We may have mentioned the crux of this episode in our series briefly before, however, we feel this needs to really be hammered home so that you don’t damage the look at depreciate the value or quality of your vintage watch.
So without further ado, we cover the matter of being cautious around moisture. We hope this helps.
Moisture, beware!
Invariably almost all vintage pocket watches and wrist watches were never designed to be water-resistant, either through lack of technology, capability, or in later models, they just weren’t designed with that as a feature. Furthermore, even on waterproof movements, there are numerous degrees of water-resistance.
But if you have a watch that is precious to you then it’s essential to remember that water resistance is not a permanent condition and it must be tested and renewed periodically if you have that luxury. The gaskets and seals which are used to seal the watch will, no matter what you do, deteriorate over time and you will have to look for replacement.
We recommended that you have your treasurable time piece tested at least once every year to year and a half for water resistance.
One of the key things to note regarding moisture is that if you ever see condensation under the crystal or you spot signs of oxidation on the dial, you should bring your watch to a service centre as soon as possible for appropriate repairs.
Image: Jeffrey Smith under creative commons.
