When preparing for a holiday, it’s easy to focus on packing clothes, planning itineraries, and making sure your passport is in order. However, one often overlooked but crucial aspect is ensuring your watch is in optimal condition since they require regular maintenance to function correctly and reliably. Here are the five most important reasons why you should check or service your watch before heading off on your holiday.
Ensuring Accurate Timekeeping
A primary function of any watch is to keep accurate time. Whether you’re catching flights, meeting tour guides, or simply keeping track of your schedule, an accurate watch is indispensable. Watches, especially mechanical ones, can lose or gain time due to various factors such as temperature changes, magnetic fields, and general wear and tear.
A professional servicing ensures that your watch is calibrated correctly, providing you with precise timekeeping.
Why it matters: Being on time can make or break your holiday experience. Missing a flight, a train, or a guided tour can lead to unnecessary stress and additional costs. An accurately serviced watch ensures you stay on schedule and make the most of your trip.
Water Resistance Check
Holiday destinations often involve exposure to water, especially during the summer months when beach vacations and water-related activities are common. Ensuring your watch's water resistance is intact is crucial to avoid damage and maintain functionality.
Why it matters: Many watches are designed to be water-resistant, but this capability can diminish over time due to the deterioration of seals and gaskets. Exposure to water without proper water resistance can lead to significant damage. Here's why this check is essential:
- Protection Against Water Damage: If your holiday involves swimming, snorkeling, diving, or even just lounging by the pool, your watch will be exposed to water. Water damage can impair both the functionality and the aesthetic appeal of your watch. Ensuring that your watch is water-resistant protects it from potential water ingress.
- Humidity and Dust Resistance: Water resistance also plays a role in protecting your watch from humidity and dust. High humidity levels, often encountered in tropical destinations, can seep into your watch if the seals are compromised. Dust particles can also enter through tiny openings, affecting the internal mechanisms. A water resistance check helps ensure that your watch is sealed against these elements.
- Saltwater Exposure: Seawater is particularly corrosive due to its salt content. Watches exposed to seawater need to have robust water resistance to prevent salt from corroding internal components. A thorough water resistance check ensures that your watch can handle such harsh conditions, maintaining its longevity and functionality. And don’t forget to wash your watch under fresh water after exposing it to salted water. In this way the potential corrosive effects of the sea will be reduced.
- Pressure Testing: Professional servicing always includes a pressure test, which assesses the watch’s ability to withstand different levels of pressure without allowing water to enter. This test simulates conditions your watch might encounter during activities like swimming, diving or simply taking a shower. Passing a pressure test ensures that the watch’s water resistance is up to par. 
Battery Life
For quartz watches, a functioning battery is essential. A dying battery can lead to your watch stopping at the most inconvenient time. Even if your watch seems to be running fine, a low battery can fail without warning, leaving you without a reliable timepiece.
Why it matters: Getting stranded in an unfamiliar place without a sense of time can be frustrating and disorienting. Ensuring your watch has a fresh battery before your holiday prevents this scenario, allowing you to rely on your watch throughout your trip.
Prolonging the Lifespan of Your Watch
Regular servicing not only ensures your watch functions well during your holiday but also contributes to its long-term health. By addressing wear and tear early and lubricating the movement properly, servicing can significantly prolong the lifespan of your watch.
Why it matters: Watches, especially high-quality ones, can often be significant investments and sometimes even heirlooms. Proper maintenance preserves the value and functionality of your watch, ensuring it remains a reliable companion not just for one trip, but for many years and travels to come.
Momentum - Your One Stop Solution
Checking and servicing your watch before going on a holiday is a simple yet vital step that can significantly enhance your travel experience. From ensuring accurate timekeeping and maintaining water resistance to avoiding sudden malfunctions and keeping your watch looking its best, professional maintenance addresses all potential issues that could arise during your trip.
Investing a little time in watch care before you set off can save you from inconvenience, stress, and additional costs, allowing you to fully enjoy your holiday with peace of mind. So, as you pack your bags and finalize your plans, don’t forget to give your watch the attention it deserves.
Our skilled watchmakers, experts in modern and vintage timepieces, use original components from manufacturers. And if you don’t have time to come to us no worries, we come to you. We are the only store offer seamless pick-up and delivery services, ensuring your watches' safety and convenience. Check our services and read more here.
