Taking Care of Your Homage Watch 

Buying men’s designer watches is anything but an average purchase. It’s an investment in a timeless piece of functional art, that you may want to pass on to future generations. La Touraine homage watches are built to stand the test of time, and with the proper care, they can last for decades. Whether you just made a purchase or were given a new watch, here are tips to keep it looking and functioning at its best. Here is watch maintenance 101: How to take care of your homage watch.

#1- Cleaning Your Watch

Contrary to popular belief, there are many small creases and crevasses to clean on your watch, where dirt and oil can regularly accumulate. From the links in the bracelet to the lugs (area that joins the case and band). On a day-to-day basis, you can wipe down your watch with a lint-free cloth, but a deep clean is also required every few months. First, remove the bracelet or band from your watch. Use a little warm water and a soft toothbrush to clean the case and the lug area. Depending on how dirty your watch is, you can use a little mild dish soap too. Feel free to repeat the same process if you have a bracelet strap or for a leather strap, use a premium leather care cleaner kit instead to avoid watermarks and potential damage to the soft horween leather. Ensure that the watch and bracelet or band is completely dry before you reassemble it.  

#2- Wind Your Watch

If you have one of our automatic watches (Subnautica, Seafarer, Navigator, Manifest) a daily winding of your watch is another key element of basic watch maintenance. Men’s watches that are unwound and used can cause malfunctions, and are expensive to fix. If you are the owner of an automatic watch, it will continue running until it goes into power reserve mode. In order to get out of power reserve mode, just set the time(if available) and wind the watch until you reach the stop. Typically, if your automatic watch is worn daily, you will only need to wind it up on a weekly basis.  However, if it sits for a day or two, you will have to rewind the watch. With automatic watches, the clutches will disengage the winding mechanism, this makes it so that the watch cannot be over-wound. For owners of manual watches, try to get into the habit of winding it at the same time, every day. When you have a manual watch, winding should stop when you feel the slightest bit of resistance. By not doing this, you risk damaging the spring, due to it being over-wound.

#3- Properly Storing Your Watch

If you are not going to habitually wear your watch, then do what you can to ensure that it’s properly stored when not in use. The best place to store your watch is in a watch winder if it's an automatic watch. Not only will this tool keep it safe and dry, but it will also keep the gears moving and prevent the lubricants from hardening. Anyone that doesn’t own a watch winder, the original box or a watch roll will suffice. Try to remember to wind it at least once a week and keep it in a dry, temperature-controlled place. If you have a quartz watch, then just keep it stored in a watch case or watch pouch to limit scratches or damage from being dropped.

#4- Be Cognizant Of Your Watch’s Water Resistance

A majority of modern, men’s watches are built with a certain water resistance (usually 3 ATM or higher). Since every watch is different, it’s important to know the unique measure for your watch. La Touraine watches are usually at or above 5 ATM in order to provide enough water resistance for the majority of daily use. Watches that aren’t water-resistant can still likely handle a small splash of water, for when you wash your hands. But for the sake of guaranteeing longevity, work to avoid water exposure at all costs, especially taking your watch into the shower.  The high heat and water in a shower can shrink and damage the watch seals over time, leading to a loss of water resistance for the watch itself. Watches with leather bands are even more fragile, as even small amounts of exposure to moisture can weaken the leather and also stain it.  Avoid using a leather band with any activity that can soak it with water.

#5- Get Your Watch Serviced

A big no-no in watch maintenance is opening up the watch. Opening the watch can exacerbate any existing issues by exposing its inner working to dust or moisture. Your watch seals can also be damaged or compromised when you open the watch case.  Small pieces of lint, dust or debris can also cause your watch movement to stop working.  If the watch stops working or is malfunctioning, you should always take it to an expert for further examination and potential repair.  Due to issues with debris, dust and contamination, if you open the watch case on your La Touraine watch, you void the warranty. 

#6- Read The Manual

We cannot emphasize enough—every watch is unique! You should always read the manual before doing anything to the watch. Anyone that doesn’t have a physical copy of the original manual, need not worry. You can find a digital version of the manual online, meaning you will always have access to resources for your timepiece. La Touraine is happy to provide a digital version of the owners manual if you contact us at Info@La-Touraine.com. 

Watch Maintenance 101: Men's Homage Watches From La Touraine

Watch maintenance should never be taken for granted, especially if you are investing much of your money in acquiring any of these classic timepieces. It is crucial to properly maintain your watch for it to last as designed. La Touraine is proud to offer our customers a wide selection of pristine mens designer watches. If you are in the market for a new watch, contact us today or browse through our ever-growing gallery.