Timely Watch Tips

Your Watch is a Precision Machine

Caring For Your Timepiece

Velocity is a Function of Pressure

When Your Battery Needs To Be Replaced

Other Bits and Pieces of Timely Tips

Your quartz watch is a miniature, "PRECISION MACHINE" which is made up of mechanical or electronic parts, or a combination of both. It is very similar to a gasoline engine. The big difference is that it is just smaller. Most of these parts are very delicate and fragile components that are extremely vulnerable to the elements. Watches that are not sealed up, such as fashion dress models, or watches that are water resistant, but for some reason the "seal" has been breached through excessive use or damage of some sort to the setting crown, crystal, or case-back gasket, can leak dust or dirt, water, moisture, or condensation, any one of which can render the very sensitive electronic/mechanical components utterly useless. It only takes a microscopic particle of dirt, a speck of dust or lint, or any number of different types of foreign matter to lock it down if it happens to get lodged in one of the itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny, itty-bitty, microscopic teeth of one of the gears. (They're really small!!)

Therefore, in order to receive the ultimate performance from your timepiece, and to insure that you receive optimum usage over a long period of time and to safeguard that it continues to function well, you must understand how to properly care for it, and to keep it maintained. Otherwise, if you neglect to do so, it may break down prematurely and need service or even a major repair.

Of course, if the watch is an inexpensive brand not designed for long life, it may be wise just to purchase a new watch, opposed to having it repaired.

Practical common sense tells us to keep it clean. The cleaner it is on the outside, the less chance it has to get dirty on the inside. So always keep the dirt, dust and/or perspiration cleaned off, and wipe it dry immediately if you happen to get it wet.

Some watches are designed to be water resistant, while others are not, and this is probably the number-one function that is the most misunderstood. First off, water resistancy is NOT a permanent condition of any timepiece. The more you put it through wet and/or harsh water situations the sooner it will reach a non-water resistant condition, especially if you also put it through harsh, dirty conditions.

If your watch is water resistant, it will be printed on the dial, or laser engraved on the case-back. If it's not, it's not! If your watch is not water resistant, be aware of the moisture conditions you subject it to. Washing your hands, heavy perspiration, getting caught in the rain, especially when it's cold, or during snow or icy weather. Be careful while working or playing around or in water. Be safe! Take it off and put in in your pants pocket or in a dry place (remember to take it out of your pocket before putting the pants in the washing machine). When rust develops inside the case, or on the setting stem, all it will take is one tiny speck of rust or corrosion to lock the tiny gears up, rendering it inoperable. One little speck so small, you can hardly see it can shut it down.

Watches that are marked "water resistant", but DO NOT specify a depth rating of from 3 ATMs, 50 feet, 100 meters, etc., are not designed to be submerged below the surface of the water. Although they may withstand this condition for a while, if continually subjected to this situation, they will eventually leak. Just like a tire rolling down the highway, sooner or later, the tread is going to wear out, and if you run it long enough, the tire will go flat. In my professional opinion, if you need a watch to be water resistant enough to be able to submerge it below the surface of the water, be sure to get one that is designed with a screw-down crown and a screw-down, case-back. Otherwise, you are certainly going to be disappointed. It's like having wimpy tires on your 4-wheeler and then speeding through the rugged deep woods. "BANG!" Gonna be sorry!

Remember, unless specified by depth, water resistant only means "ACCIDENTAL WETTING"! Think of it like this. "Oops, didn't mean to do it, dry it off real quick", and it should be okay. You see, water resistancy is measured in a static condition, under the pressure of a certain depth in the water, and velocity is a function of that pressure. The faster the watch travels against or through the water, (like getting sprayed with a garden hose) the greater the pressure against the watch. So, even for a watch that is, say, water resistant to 100 feet, or approximately 30 meters, water can force it's way passed the crystal seal, case-back gasket, the setting crown, or push buttons. Please keep in mind also, that the precision gaskets protecting the setting stem, case-back, or crystal area will break down over time, and should be inspected periodically and replaced when they reach the point where they become worn out and the danger of them leaking becomes a possibility.

It's a good policy to replace the case-back gasket each time the battery is changed to insure that your timepiece will remain as water resistant as it was before the case-back was removed. Also, this is a good time to have the technician inspect the gasket that protects the setting stem from leaking, clean the case tube and gasket, and if it appears to be okay, lubed and then re-inserted into the movement. It's the same principal as lubing your car chassis when you have the oil changed. Preventative maintenance will go a long way towards the life span of your timepiece.

This is especially true if the watch is subjected to the velocity or force against the water of someone who falls violently while water skiing. It's even possible for the watch to leak from the force of the water coming from a high pressure hose, faucet, while swimming swiftly as in thrashing about, or while diving. In these examples, the increased pressure could exceed the degree of water resistancy engineered into the timepiece.

