While you might not often think of it, a watch can easily end up being one of the dirtiest accessories you wear. Since it is close to an uncovered part of the body that is put in contact with foreign surfaces constantly, it picks up all kinds of grime and dirt as you wear it. Cleaning a watch not only makes it look shiny and brand new, but it also helps it last for years and years.
Below you’ll find a general overview of how to clean a watch without damaging it in the process. This cleaning guide will cover cleaning the watch band, the watch dial, and the movement. Read on to learn more about maintaining your watch to keep it clean inside and out.
How to Prepare Your Watch for Cleaning
When you prepare your watch for cleaning, the first thing you should do is visually inspect it. This will give you an idea of how dirty your watch is and show you any potential areas of damage, such as scratches on the glass lens.
After checking your watch for damage, the next step is to remove the watch dial from the watch band. (Source: Prisma) This can be done in different ways depending on what type of watch you own, but usually involves taking a small watchmaker’s screwdriver and unscrewing the dial from the band.
Once you’ve separated the watch dial from the band, you’re ready to get started cleaning your timepiece.
Supplies for Cleaning a Watch
Before you begin cleaning your watch, you should know that there are a few different supplies you’ll need. Here is a shortlist of the things you should gather up before you get started cleaning your watch:
- Watch brush or soft toothbrush: A watch brush can be used to gently scrub at the surface of your watch to lift up any hidden grime lying on the watch surface. Choose a soft brush specifically made for watches or a soft style toothbrush to avoid causing abrasive damage to the watch.
- Toothpicks: Wooden toothpicks can be used to scrape out and clean the nooks and crannies on the surface of the watch dial and watch band. Avoid using the toothpick on more delicate parts of the watch, such as the watch movement.
- Microfiber cloths: Microfiber cloths can be used to polish your watch after washing and drying it. Microfiber is preferred over other cloth types since it helps prevent lint build-up on the watch. (Source: Hodinkee)
- Sanitary wipes: Sanitary wipes are a good idea for cleaning the watch band and dial surface since they can become germ-infested from contact with the surfaces around you. Be sure to choose sanitary wipes which don’t contain bleach, which can potentially damage your watch.
- Soap and water: Cleaning a watch band and dial can be achieved by mixing a small amount of liquid detergent with warm water. It’s a good idea to use distilled water since this can help you avoid residual build-up on your watch components.
- Isopropyl alcohol: Along with soap and water, alcohol solution can be used to clean the watch movement. This solution is good at removing excess oil and grime on the watch interior, and evaporates quickly.
You may be asking yourself “Is it safe to use index while cleaning a watch?” I have just the resource for you, my friend. In another blog post, I answered whether using Windex or any other glass cleaners is safe to clean a watch. Click here to see that article.
These are some of the basic materials you’ll need to clean your watch. However, you’ll also need more advanced supplies for disassembling and cleaning the watch movement.
Tools for Cleaning a Watch
To clean the watch movement as well as the exterior of the watch, you’ll need some specialized tools to take the movement apart. Here is a list of the things you’ll need:
- White cloth: A small white cloth is a smart idea for any space where you’ll be disassembling a watch since it can make the small parts much easier to see.
- Parts tray: Along with a white cloth in case any of the parts bounce away during disassembly, a parts tray allows you to keep the pieces of the watch movement contained so that they aren’t lost in the cleaning process.
- Tweezers: Tweezers are necessary for disassembling a watch movement since the parts are very small and touching them by hand can potentially damage them.
- Oil and oiler: While you only need a very small amount of oil to successfully oil a watch, it is necessary to oil a watch after cleaning so that the movement runs smoothly.
- Jeweler’s loupe: A jeweler’s loupe magnifies the watch movement during disassembly and makes it easier to keep track of the parts.
- Blower: You should avoid blowing on a watch to dry the parts with your mouth since you can accidentally blow spit and other debris into your watch movement. Instead, use a blower to air-dry watch parts before reassembly.
- Remover/hands pusher: A remover and hands pusher is needed for removing the hands from the watch without damaging them.
While this may seem like a lot of tools to invest in for cleaning a watch movement, it’s important to have them all if you plan on cleaning your watches often. Otherwise, it’s a job best left to professional watchmakers.
How to Clean a Watch
There are three main parts of a watch to clean: the watch band, the watch dial, and the watch movement. Here’s the process you should follow in cleaning your watch step-by-step (Source: Watch Toolkit):
- Clean the watch band. Once you’ve removed the watch dial from the watch band, the band can be cleaned by soaking it in a mixture of soap and water (1 drop liquid detergent to 100ml of water) for a few minutes before cleaning the crevices with a toothpick and wiping the watch band dry.
- Clean the watch face. Clean the watch face with a soap and water mixture using a damp microfiber cloth before polishing with a dry one. Use a toothpick to clear away any grime that has accumulated in the part of the watch dial which connects with the watch band since this area can be prone to gathering debris. (Source: WikiHow)
- Disassemble the watch. Open the back of the watch, open the watch case, and disassemble the watch movement. Be careful to keep all parts of the watch movement together. Note: Reserve the balance assembly and pallet fork since these components of the watch movement should not be cleaned with solvents.
- Clean the watch movement. The watch movement can be cleaned by submerging the parts first in a solution of detergent and distilled water, then in a second solution of alcohol. Use a small brush to gently agitate the surface of the watch parts to remove any dirt from them. (Source: Sofly)
- Dry the watch movement. Use a blower to air-dry the components of the watch. Ensure that the watch movement is completely dry before reassembly.
- Reassemble the watch. Put the watch movement back together and lubricate it before closing the watch case and installing the watch dial back on the watch band.
And there you have it! Following this procedure will allow you to clean your watch without damaging it as long as you know how to put it back together.
What should you do if you can’t properly disassemble and reassemble a watch? If you don’t know how to take it apart and put it back by yourself, I recommend getting your watch cleaned by a professional. While going to a professional to get your watch cleaned may cost money, it certainly outweighs the possibility of your watch being completely ruined by trying to do it yourself.
Cleaning a Watch Requires Precision
Watches are made of delicate machinery, and if you want your watch to keep working, you need to know how to clean it correctly. Use the correct supplies and tools for the job, and you won’t have to worry about accidentally stopping your watch for good.