Preventing Water Damage in Watches During the Rainy Season
One of the biggest causes of watches ending up at watch repair centers during the rainy season is water damage. Watches have delicate and intricate mechanisms that run them. Water doesn’t just damage the watch mechanism but also the straps. A leather strap can suffer irreparable damage due to moisture. Metal straps may also suffer damage if not cleaned well after exposure to water.
Most watch owners are very confident in their watch’s ability to withstand water. With monsoon, it’s not too uncommon to see rain wreak havoc on watches. While it is true that most watches can and should withstand rain, there are situations when this doesn’t apply. We will be looking at these scenarios deeply to understand and prevent water damage in watches.
There are different ways water can enter your watch and damage it. We have listed down a few scenarios to give you a better perspective of how your watch can suffer water damage.
Scenario 1 - Water enters through the broken, chipped, or cracked glass
Watches despite being advertised as sturdy will not always last strong in the face of a fall or shock. In other words, a watch can suffer all kinds of damage when not handled properly. These include broken, chipped, or cracked glass covers. Sometimes watch owners are not aware of how badly cracks could damage their watches. These are the easiest routes for water and moisture to penetrate your watch.
Scenario 2 - Water enters through a bad or unoriginal crown or other parts
People often get their watches repaired at local watch repair shops. This is probably the worst thing you can do for your watches. Especially your high-end, luxury watches. Local watch repair centers are notorious for using unoriginal parts. Let’s say you have a damaged crown on your watch and you get it replaced. However, you are unaware of the quality of parts they use or the authenticity. Replacing any part of your watch with bad or unoriginal parts, especially the crown, can result in water permeating the watch.
Scenario 3 – Water enters through a missing gasket or worn-out gasket
Gaskets play an important role in keeping your watches safe from water. Gaskets play a major role in keeping your watches well protected not just from moisture but also from dirt, dust, and other elements. These gaskets get worn out with time and use. A worn-out gasket could easily let in water. Therefore, it is very important to get the gasket checked for wear and tear. If the gasket is worn out, it should be replaced immediately.
Scenario 4 – Leather straps suffer water damage, and iron parts on straps may rust
Watch straps or watch bands are as susceptible to damage as any other watch parts. Leather and water don’t go together. So, any contact with water will ruin the leather. On the other hand, water can stain and rust metal. Watch straps can also accumulate dirt, mud splatter, etc. during rain.
How to protect your watches from rain or water damage?
One thing you need to remember is that prevention is always better than taking chances. Your watches are precious. You have spent time and money acquiring them. So, it is essential to keep them safe. This starts with caring for your watches. Keeping them safe and clean is a good step but the most important part is having them regularly serviced.
Regular watch servicing ensures that your watches are well taken care of, servicing will flag off any damage or potential risk to the watch. Especially during the rainy season. You can get all the issues fixed before it harms your watches. You can have your watches that look good and last longer with regular servicing.
Here are some tips on how to handle a water-damaged watch that you might find helpful.
Where can you get your watches serviced?
One of the best places to have your watch serviced in Mumbai is My Watch Merchant. At My Watch Merchant, our team is well versed in handling all kinds of watch service and repair work. We regularly use advanced equipment to service and repair watches. We also conduct performance tests for watches to ensure their good health. We also have extensive experience that spans over decades and provides excellent customer service.
