Informational articles
/Servicing your watch
June 14, 2023
Every watch needs regular maintenance. Depending on the use and complexity or age of the watch, the maintenance period varies between 2 and 6 years. Good indications for maintenance are: inaccurate running, too short power reserve, etc.
Daily maintenance
You can help maintain the shine of your watch by occasionally wiping it with a microfiber cloth. Also, for a waterproof watch, you can occasionally clean the case and strap with water, soap and a soft brush. Before cleaning your watch, always check that the winding crown is screwed securely to the case to prevent water from entering.
Detailed description maintenance service
- Analysis outer case and strap and checking of functions both visually and with measuring equipment. Demagnetization of movement (excluding Quartz)
- Disassembling the case and movement from the case.
- Complete disassembly of the watch case.
- Removal of hands, disassembly of dial, and if applicable the date disk.
- Complete disassembly of the movement, checking all tolerances and readjusting where necessary. Checking the settings of the escapement and regulator (balance and coil)
- Replacing worn or damaged parts (if necessary)
- First manual cleaning of all watch components.
- Machine cleaning (in 5 stages with Swiss cleaning fluids) of entire disassembled movement. For this we use the fully automatic ELMA Solvex RM with 1 pre-rinse bath, 3 post-rinse baths and a drying chamber.
- Complete inspection for absolute cleanliness of all parts, with special focus on bearing stones. Using "pen wood" and a 12x magnifying loupe.
- Assembly and lubrication of all parts. Up to 5 different extremely high quality oils are used. Extremely carefully and in very specific places with exactly the right amount.
- Checking/adjustment of movement. For mechanical watches in the so-called 6 positions. For this we use the very advanced Witschi Analyzer Twin and the Witschi Watch Expert. Besides mechanical watches with Swiss anchor escapement, Omega co-axial and Audemars Piquet movement systems, this Swiss machine can also perform all necessary tests on quartz movements.
- Meanwhile, all case parts and, if applicable, the metal band were ultrasonically cleaned.
- Possibly polishing/sanding/matting of case and strap.
- Mounting dial and hands. For watches with date or chronograph functions, take into account jumping at midnight or resetting to the zero position
- Assembly of case and scaling of movement. Closing of case and renewed accuracy test.
- Optional and at no extra cost a waterproof test with the Witschi Proofmaster S, which can test both vacuum and also up to 10 Bar overpressure (pictured on Home).
- After mounting the strap, the watch goes for several days of monitoring, which, in the case of automatic movements using the Elma Cyclomotion are tested for building up the so-called power reserve.