A stainless steel quartz watch requires almost nothing. No winding, no overhauling. But "almost nothing" is not "nothing": three simple actions make the difference between a watch that retains its shine for ten years and a dull watch after two.
The weekly action, in thirty seconds
Wipe the case and crystal with a dry microfiber cloth. That's all. Microfiber catches dust and fingerprints without scratching, unlike a paper tissue whose wood fibers are abrasive.
Avoid the corner of your shirt: the fabric retains invisible particles that act like very fine sandpaper, pass after pass.
Cleaning a Milanese mesh
This is the strap that gets dirty the most, because its weave retains sweat and cream residues. Once a month: a soft toothbrush, a drop of mild soap, lukewarm water. Rub gently, in the direction of the weave.
Important point: detach the strap from the case before wetting it. Our watches are water resistant to 3 ATM, which allows for splashes but not immersion. As all our straps are interchangeable, the operation takes a few seconds.
Then dry the mesh completely, by dabbing and then air drying. A mesh stored damp will oxidize from the inside, where you won't see it coming.
Maintaining a leather strap
Leather fears three things: water, heat and continuous friction. It should not be cleaned with soapy water but wiped dry. If you sweat a lot, alternate with a mesh: leather needs to dry between wears.
Leather develops a patina, and that's normal — that's even what makes it interesting. Leather that hardens, cracks or smells damp, on the other hand, is reaching the end of its life. Expect two to three years of daily use.
What really shortens a watch's life
- Perfumes and hairsprays — sprayed on the wrist, alcohol attacks the leather and dulls the finishes. Apply perfume before attaching the watch.
- Sun creams — they seep into the weave of a mesh and stay there. Rinse the strap the same evening.
- Hydroalcoholic gels — same logic, but worse, because the gesture is daily.
- The bottom of a bag — this is where deep scratches occur. A watch should travel in a pouch or in its box.
The battery
Expect several years of autonomy. When the second hand starts to advance in two- to four-second jumps, that's the signal: the battery is at the end of its life. Don't wait for it to stop completely — an exhausted battery left in place can leak and damage the movement.
Replacement is done at any watchmaker, in a few minutes. As it is a wear part, the battery is not included in our 24-month warranty.
And if you don't wear it for months
Store it flat, in its box, away from a heat source and any device that generates a magnetic field — a speaker, an induction charger, the door of a refrigerator. A quartz watch tolerates magnetism better than a mechanical movement, but it's best not to tempt fate.
Well treated, a 316L stainless steel watch like the Bronzite or the Reine d'Argent still wears perfectly ten years later. This is the advantage of a steel case rather than plating: it ages without flaking.
All our watches, women's and men's, use the same steel and are treated in the same way.
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