by Jack Goldenberg
Whether you purchase a fine watch for its exquisite craftsmanship or you were enticed by the watch’s elegant styling, you can easily find advice on how to properly care for it. However, not until now was it possible to obtain clear instructions on how to inflict irreparable damage upon your treasured timepiece. By the time you finish reading this article, you’ll agree that this concise guide to watch damage is a real game changer!
If you follow my advice carefully, you can damage your valued possession beyond recognition, so that not even the most experienced Swiss watchmaker will be able to identify it, let alone repair it. So without further ado, here are my seven simple tips for ruining your fine watch:
1. Take a shower, enjoy a long relaxing bath, or sit in a hot tub wearing your water resistant watch
Contrary to popular belief, water resistant doesn’t mean waterproof when referring to timepieces. When watches are manufactured, samples of that model are tested to see how well water is prevented from getting inside. But they’re tested only once when the watch is new. Gasket seals that keep water out of watches tend to deteriorate over time. Water resistant watches are not meant to be exposed to prolonged submersion, unless of course they are genuine diver watches.
An occasional splash won’t harm a water resistant watch, so if you’re intent on damaging it, leave your watch on when swimming or dunk it under water while you’re soaking in a hot bath. The result will delight you.
Salt water can be very effective at corroding and damaging a watch, so if you want to ruin one of your luxury watches, be sure to dangle your left wrist in the ocean on your next sailing trip or beach outing.
2. Drop your fine watch from a rooftop or smash it against a brick wall
The mechanical workings of most fine watches can usually withstand the impact of a drop from your hands to the floor.* If you want to inflict serious damage, drop it from the roof of a building, or slam it against a hard surface. While this method is foolproof, you must but be sure to remove the watch from your wrist before slamming it into a wall.
3. Change your watch battery by yourself
How can a simple thing like inserting in a fresh battery damage your watch? In most cases it won’t, although it will invalidate your watch’s warranty. Nevertheless, each time you open the back of your watch to change the battery, you run the risk of ruining its delicate workings with your clumsy fingers. You will also destroy the watch’s water resistance. You need to install new gaskets each time you open the back.
Okay. Go ahead and grab a screwdriver. Try to install that battery by yourself. Why bother sending it to an authorized expert watch repair when you can easily destroy it on your own?
4. Do-it-yourself watch repair or bringing your watch to an unauthorized “fast fix” watch repair place
When you were a kid, you probably assembled model airplanes without even reading the instructions. So what if you had a piece or two left over? If your watch is running slow or fast, or even if it isn’t running at all, shouldn’t a smart person like you be able to repair it?
Alright, pry off the back with any old tool that works and start messing around with the innards of your fine timepiece. I guarantee you that you’ll soon discover this is a very effective way to destroy your wristwatch.
5. Expose your mechanical watch to chemicals or magnetic fields
If you work around chemicals, solvents or strong magnets, exposing your luxury mechanical watch to these elements can cause it damage, especially over time. Common chemicals can destroy the anti-reflective coatings on many sapphire crystals. While most modern mechanical watches have some magnetic resistance, exposing an antique mechanical watch to a strong magnetic field, if you can find one, would be an excellent way create erratic gear behavior and damage your watch.
6. Expose a mechanical watch to extreme temperatures
You didn’t think we were only going to offer one or two ways to damage a mechanical watch, did you? This is a complete guide to watch damage!
Another effective way to damage a mechanical watch is to quickly transfer it between excessively hot and cold temperatures, causing watch parts to expand or contract and leading to water vapor damage that will render your beautiful timepiece inoperable. And once again, there goes your warranty.
7. Don’t keep up with your fine watch’s scheduled maintenance
Neglecting to service you watch every three to five years or not sending your watch in for repair when something goes wrong is another promising way to hurt it.
*Please do not try this experiment at home.
So now you know a number of tried and true ways to damage your fine watch. If one way manages to fail, there are others just waiting to be tried.
Watch Repair Services at Gevril Group
Of course, maybe you’d rather not damage the beautiful craftsmanship and exquisite precision of your fine watch. In that unlikely case, the best way to protect your investment or restore it to pristine condition is to let the skilled Watch Repair at Gevril Group care for your timepiece.
Please tell them that Jack sent you.
About Gevril Group
Gevril Group is the exclusive US representative for select European watch brands, distributing and servicing luxury, fashion and sports timepieces at a wide range of price points. Gevril Group also operates a full-service watch repair department staffed by master Swiss watchmakers. Contact Gevril Group by email or by calling 845-425-9882.
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