How To: Take Care of Your Watches & Jewellery

Taking Care of your Watch

A good watch that's well looked after should last a lifetime. Caring for your timepiece involves more than just keeping it clean and in good working order; insuring it is highly-recommended, as is regular servicing, especially if it's on the steeper end of the price spectrum.
Follow our care guide below to ensure you are protecting your watch as much as possible, especially if it is of high sentimental value.


Insurance

Just like insuring your home, car, or mobile phone, it's important to think about protecting your watch with insurance. While you could argue a watch with sentimental value is irreplaceable, having it insured may provide you with some comfort should it become lost or stolen.


Maintenance

Time is precious, and so is your watch. The first step to protecting it is to make sure it's not exposed to extreme temperatures, water, or other common damaging elements. There are a few basic rules to remember…

Is your watch waterproof or water resistant? Be sure to check as any watch simply branded 'water resistant' may have a low level of resistance to water. While it might be able to handle a splash of rain, it is unlikely to survive being completely submerged and should be taken off before you take your bath or shower.

Even watches classed as waterproof may not be entirely impervious to water, so do your homework before purchasing to ensure the watch is fit for how you intend to use it. If your luxury watch features a leather strap, we recommended you keep it away from water even if the case is certified as waterproof, as this will age the leather.


Servicing your luxury watch

Just like a sports car, your luxury watch will need a little TLC every now and then; get into the habit of taking it for a regular service. At Lumbers we have fantastic relationships with the watch brands and can estimate and quote for your service. Cheaper and less knowledgeable jewellers might not be able to reseal your timepiece properly after opening the watch case, so make sure you find a professional who can ensure the watch is still watertight and in good working order. Adventurous types who expose their watch to extreme conditions may want to consider more frequent check-ups.


Avoiding extreme temperatures

Quickly going from hot to cold or vice-versa can quite easily damage your watch, so take it off and keep it in your bag whilst on the beach or in the Alps. Unless you're confident your watch is highly waterproof, avoid wearing it in the sauna, as the steam can interfere with the seals and gaskets.

Winding your timepiece

Mechanical watches are an emblem of ingenuity, blending science and art to produce something you'll want to pass down through the generations. If you've invested in a luxury watch with mechanical functionality, make sure you take care when winding it.

- Remove the watch from your wrist before winding it, otherwise you'll add unwanted pressure to the winding stem.
- Never overwind your watch. Stop as soon as you feel resistance.
- Try to keep in the habit of winding it daily. This helps the watch keep the time more precisely.


Cleaning your timepiece

Sweat, grime, and the environment can quickly take their toll on your watch, and failure to clean it often enough will make it look old before its time.

It's important to keep in mind that different watches can have different requirements, and so the same cleaning routine might not work for yours. We've outlined general practice below, but you should always check the manufacturers guidelines before cleaning.

How to clean a silver, gold, or stainless-steel watch

Gold, silver and stainless steel are all tough and hardy materials, which is why they are so commonly used in luxury watchmaking (besides the fact they look good). However, they are still prone to scratching and wear and tear. Keeping it clean will prevent the metal from dulling - here's how:

- Before you start, separate the face from the bracelet to ensure you don't get the wrong type of cleaner on certain parts. Separating it will also help you access each part of the watch, so it's washed thoroughly.
- Using a nonabrasive cloth and glass cleaner, wipe down your watch, ensuring you use a circular motion when it comes to the face.
- Using a dry, soft cloth, use a circular motion to wipe the face and bracelet dry.
- Once the bracelet and face are completely dry, reassemble your watch and you're good to go.

How to clean a leather bracelet watch

Leather is prone to ageing; sweat, dead skin cells, body oil and dust can cause the bracelet to smell and deteriorate rapidly. While you're unlikely to find a leather bracelet that will last a lifetime and not need replacing, regularly cleaning it can extend its lifespan considerably.

- First, wipe down your leather bracelet with a dry, microfibre cloth, ensuring to remove the most noticeable dust and dirt.
- Lightly dampen the microfibre cloth with lukewarm water and a couple of drops of oil-free hand soap, ensuring you don't use too much soap or water - any excess fluids could stain the leather.
- Dampen another microfibre cloth with cold water and wipe the bracelet thoroughly to remove any soap residue.
- Leave the watch to dry at room temperature, ensuring not to put it back on until completely dry.

While your luxury watch may require more care and attention than other jewellery and accessories, managing its upkeep will be worth it in the long-run. 

Taking Care of your Jewellery

All of our jewellery at Lumbers is built to last, but proper care will help it last forever. Getting your jewellery cleaned and inspected once a year will ensure it stays looking its best, as well as picking up any damage you may not notice. In between annual cleanings, you can keep it looking its best at home by following this the below guidance:


Storing your jewellery

Wrap individual pieces in tissue or cloth or put them in separate compartments within a jewellery box. You need to be especially careful with pearls as these are soft and will scratch more easily than gems and metals. Hang on to boxes and wrap that your jewellery comes in, you can use these to store and protect your jewellery from damage and dirt.


Reducing wear and tear

It is inevitable that while your wear your beloved jewellery they will slowly start to show signs of wear and tear. To help you reduce the daily wear marks follow the basic points below:

- Put jewellery on after applying makeup, perfume, and hair products.
- Handle gems and pearls as little as possible; the natural oils on your skin can dull the stone.
- Remove bracelets and rings if you’re doing any manual labour, including housework.
- Remove earrings when your hair is being styled, to keep them from getting caught on combs or brushes. And never wear pearl earrings or necklaces when you’re having your hair coloured – the chemicals can damage the pearls’ sheen.

 
Cleaning the metal

Rubbing alcohol will dissolve some of the stickier grime on metal mountings – but never use it on pearl jewellery. Simple soap and water and a very soft brush also works well.  Dry your jewellery with a soft, lint-free cloth that won’t leave fuzz or threads behind.


Cleaning gemstones

Even clean-looking diamonds are likely to have a sheen of natural oils from your skin. They’ll sparkle much more after you clean them. Use a soft-bristled, non-metallic brush and a solution of dish detergent and water, or mild ammonia and water, and gently scrub them, before rinsing in a wire strainer and patting dry with a soft, lint-free cloth.

Use a bowl rather than cleaning in the sink as you don’t want your favourite piece to be caught in the drain. 
Some gems, especially emeralds, are actually enhanced by oils, so don’t rub them too hard. We can also re-oil them for you if you feel that the colour is fading. Be careful not to use just any jewellery cleaner; it needs to be non-abrasive.

Ultrasonic cleaners clean jewellery with sound waves which shake off dirt. However, they can also cause serious damage to gemstones if not used properly. We advise avoiding them unless your jeweller undertakes the work once your jewellery has been checked. At Lumbers we inspect every piece of jewellery before putting though the cleaning process or ultra-sonic to ensure the piece is built to withstand the process.

Any Questions?

If you have any questions regarding best practice for taking care of your watches and jewellery there are many ways you can get in touch. If you are looking to put right some damage or looking for a professional clean, bring your items in-store and one of our specialists will help you with any questions and queries. If you are just looking for additional information either contact the showroom by phone or send us a message via social media.