Buying your first luxury watch can be intimidating. You’ll want to find a watch that meets all of your criteria: style, substance, and trouble-free. However, the best luxury washes will need their fair share of upkeep to last a lifetime, even if their mechanical components are top-of-the-line. Be sure to appropriately care for and maintain your luxury watches to protect your investment.
Choosing a Luxury Watch, e.g., Versace
Are you still in the stage of buying a luxury watch? Luxury watches by Versace offer style and substance. The Black Greca Chrono Watch, for example, has a round case, carved detailing, and a buffed calfskin strap. These types of watches are perfect for almost any occasion.
If you’re interested in buying a new watch, stack your potential timepieces against the following questions to find something within your budget that suits your style.
- What is your budget? Most watches range from $1,000-$5,000.
- What is your style? Dress, pilot, diver, military, or racing?
- What is your lifestyle? Are you adventurous or a workhorse?
- What can you do with it? Can it set different time zones or follow moon phases?
- What is the after-sale procedure? Will your customer service needs be cared for?
- What is the watch’s warranty? Is it lifetime or time-sensitive?
- What is your ideal watch size? Most watches range from 32-44mm.
Take your time! A luxury watch is a large purchase that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
7 Steps on How to Care for and Maintain a Luxury Watch
Step 1: Clean Your Watch Daily or Weekly
Carefully take a soft cloth and run it across the band to remove any excess dirt or dust. Soak the watch in soap and water monthly to remove dirt. Some watches can withstand being submerged in water, while others will break. Remove watch components and soak the shell.
Step 2: Understand Your Watch’s Water Resistance
Watches aren’t all made to stay submerged in water. However, it’s common for luxury watches to come with some degree of water resistance up to 50 meters. If your watch has no resistance to water, avoid swimming or washing the dishes while wearing your timepiece at all costs.
Step 3: Use That Warranty to Service Your Watch
Regardless of warranty length, service your watch every 2-3 years. Depending on how sensitive the components are within your watch, you may need to service more often. A watchmaker will be able to spot problems before they occur or repair issues before they get worse.
Step 4: Stay Away From Magnets
Magnetism can affect analog watches by disrupting the force needed to drive the step rotor. Magnets can also affect the spring drive and cause it to keep incorrect time. Mechanical watches must be demagnetized to improve accuracy if they become affected by magnetism.
Step 5: Pay Extra Attention to the Watch Crystal
The watch crystal is the window to your timepiece and can take some hard hits, but you should still avoid knocking it around. Repairing and replacing a watch crystal is inexpensive compared to the rest of the timepiece, so it isn’t the end of the world if it breaks or cracks.
Step 6: Store Your Watch in a Box
After wearing your watch for the day, take it off and place it in a specialized watch box or in the box the watch came in. Don’t even place it on your bedside table or somewhere a person could easily drop it. Watches can become scratched when dropped at a distance of less than 2 feet.
Step 7: Avoid Direct Sun Exposure
Another reason to keep your watch in a box is to reduce the amount of time your timepiece is placed in sunlight. Sunlight can fade the color on your watch and shorten the battery life. Keep your watch hand inside the car while driving to ensure your watch stays in the shade.