| Elementary Precautions |
It is not advisable to wear your watch at
the beach or seashore, unless it is really waterproof, as grains of sand
work in the most amazing way, and one small grain embedded between two teeth of
one wheel will stop the watch. Never drop the watch, even if it is a
so-called shock proof one.Mostaccidents occur when the watch is being taken off or put on,
so always hold your hand over something soft, so if it does slip, it will not be damaged.
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| Need for Cleaning/Service |
If a watch is really waterproof
and dustproof (few vintage watches are), the lubricating oil can take ten years
to dry up.This does not mean that
you should wait that long between cleanings, because wear will begin as soon as
the oil starts to dry up.Five
years should be the maximum.An
ordinary watch with a well fitting case may also go for five years, but it
should be looked at every two years to see if the oil sinks are dry, or if there
is any signs of grit getting in. Pocket watches, being larger, will hold more
oil in the bearings, and will generally run longer between oiling. A watch,
which has sat in a drawer for a long period of time, will also need service as
the oil dries out.If a watch has
been sitting for an extended period of time, have it serviced. A sure indication that a watch
badly needs cleaning is erratic timekeeping when it normally keeps good time.
It is advisable to have your vintage watch examined by a qualified
expert every two years. Remember, your
vintage watch has been around for a long time, treat it with care.
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| Winding Your Vintage Watch |
Most people wind up their watch when they go to bed at
night, but there are three very good reasons why winding up in the morning is
better; first, when the watch is just wound up its action is more vigorous than
when it has run for some hours, so it is better able to withstand the shaking it
receives when you run to catch your train in the morning.Second, a watch keeps
better time if it is wound up at the same time each
day, and as most people tend to get up in the morning at a more exact time then
they go to bed, the watch is wound up at more nearly the same time each day.
Third, if the watch, more particularly a pocket watch, is taken out of a warm
pocket, wound up, and then put to cool on the bedside table, there may be a
heavy strain put on the mainspring by the sudden cooling when it is in a state
of maximum stress.
If you have just received your watch in the mail, especially
in the cold of winter, let the watch reach room temperature before winding.
Having wound up the watch in the morning do not touch the winding crown until
the next morning.Some people play with the winding crown during the day and give it a turn
or two, and this irregular winding upsets the time keeping quite a lot.
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