Your quartz-analog timepiece will display certain signals that will help you determine when the battery needs to be replaced. The most common, of course, is when it completely stops. Other examples would be slowing down, which in most cases, it's actually stopping and then starting up again. It will do this more often in the wintertime than in the summer. Quartz-analog watches will simply shut down suddenly more often in the winter months. In the summertime, the temperature is more constant, and so, the watch will run more efficient, and for a longer period of time. However, in the winter, the temperature is not so constant and so it will stop and start. This usually is more prevalent when you take it off at night, and in the morning, you notice that it has lost time. Also some higher quality watches are engineered to cause the second hand to jump at two to four second intervals. Most digitals manufactured today will blink the LCD display when the battery is low. For watches that have an analog-quartz movement plus a digital readout, oftentimes the analog will shut down, but the digital keeps on going.

When your watch needs the energy cell replaced, don't risk damage to the delicate and sensitive electronic components inside by trying to do this yourself, or taking it to a drug store. And even though many sales clerks seem capable, most simply are not experienced enough to know, if or when they may have damaged the very delicate electronic coil, and most don't even know what it is. It is so sensitive, that the coil wire can be damaged by the light pressure of the finger or thumbnail whey trying to simply remove the old battery. Spend a couple dollars more and only trust your timepiece to a qualified and competent quartz service technician, who is familiar with the proper procedure of replacing the battery. It is also important to note that the proper battery that the watch is designed for is used, otherwise, damage could result to the computer circuit, or the watch may not run properly.

DWS's Quartz-Service Technicians are just such professionals that you can trust to follow the proper procedure when replacing the battery. The following are the minimum steps that should be followed:

• First, the crown should be pulled out into the setting position to inspect the function of the hands. Are they aligned and synchronized both to the 12 o'clock position: If it has a rapid dater for the calendar, does it function properly? Do the hands turn without hanging up? Does the crown unscrew from the stem when turned either clockwise or counter-clockwise? Are there any loose digits floating around on the inside? A loose digit could damage the dial if it gets lodged between the hands, or could damage a microscopic gear if it has been that way too long. Is the case-back or crystal scratched or worn?

• Second, it is very important that the proper tool for opening the case-back is selected to insure that the case-back is not damaged or scratched. Special care is required when opening some makes and brands due to the nature of their design. I have found a token few, very high quality watches, whose delicate case design is compared to a land mine in a war zone. You must proceed with extreme caution.

• Third, the dust and dirt around the outside of the case should be carefully cleaned off before removing the case-back, so as to prevent any loose particles from dropping into the movement and clogging up the drive train of gears. After the case-back has been properly removed, the sealing surface of the case-back, the case-back gasket and the sealing surface itself, should be cleaned with a special soft polishing wood stick and a special jewelers putty to remove any further particles of dust or dirt that may get inside and stop the movement from working properly. This procedure returns the sealing surfaces back to it's factory condition, insuring an optimum seal. This is the time to follow the special procedure for inspecting of the setting crown gasket for water-resistant watches. Note:  Some watches case-back area is too badly pitted from body acid, that it will never be water resistant again.

• Fourth, the battery is carefully removed, taking care not to damage any of the delicate parts, or unknowingly causing the hands to pop off when lifting up on the battery to remove it. Next, the battery contacts should be cleaned with jewelers putty called "Rodico". It cleans and leaves no residue, so the contacts make a good connection with the battery. It is important to note whether the old battery has leaked, and that there is no corrosion from silver oxide "salting". Next, it should be inspected for any water or moisture damage, if there is any rust on the setting stem or otherwise inside the watch. If so, the customer should be made aware of all these "little" problems and given the opportunity to correct them if desired.

• Fifth, the case-back gasket should be cleaned with Rodico, and then reconditioned, with a Teflon-silicon sealer, if it's in reusable condition so as to insure the most optimum seal possible. If the case-back gasket is damaged, distorted, has sealing rings compressed into it or otherwise not reusable, it should be replaced. In most instances, the case-back gasket only add $3.00 to the overall price. After all of this has been accomplished, the case-back is properly fitted onto the case, being cautious not to damage or break the crystal or setting crown (been there, done that...once!). It is important to insure at this time, that the case-back gasket hasn't slipped out from between the case and the case-back, and protruding outward, rendering the watch "NON-WATER RESISTANT".

• Last, the hands are set to the proper time, and if the timepiece has a calendar system, the hands are synchronized to the 12 o'clock position in relation to AM/PM. Plus the day and date is also synchronized and set to the proper time before returning the timepiece back to the customer.

This is done each and every time - All for a base price of just $7.00

The accuracy of a quartz timepiece will vary from brand to brand, and will be affected by it's environment regulated by the humidity and temperature it is subjected to. The electronic components have been engineered to run at optimum performance just under normal body temperature, and of course, keeping it dry on the inside truly extends the life of it's performance.

For most watches, the accuracy for quartz analog, digital LCD and mechanical watches have generally been accepted as the standard in the industry, and are as follows, albeit some higher quality brands may boast better than the average.

Optimum operating temperature is engineered at 87 to 94 degrees. Quartz +/- 5 seconds per day, depending on the age and condition of the timepiece. However, some high quality, fine-grade brands can can continually run at a higher degree of proficiency.