Reply With QuoteUnder the tap with mild soap and water..
Cant be beaten ..
Just make sure the crown is in!!!
Dry with kitchen roll
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I’ve never really worried about it in the past as most of my watches were either cheapies that I gave a quick wipe over with my shirt if they had a fingerprint or divers / water resistant/ cheap enough to leave on while in the shower or washing up (Apple Watch or Seiko monster).
Now I have a shiny Breitling and would like to preserve the shine as long as possible.
Also with the mesh strap and my propensity to sweat buckets I’m concerned about the potential for buildup and resultant odour in the summer months. I’ll probably get one of Breitling’s rubber straps before then though but the mesh is a thing of beauty.
So how do you keep your watches in tip top shape?
I did search to see if the topic had been raised before but found little beyond a discussion about using floss to clean behind the crown and pics of an ultrasonic cleaner that used thermionic valves. Great reads but not really much help to me in this issue. If there is a thread about this topic can someone point me at it as well. Thanks.
Under the tap with mild soap and water..
Cant be beaten ..
Just make sure the crown is in!!!
Dry with kitchen roll
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As above, with an old toothbrush if needed. Or just wear it in the shower.
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Old toothbrush warm water and soap. Job jobbed.
Make sure the toothbrush is a soft bristle one...
The Jacuzzi, with some Radox and a glass of wine works well enough most of the time.... The bubbles work wonders on the NATO straps!
Wet wipes, cotton buds, isopropyl alcohol and blutak work well in other situations.
Not all my watches are waterproof!!! :)Originally Posted by Frantastic
Wire brush on the pillar drill.
Baby shampoo and a 1/2" soft bristle paint brush - natural hair rather than nylon.
Washing up liquid contains a lot of salt and chemicals, so make sure that you rinse the case and bezel well
Cheap ultrasonic bath helps for cleaning bracelets. Take the bracelet off the watch, preparer a glass jar full of fairly strong washing up liquid and hot water, immerse in the water contained in the ultrasonic bath, run it for a few minutes. Prior to the ultrasonic a clean with a soft toothbrush and hot detergent will shift the accessible gunge. I paid around £40 for my ultrasonic bath and I use it for all my watch work, they're excellent.
It's amazing how much muck comes out of some bracelets, I keep my watches fairly clean because I cant stand them being grubby, but it surprises me how much dirt comes out when I do give them a deep clean. Another good trick with bracelets is to dangle them in a sink containing hot detergent and rattle them, the vibration helps shift the dirt. Alternate this with the ultrasonic treatment.
I always finish off with clean warm water and ultrasonic, if the water stays clean I`ve done a thorough job.
Provided the watch is waterproof the case can be cleaned using lukewarm water and detergent with a soft toothbrush. Sharpened cocktail stick are good for poking dirt out with. Cousins sell a very small pointed cotton wool buds that are excellent for getting into nooks and crannies, I use them all the time.
Good you clean them twice Paul!!!
Just a whore’s wipe with a damp cloth works for me.
During my annual shower.
This means only one watch gets cleaned a year though.
1. Wiping with a clean, damp towel (apres shower is convenient). Let air dry.
2. Leather straps, see above. Wipe gently with damp towel, pat dry, then let air dry overnight. I do this for my leather straps, they last many more years.
3. Non-water resistant cases, semi-annually take off the strap, use a dry, soft, used toothbrush to gently scrub around the lugs and caseback. Maybe dampen the brush for caseback cleaning if particularly grody. Dry with a soft, clean towel, air dry.
4. Water resistant cases rated 100M or more (and particularly watches that I jog with), soak in a basin filled with 1-2” of warm water. (While showering, usually.) Maybe brush gently with a used, soft toothbrush.[1] Wipe vigorously with a clean, damp towel (again, apres shower), let air dry. This is critical after any salt water immersion.
[1] Like Cornholio, I’ve been known to use a used, soft Braun Oral-B brush head on my Oral-B electric toothbrush, on slow mode. The pulsing and rotating action is superb for unseating deposits. But care must be exercised.
5. Perlon and woven nylon straps, soak in warm water, wash with a bit of gentle, biodegradable soap (perhaps use that soft old toothbrush), rinse thoroughly, pat dry with a clean towel/cloth, let air dry. Liquid Castile soap is superb. You can put fabric straps into a mesh sock bag, and into the laundry (cold/tepid water, gentle cycle), then air dry. Don’t expect them to last as long, but this should thoroughly clean them.
6. Some suggest putting straps, or even watches, though an automatic dishwasher cycle. NO, just NO. Automatic dishwashers use high heat and a type of soap not intended for fabrics. I group anyone who does or recommends this in a special class of dope.
Last edited by ChromeJob; 1st December 2018 at 21:26.
Another vote, bracelet-wise, for the ultrasonic cleaner. Mine (James Ultra 7000) was only £30, but does a lovely job. Be warned though, they can bring off gold plating.
Suitably water resistant watches are left to stand in a shallow bowl of room temperature water for a few minutes, visited by the electric toothbrush (water only), then returned to the water bowl for a rinse. Clean cotton tea towel to dry, then microfibre cloth to finish.
NATO straps go in the washing machine, inside a mesh bag to keep the metal hardware away from the drum.
Childs toothbrush, soapy water. Dry with a microfibre cloth.
Polywatch for hesalite glass. Cape cod for polished surfaces.
Sorted Mike.....I`m very thorough, I check I`ve locked the door twice when I go out
Just with fresh luke warm water under the tap, then dry with a towel. Don’t need to use soap or anything. If it’s on a leather strap I’ll remove the strap first.
ultrasonic bath are great for cleaning bracelets. Otherwise it’s a soft brush and soapy water for me.
On long haul flight......
Miniature bottle of vodka
Complementary toothbrush
Napkin
Worked great on my aerospace
Shower or jacuzzi
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Smother in shaving foam and leave to soak , use nail brush to get the thick off ,dry with micro fibre cloth.
Floss, for under a bezel
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Now that’s not something I would’ve thought of....how did you work out that trick?
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