Mechanical Watch Maintenance Knowledge: Tissot Automatic Mechanical Watch Maintenance

    What is a mechanical watch? The internal movement components of the watch are composed of mechanical parts, functioning as a spring-powered balance wheel and hairspring timepiece. Mechanical watches are generally divided into two categories: ordinary mechanical watches (manually wound mechanical watches), fully automatic mechanical watches, and semi-automatic mechanical watches. Regardless of the type of mechanical watch, daily maintenance is very important. Good maintenance contributes to the service life of the watch.

Mechanical Watch Maintenance Knowledge

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

    2. Manually wound 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 inside the barrel. When the mainspring unwinds, excessive tension can easily cause it to snap.

    3. Watches are most vulnerable to severe shocks; it is best to take them off when playing sports or hitting objects by hand.

    4. Watches are also afraid of water immersion. Therefore, when doing laundry, washing hands, or performing other tasks involving water, it is best to remove the watch. If mist or water droplets appear on the watch glass, it should be serviced promptly to wipe away the mist and water droplets and dry the movement. However, if there is only slight mist, it will disappear on its own once the weather dries.

    5. Please keep watches away from magnetic objects such as radios and televisions to avoid affecting accuracy.

    6. Please do not let the watch come close to solvents, mercury, cosmetic sprays, detergents, adhesives, paint, or camphor, otherwise the case and strap may discolour, deteriorate, or become damaged. Camphor is a highly volatile substance that easily causes movement oil to solidify, losing its lubricating effect and thereby damaging the watch's accuracy.

    7. Do not subject the watch to sudden temperature changes. Rapid temperature shifts will increase timing errors in mechanical watches; the internal mainspring of a mechanical watch is prone to breaking due to rapid temperature changes, and rubber seals will age faster, thereby affecting the watch's water resistance.

    8. Do not open the case back casually to prevent dust from getting inside; furthermore, do not meddle with the adjustments. If damaged, take it to a watch shop for repair promptly.

    9. When a mechanical watch is not in use, it is best to wind it once a month to prevent the oil inside the watch from solidifying.

    10. Water-resistant, shock-resistant and anti-magnetic watches only offer preventative protection. During use, you must still avoid contact with water, magnetic fields and strong vibrations to prevent damage to the movement and to ensure the longevity of the watch.

    11. Watch crystals are not highly scratch-resistant, so you should avoid contact with sharp or hard materials, as well as high pressure, high heat and chemical corrosion to prevent scratching or damage. If there are minor scratches, you can apply toothpaste to a soft cloth and rub it back and forth on the crystal to buff them out. Remember not to use alcohol, as it may react chemically with the crystal and cause it to shatter. Although hard metal and sapphire crystal watch glasses are wear-resistant and scratch-proof, they should still be protected from knocks, heavy pressure, drops and other improper handling.

    12. A special reminder: no watch should be worn in warm water or in the bathroom, even if it is water-resistant. The seals in a watch are made of rubber, which degrades easily when exposed to heat. Furthermore, water vapour molecules are small and can easily penetrate the case, causing damage to the internal mechanism.

    13. If you notice fog or condensation on the watch glass, pull the crown out and leave the watch face down for a day, then push the crown back into its original position to resolve the issue. (The occurrence of this does not necessarily mean the watch's water resistance has failed; it may be that the crown was accidentally pulled out during use.)

    14. For watches intended for long-term storage, they should be cleaned and oiled before being put away. You should also wind them 1-2 times every month to keep the watch in good working order.