise. Keep the crown in its pushed-in position and wind until you feel resistance. If your watch features a screw-down crown, you’ll first need to unscrew it before winding.
For effortless maintenance and fully charged perfection, store your watch in a winder when you’re not wearing it. Winders come in all shapes and sizes. They move your watch around, mimicking the motions of your wrist. Watch collectors often use winders because they need to keep multiple watches in good working order and don’t want to monitor the power reserves of numerous timepieces.
A well-maintained luxury watch will serve you well for many years. But what if the unexpected happens? Protect your favourite timepieces with Q Report watch insurance. Our specialised insurance policy gives you the freedom to wear your watch anywhere you want to go, knowing it will be protected from loss, theft and damage.
To learn more about our policy or to ask questions, get in touch with us a Q Report. Or, fill out our form for an instant online quote.
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