How do you set your watch down at night?

Today I was reading this article on the subject and this paragraph got me wondering:

When talking about how to lay a watch down overnight, many people mention the difference between watches on bracelets and straps. With a strap, there’s not much risk of scratching your case back, simply because the strap’s material often isn’t hard enough to do so. A bracelet, however, could damage your watch’s case back, especially if laid down flat on a table, for instance. Therefore, it’s better to lay the watch on its side or close it around a cushion to protect the case back. Alternatively, a watch stand could be a good solution to help avoid this kind of damage to your watch.

I've been setting down my watches pretty much my whole life with the watch head on top of the bracelet (admittedly until recently none of them were "luxury") and I never thought much about the risk of scratches that the bracelet might inflict on the watch back. I get that can definitely happen, but it seems like a tad too much to have to baby any watch so much.

What are your thoughts on the subject? Did someone encounter significant scratches because of doing things like me?

Reply
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All watches I use are in watch boxes in my bedroom. I take it off and in the box it goes. Also never lay a watch on it's crown. A big no no.

Cheers!

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Autos go on the winder when not in use. Otherwise dial or crown up.

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I don't baby my watches but if on a bracelet I useally lay the watch on its side, crown side up.

My Pelagos 39 case back is a scratch magnet, the stainless case back gets marred up at the slightest touch of the Ti clasp.

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Most of the time it's dial up if not in a watch box

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One is dangling from my lamp facing the window. (solar) The rest are simply in watch boxes on my nightstand.

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I'm careful but if the back does get scratched, so what?

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Back in the watch box, no guarantee it will be the one I want to wear the next day.

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I don't own luxury watches, but I do have a mini Timex museum in my office, so when not on my wrist they are in display boxes for when I give imaginary tours to imaginary people. lol. If I did own a luxury watch I would put it in a winder or box and never lay down on the crown side.

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I put a small piece of microfiber cloth between the case back and the bracelet.. Dial up all the time

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Your tour will commence in five minutes. Enjoy the Timex Experience!

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It's a watch. It lies on my drawers. I don't give a monkeys about caseback scratches. People who are concerned about that are probably the same people who worry about scratches to the inside of the lugs. Not my thing

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Contrary to what most people have said I place my watch on it's side crown down as instructed by my Rolex AD

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No need to think about that... I sleep with my watch...

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I’ve always gone crown side down. I was told it’s ok this way but having read some of these replies maybe not?

Is there a reason why crown down is bad for the watch?

Thx in advance for any replies or explanation.

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Usually I'll just put the watch on the pillow of my watch case, but if it's late and my wife's already in bed and I don't want to disturb her doing all that, I'll just very gently put it on the dresser, dial side up on the bracelet. But I'm very gentle doing it because I want to be quiet, not that I'm concerned. Turns out I was doing the right thing!

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UnholiestJedi

My arm hair scratches casebacks, so don't really matter.

JK

But really, the only things I care about not doing are dial down & crown down. 95% of the time it's in the watchbox around it's little pillow. The other 5% it's on the watch stand face up

Sell your armhairs to Scotch-Brite, mate, I'm sure they'd love it. 😛

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Whitesalmon

Sweet Dreams Lil' buddy

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Where's its blanket? Emahgerd, are you torturing that watch? It's winter, swaddle the poor thing! 😛

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Ah....my Seiko Kinetic had a lot of caseback scratches from putting it down it's bracelet. That's why I bought a watch box, turns out there's a reason people buy those, whaddya know.

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Life is too short to worry about sh*t like this.

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Whitesalmon

Sweet Dreams Lil' buddy

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This is the way to go!! 🤣😂

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:-) I hope the stickers were peeled off!

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I’m guilty of putting bracelet watches down face up myself… but I do it very gently, as in I don’t let the watch-head bang down but rather place it. Less than ideal perhaps but I haven’t seen any obvious issues yet. I guess with a polished case back you’d see scratches as a result of this ?

Food for thought anyway 👍

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Case backs: out of sight, out of mind. Dial up so I can read them and they won't fall over.

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TalkingDugong

Where's its blanket? Emahgerd, are you torturing that watch? It's winter, swaddle the poor thing! 😛

My Lil' G is kind of vein, It like's to be seen and hates getting covered up

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Whitesalmon

Sweet Dreams Lil' buddy

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Love it! Even the most rugged watches need some TLC!

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I recently got a watch box, but before that I was doing positional regulation - one watch kept better time face up, another 12-up and a third crown-down. I used cardboard beer coasters to protect my dresser (and didn't give a crap about the watch finish since all my watches are sub-$100).

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One thought for laying bracelet watches face-up... put your microfiber polishing cloth inside (between case back and bracelet).

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The whole idea of taking a watch off to sleep is just weird 🤯

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Depends on whether it is ahead or behind. There are exceptions, but most of mine will run slightly faster dial up, and slightly slower crown up or crown down. I’ll choose whichever position will get me closer to correct time in the morning.

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Rarely put a watch down, I wear em 24/7, when I change they go on winder or in box