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How to care for vintage mechanical watches.

I went into a very nice expensive jewelry store the other day and was greeted by a very nice sales clerk, who must have been in her 20's. I asked her what they had in mechanical watches. I received a blank look, then she said, "I am sorry but I don't know what a mechanical watch is."

The thought then occurred to me that there must be a LOT of people that have never owned a mechanical watch. So here is a list of things you should know about mechanical watches.

You must wind them every day. Wind them until the crown (the winding knob) stops. Do not be afraid to wind it until it stops turning, but stop winding when the crown stops turning. You can wind it in a back and forth motion, one way winds the watch the other direction does nothing. It's just easier to wind when you go "back and forth". The best time to wind your watch is in the AM, that way the watch has more "power" when you are most active, and will keep the best time. Wind it at night if you are a "night" person.
Almost all vintage watches are not waterproof, so remove them even when washing your hands.
If you should get your watch wet, take it to a repairman the same day. Watches can start to rust almost at once. If you wait several days you could destroy your watch or have a very high repair bill.
There are over 100-300 parts in your watch, some smaller that your hair on your head, so please use some common sense when you are wearing them. Watches don't like jack hammers, and power tools, so remove them when using them.
Mechanical watches just can't keep the time quartz watches can and you should not expect them too. Only the finest watches that have been professionally serviced can come close to that kind of timekeeping. Most vintage watches will keep time to about plus or minus 2-6 minutes a week. Railroad grade watches can keep time to less than 30 seconds a week, and the Patek's, Rolex and Vacherons, seconds a week.
Have your watches serviced about every 2-5 years, depending mostly on how good the case is and how you use it. In my opinion, the best case made is the Rolex oyster, this case keeps the dirt out and you can go for as long as 10 years without a service. The reason for that is that today's synthetic oils are so much better than before and they just don't go bad. (If the case will not let dirt and dust in.)
And finally when your watch needs servicing make sure the person working on it knows what they are doing. I just received a fine minute repeater the other day and as I looked at it I could tell exactly what happened to it. Old plastic crystals that turn yellow give of a gas that will rust the steel hands, well this watch had one and the hands were rusty. The "repair man" did not know how to properly remove them. He broke a part, tried to repair it, broke 2 other parts trying to repair the part he "made" and finally gave up after breaking 3 more parts trying to put the watch back together. What should have been a $30.00 repair ended up to be a $900.00 repair. So please be careful. Ask questions, and get firm estimates.

Vintage watches are wonderful little "works of art". The classic styling and workmanship are hard to find in anything else man has made. With some care, your watch will be in service for another 50 to 100 years.

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