How to Care for Your Automatic Watch: A Practical Maintenance Guide
An Automatic Watch Is a Machine — Treat It Like One
A mechanical automatic watch has around 200 moving parts working at high speed on your wrist. With basic care, an NH35-based watch will run accurately for a decade or more between services. Here is everything you need to know about automatic watch maintenance.
Daily Habits That Extend Watch Life
- Wear it regularly — rotor winding keeps oils distributed; a watch that sits for months can dry out
- Wind gently — if hand-winding, stop when you feel resistance; never force the crown
- Set time forward, not backward — especially avoid reversing through midnight, which strains date mechanisms
- Rinse after salt water — even with a rinsed strap, salt crystals attack gaskets and case backs
The Magnet Problem
The most common cause of a suddenly fast-running modern watch is magnetization from laptops, phone speakers, magnetic clasps and fridge doors. Symptoms: your watch gains several minutes per day out of nowhere.
Fix: an inexpensive demagnetizer tool solves it in seconds. Wave the watch slowly over the device two or three times while it runs.
Cleaning Your Watch Safely
- Wipe steel cases and bracelets with a soft toothbrush and mild soapy water (only if water resistance is intact)
- Dry immediately with a microfiber cloth
- For leather straps: dry-wipe only, never soak
- Rubber/fluororubber straps: rinse freely — they love water
Storage Between Wears
- Store away from magnets and direct sunlight
- Lay flat or on its side — hanging by the strap distorts leather over years
- Watch winders are optional; they are convenient but keep the movement running constantly, which slightly accelerates wear
When to Service
Warning signs that a movement needs attention:
- Accuracy drifts beyond ±30 seconds/day consistently
- Power reserve drops noticeably below 40 hours
- Hacking or hand-winding feels gritty
An NH35 service (clean, oil, regulate) is affordable and typically restores factory-level performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is overwinding possible?
Not on the automatic rotor system. But forcing the crown during manual winding can damage the mainspring — stop at resistance.
How accurate should my NH35 be?
Factory spec is -20/+40 sec/day. Most examples regulate to within ±10–15 sec/day with normal wear.
Can I shower with my dive-style watch?
Water resistance yes — but hot water and soap degrade gaskets over time, so we recommend against it.
Care Products and Spares
- Watch Straps — spare straps reduce wear on any single one
- Sub Diver Watches — robust daily wearers built on NH35