Cleaning Your Watches
How do ya'll go about cleaning your watches? I've seen around most forums and videos where people say to use a soft brush with a mild soap and run it under water. I feel that's fine for any watch with a screw down crown, however, how do you go about it with non-screw down crowns?
Typically, after wearing a watch for a few days I'll just take a dry cloth and wipe it down. Then after a month or so I'll do more of a deeper clean and go in with a damp cloth to remove any dried-on gunk and get in the nooks and crannies. More recently, I came across other forums where people suggested using Zeiss Lens Wipes. I've been using the wipes along with a damp cloth to do my monthly cleanings.
Looking forward to seeing some of your methods and suggestions!
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Zeiss wipes and then a lint-free polishing cloth.
Most of the time a Dry Cloth.
Every few months, mild soap, a very soft toothbrush and running water.
Yes even for my Speedmaster.
Dry cloth mostly. Occasionally a soft toothbrush. Annually the bracelets go through an ultrasonic.
Normally just dry cloth daily, but will usually give a soap and water bath once a week for my full metal sports watches. People make big deals about toothbrushes, but regular nylon is not capable of scratching most watch materials. Biggest thing to worry about is spreading dirt/dust around with the brush that can cause scratches and, in the bracelet, cause bracelet stretch if not cleaned regularly.
My watches are all at least 100m WR, so I wash them with warm water and a little soap.
Polishing cloth mostly. But I like to use a dedicated toothbrush to dry scrub details when I notice they need it. That usually does the trick, though the occasional water added to the mix is sometimes good too.
Micro fibre cloth with glasses cleaning spray on the cloth .
Soft tooth brush and hand soap and water, and microfibre cloth to dry
Why is there an issue if the crown doesn't screw in? Just make sure it's pushed all the way in before running water over it, no?
If it's on a bracelet, I wash it with soap and water when I wash my hands. Lather my hands, lather the watch on my wrist, done. Not every time, but often enough. Even with my 30m water resistance Grand Seiko. Makes the watch sparkle.
Same as Chronos14 above. Glasses cleaning spray & microfiber cloth.
Most of the time, dry cloth. If there's too much oil from my skin and hand/fingers I use a screen cleaning spray and a microfiber cloth. Not a jewellry cloth, a glasses microfiber cloth.
And when needed, it goes to soapy water, kitchen towel and dry cloth. So basically it depends on how dirty the watch is and how anal retentive I'm being at the moment, I guess?
All above depending on the condition of the warch. Usually wipe down with fiber cloth then into the storage box.
Micro fibre cloth with glasses cleaning spray on the cloth .
Best glasses cleaning spray?
On the stainless steel parts, microfiber cloth dabbed SLIGHTLY into isopropyl alcohol (70%); for glass parts, Endust electronic wipes (which is basically Windex)
Occasional Cape Cod cloth. Usually just a dry eyeglass cloth.
Best glasses cleaning spray?
Spec savers generic cleaner cheaper than Camera lense cleaner but chemically similar.
Eyeglass cloth for acrylic crystal or sapphire. T-shirt for sapphire.
ETOH wipes for bracelet, case but NEVER the crystal as can ruin AR coating
If really dirty, Dawn soap and warm water.
Since all my watches are waterproof, water plus a cloth diaper (unused gift from my in-laws 28 years ago b/c they thought disposable diapers were bad).
Interesting aside, my father in law washed his two toned DJ in the pool using a pool brush. It still hurts just thinking about this.
... maybe I need to clean my watches 😅
what is there to clean? they sit all the time in their box or a day on my wrist.........I'm not going to play in a playground like a little boy so that my clothes, shoes and watch get dirty.....I never clean a watch, occasionally I go over the crystal with a dry cloth if I see fingerprints, that´s it.
Soap and water if I’ve been in the ocean, dry cloth if not.
Well it depends on the watch. I have 2 categories.
Non G-Shock - I take good care, no soap - just water and soft cloth.
G-shock 💪 - Well, it really doesn't matter what you use 😄. Its a GOD TIER watch. Nothing can harm it.
A soap bath for straps and a little dawn & water for watches that have been in saltwater. I have microfiber cloths laying around just about everywhere. I also periodically wash those as well.
Bought my better half a Balon Bleu last year and it came with a Cartier branded cleaning kit 👍🏻
My watches don't get very dirty. Just a wipe with a microfiber cloth after each wearing and it looks good as new.
For those I purchase and need to clean the previous sweaty owner's DNA off it, I'll use a toothpick and a dry toothbrush, then add a touch of water as needed, and finish with a microfiber cloth.
For the nasty Speidel flex bands that contain God knows what in between the links, I soak them in 100% Simple Green for a few hours and it comes right out, then finish under clean water with a toothbrush if needed.
I like gold dress watches so a jeweler's rouge cloth.