Watch Care Guide

We have supplied this watch care guide so that you can get the most from your new watch and keep it in good working order for many years to come.

One of the most common problems customers report back to us is water appearing inside the watch face, this is due to the way the industry uses 'ATM' and 'meters' as a way of measuring the water resistance of a watch. It is very easy to miss interpret what the numbers actually mean in real life, so we have added a table below to explain exactly what can and cannot be done at a given ATM rating.

Water Resistance Ratings Explained

There are many other factors you should be aware of as follows:

• Don't adjust the crown or press the buttons on your watch while it is submerged under water
• Avoid wearing your watch in the shower or bath because the sudden temperature change can expand and shrink the seals that keep your watch water tight
• Be sure to have the water seals checked each year if you intend on using your watch in water often

The term 'ATM' only measures the amount of pressure the watch can withstand, so a 5 ATM watch can withstand the pressure it would be expected to be under if it was stationary at a depth of 50m. However simply diving into a swimming pool can increase the pressure to more than what would be measured at a 50 meter water depth (5ATM); The same as swimming itself increases the pressure each time your arm moves through the water to a number above what would be expected on the waters surface.

Cleaning Your Watch

Stainless steel watches

You can clean your metal watch case and bracelet with a soft brush (old tooth brush works a treat) with cold or luke warm water and liquid soap unless the watch has no water resistance, then rinse it off with cold water afterwards. Human sweat is acidic and contains salt which can over time corrode and mark the underside of your metal watch, not to mention the build up of dead skin and debris from the air around us. Cleaning it every couple of months will help prolong the appearance of your new wristwatch.

Please note: If your watch does not have a water resistance rating at all, please use a dry cloth to clean and polish the watch case just in case it is very susceptible to allowing water to enter the inner workings.

Leather strapped watches

To prolong the life of your leather strap, avoid the following:

• Exposure to direct sunlight for long periods
• submerging in water for long periods
• contact with solvents, detergents and perfumes

As with metal straps human sweat will over time deteriorate your leather strap as well as normal wear and tear, however replacing a leather strap is easy and non-expensive. If you need to replace your leather strap simply give us a call or send us a message via our contact page with the brand and model number of your watch and we will try and source it for you.

Like all leather goods from shoes to sofas you can buy leather polish to help protect your leather strap against water and direct sunlight. All you need to do is make sure you choose the correct colour and be sure to test it first on a small area of the strap, preferably the underside.

Rubber and plastic strapped watches

Plastic and rubber straps should not be exposed to fragrance sprays, chemicals, detergents and gasses. Try to avoid getting oily substances or paint on your watch as it will prove difficult to remove, like leather straps plastic and rubber will deteriorate over time and may harden and discolour after extensive use and wear and tear.

However both materials are easy to maintain with luke warm water and soap and a soft bristled brush.

Watch Movements - Servicing

Quartz battery powered watch movements

Most quartz watches are powered solely by batteries, however some models from Fossil use a mixture of quartz and automatic movements; please read your manual for full information. If your watch stops working you should send it to the service centre (details of which can be found in your manual) to have the battery replaced as soon as possible. While they are replacing the battery it's a good idea to have your watch serviced especially if your watch is water resistant, any worn seals or gaskets will be replaced at the same time. Quartz movements contain both electronic and mechanical parts which will need periodic servicing every couple of years.

Most Quartz batteries last around two years; some watches do house batteries that last as long as 10 years, for full details please read your manual that came with your watch.

Please note: If you leave a dead battery in your watch for along period of time, it will more than likely leak and can permanently damage your watch to the point it will be un repairable.

Automatic and mechanical watch movements

Mechanical and automatic watches should be serviced by the manufacturers service centre (details can be found in your manual) every 3 years to keep your watch accurate, they also require cleaning and servicing as the movement can be made up of hundreds of moving parts which can stop if even the smallest particle of dust or debris manages to get inside.

Automatic watches are powered by the wearer's movements, this means if the watch is left for a long period of time without being worn you will have to manually wind the watch. Instructions for doing so can be found in the manufacturer's booklet that arrived with your watch.

Please note: You should keep your automatic or mechanical watch away from magnetic sources, leaving your automatic or mechanical watch near things like HifI and Cinema speakers, white goods or other sources which produce a magnetic field may damage the movement and stop it from working.

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