Caring for a luxury watch

A luxury watch can take months, or even years, to craft. This is as a result of the high-level of craftsmanship required to design, produce, assemble and test, to ensure it is smooth-running and durable enough to stand the test of time.

However, despite this intricate production procedure, watches still need thorough, periodic after-care to ensure that their original functionality and aesthetic qualities remain for generations to come.

Cutting, drilling, and weighing are part of the attentive processes of creating a watch, and the handwork element is one of the aspects that makes the parts of mechanical watches extremely complex.

Despite the complexity of the watch making process, watches still require additional maintenance for optimal efficiency. These maintenance services are referred to as After Sales, which deals with the provision of timepiece enhancements, absolute maintenance and outright repairs. The importance of after sales service is to preserve the precision and durability of your luxury timepieces, and to ensure that it remains timeless.

Just as a car requires mandatory check-ups, so do high-end timepieces. Mechanical watches that are in storage for long periods of time need to be wound up periodically in order to prevent lubrication inside the movement from solidifying and to ensure flexibility for the wind mechanism which means that watches require as much attention as possible.

Likewise, Automatic quartz watches in storage for long periods require battery replacement. Watch manufacturers suggest that a timepiece should be serviced every 4 to 5 years to ensure proper functioning, but minor services such as valuation, polishing, refinishing and Strap/Link/bracelet changes can be done more frequently depending on user.

To know when you are due for a major procedure, look out for evidences of moisture such as condensation beneath the crystal, changes in timekeeping, stiffness while winding, or any rattling sounds in your watch. It is also advisable to bring in your timepiece for observation in case of an emergency fall, even without any visible damage. Chances are that a movement component might have been displaced internally.

The importance of caring for your luxury watch cannot be overemphasized because it is an investment; it holds great sentiments, as it can be passed down for generations without losing its true value. Therefore, in order to ensure an optimized performance and appearance of your watch, it is important to service regularly, and maintain servicing instructions as stipulated in the warranty card provided by luxury watch retailers at the point of purchase.

In Nigeria, Polo Luxury’s world-class After-Sale Service Centre is the leading provider of luxury watch after-care and is periodically assessed by Rolex Geneva, Switzerland. It has the expert guidance of certified Swiss-trained watchmakers, a highly motivated team, in the world class Rolex-installed workshop.

Its services include complete overhauls (level 1 to 3 and advanced levels), parts replacement, polishing or refurbishing, refinishing, valuation, ultrasonic case and bracelet cleaning, for chronograph, mechanical, automatic quartz watches, among other functions.