What are the maintenance methods for quartz watches?

　　A quartz watch is a high-precision electronic timekeeping instrument. Just like a mechanical watch, it requires careful maintenance and care. Caring for a quartz watch is a simple yet mindful art. So, how should a quartz watch be maintained? Let's learn about it below.

　　Quartz maintenance methods

　　Service quartz watches regularly to eliminate hidden hazards

　　Corresponding maintenance should be carried out every two to three years, including replacing water-resistant components, testing timekeeping performance and movement power consumption, cleaning the movement, and maintaining the exterior. Such maintenance services will effectively extend the lifespan of your watch.

　　Wipe quartz watches frequently to extend their lifespan

　　When wearing a watch, sweat on your hands can be corrosive to the case. All-steel cases, being made of nickel-chromium alloy, have better corrosion resistance. Half-steel cases are made of copper and are prone to corrosion with long-term contact with sweat; they should be wiped frequently with a soft cloth to remove sweat or fitted with a plastic watch protector to prevent sweat erosion. Except for some high-grade quartz electronic watches, the water resistance of most quartz electronic watches is relatively poor. In particular, general liquid crystal digital display quartz electronic watches have many buttons and poorly sealed cases. The integrated circuits and liquid crystal displays of the movement often have a shortened lifespan once they encounter water and moisture, and may even fail to work normally. Therefore, quartz electronic watches must never allow water, moisture, water vapour, or sweat to penetrate inside. If found, the case back should be opened immediately and dried with a light bulb of around 60 watts.

　　The quartz watch case back is a critical area; open with caution

　　Do not open the case back or disassemble parts at random, so as to avoid circuit damage or dust and moisture entering the movement, which can affect timekeeping and cause damage. Never ruin your luxury watch for the sake of a quick, careless action.

　　Keep camphor substances away from quartz watches as much as possible

　　Camphor has the effect of decomposing oils, which can easily cause the lubricants in the watch parts to break down. A quartz watch with deteriorated movement oil is highly susceptible to erosion by sweat and other substances, making the watch prone to damage and thereby reducing its lifespan.

　　Store quartz watches properly when not in use temporarily

　　If a watch is temporarily not in use, it should not be neglected. It should be placed in a dry environment at room temperature (10-30 degrees Celsius) and should not be placed in chests or wardrobes containing camphor. For analogue quartz electronic watches, the crown should be pulled out when not in use to cut off the power. For liquid crystal digital display quartz electronic watches, when stored or not used for a long time, the battery should be removed or isolated with a piece of paper to prevent the battery from failing over time.

　　Common questions regarding mechanical watch maintenance

　　a. Regularly use a soft cloth or silk to gently wipe away dirt and sweat stains from the case.

　　b. Manual-winding mechanical watches should be wound at a fixed time, preferably fully wound in one go. When winding, turn the crown at an appropriate speed and do not wind it too tightly. If it is too tight, the mainspring can easily become stuck by the oil in the barrel. When the mainspring relaxes, it can easily break due to excessive tension.

　　c. Watches are most sensitive to violent vibrations; it is best to remove the watch when playing ball sports or hitting things with your hands.

　　d. Watches are also susceptible to water damage. Therefore, it is best to remove your watch when washing clothes, washing hands, or doing other work that involves contact with water. If condensation or water droplets appear under the watch crystal, it should be serviced promptly to wipe away the moisture and dry the movement. However, if there is only a small amount of condensation, it will disappear on its own once the weather dries up.

　　e. Please do not bring the watch close to magnetic objects such as radios and televisions, so as not to affect accuracy.

　　f. Please do not allow the watch to come into contact with solvents, mercury, cosmetic sprays, detergents, adhesives, paints, or camphor, otherwise the case and strap/bracelet may discolour, deteriorate, or be damaged. Camphor is a highly volatile substance that can easily cause the movement oil to solidify, losing its lubricating effect and thereby damaging the accuracy of the timepiece.