Essentials of watch cleaning and oiling

   The cleaning of the watch movement and the application of lubricating oil, referred to as "cleaning and oiling", is a regular and very important task in watch repair. The purpose of cleaning and oiling is to keep the watch components clean and properly lubricated, thereby ensuring the precision of the watch parts, improving timekeeping accuracy, and extending the service life of the timepiece.

    Under normal circumstances, a watch generally needs to be cleaned and oiled every two years of use. Typically, cleaning and oiling is carried out alongside adjustment and the repair or replacement of parts.

   In addition, when inspecting the watch for faults, if any of the following issues are found, cleaning and oiling must also be performed:

   A.The lubricating oil inside the movement has dried out or become viscous. This increases the resistance of moving parts, causing inaccurate timekeeping;

   B.There is too much lubricating oil inside the watch. This causes oil to seep everywhere and contaminate components, especially the escapement and regulating mechanism, leading the watch to stop or become significantly inaccurate;

   C.Foreign matter has entered the movement, such as dust particles, metal shavings, or fine fibres. This obstructs the transmission mechanism, causing inaccurate timekeeping or even stopping the watch;

   D.Components are rusted. This is caused by a lack of proper care on the user's part, the operating environment (such as underwater or high-altitude use), or poor water resistance of the case, which causes the watch to run irregularly or stop.

   So, what quality standards should a watch meet after cleaning and oiling? How can the results be judged? Here are some methods for watch enthusiasts to refer to.

   A.The watch case and movement are clean and tidy, free from old oil marks, dust, and fingerprints;

   B.The movement is assembled correctly without error, for example: screws are secure, hands are fitted properly, gear mesh is normal, axial and radial clearances meet standards, the escapement mechanism functions correctly, the balance spring has good flatness and concentricity, and the balance wheel has no side play;

   C.Lubrication is applied appropriately; all points requiring oil have it, and areas that should remain dry are confirmed oil-free;

   D.The amplitude with two winds reaches120°, the full-wind amplitude reaches270°－300°, at half-wind (i.e.24hours later) the vertical amplitude is no less than180°；

   E.the daily error is no greater than45seconds.

  More detailed cleaning and oiling procedures, essentials, and tools have been continuously covered in previous articles on this site and can be used as a reference.