WristClean develops cleaning and care products for wristwatches. Our methodical and scrupulous approach has made WristClean a favorite among the most discerning enthusiasts on the planet, as well as the best of the Swiss watch manufacturers.
Below are some best practice tips to reduce the chance of scratching your watch or harming it over time.
- Use WristClean Watch Spray or Foam to gently emulsify impurities from the exterior of your wristwatch. Our formulas are pH-balanced, water-based, and gentler on waterproof gaskets.
- Avoid any type of gel to clean your watches. Gel "sticks" and/or prolongs unnecessary exposure to waterproof gaskets. Stick with spray or foam as a gentle & safe alternative.
- Avoid toothpaste or any-type of product re-brand. Today, many watch cleaners flood the market, but upon closer examination exist as former jewelry cleaners re-branded as watch cleaner. While potentially effective at cleaning jewelry, these cleaners are too harsh in nature for waterproof gaskets. They may be high in pH-levels and consist of high marks of alkaline chemicals. They also may contain naphtha, chlorine, ammonia, etc. WristClean's watch cleaner was born as a watch cleaner. It's designed for watches, exclusively for watches. It's not a re-branded jewelry cleaner.
- Use our Super-soft Watch Brush ONLY AFTER Wetting first. No matter how soft the watch brush is, a dry brush is harsher than a wet brush and this makes a significant difference when cleaning particles from delicate surfaces. A wet brush and an already sprayed or foamed surface protects the watch more, when the brush moves particles across its surfaces. The wet brush and the wet brush act as a lubricant to lessen the chance of the particle causing surface harm.
- Use WristClean's Super-soft Watch Brush when necessary & only when needed. As soft as WristClean's Super-soft Watch Brush is, we strongly advise only using a watch brush when necessary & NOT every time you clean your watch. This is to reduce the chance of scratching by dragging particles across highly-polished surfaces.
- Avoid any type of watch cleaner being forced or dispensed through a brush head. This is to avoid greater chance or risk of creating micro-marring or feather-like scratches on delicate surfaces.
- Avoid boar's hair or horse hair in watch brushes. Many boar's hair brushes are reinforced with horse hair, which can be way too harsh to use on watches. Several factors exist around how the hair is cut, how many layers are built into the brush, which all lead to how bristle strength & stiffness can vary. While the allure surrounds the use of natural hair, these brushes are often are made too tough for watches and actually end up causing more harm than good.
- Avoid nail or shoe brushes: These types of brushes are way too harsh for watches and will destroy delicate surfaces by causing waves of micro-marring & spider-web scratches, most visible in sunlight.
- If your watch is particularly dirty or exposed to impurities other than fingerprints, it is advised to clean your watch with Watch Spray or Watch Foam prior to using your cloth. Despite a cloth being soft, the act of wiping impurities across a delicate surface can create unwanted scratches or micro-marring.
- WristClean produces several different types of microfiber cloths with varying characteristics - such as Daily use (light, light to moderate, etc) and Drying (higher absorption rate) cloths. Both are safe to use on watches.
- Avoid rouge or impregnated polish: None of WristClean's Watch Cloths contain rouge or polish. Polish or rouge will alter the factory finish of your watch surfaces and jeopardize the integrity of the watch. It is advised to adhere to manufacturer recommendations and to polish only sparingly and through manufacturing service centers or authorized watch dealers who have a solid understanding of manufacturer guidelines.
- Avoid fluffy watch towels or cloths: Our Research & Development team has tested fluffy watch towels and have proven that they cause micro-marring or spider-web scratches on highly-polished surfaces. Due to the fact that the microfiber is multi-dimensional (with varying levels of height), very thin microfiber strands scratch. This can be primarily seen in sunlight and was tested on a Rolex Deepsea clasp.
- Avoid any type of scratch removal polish. If ever used, this should be used with scarcity because excessive polishing will diminish the value of your watch. It causes the edges to not be as "sharp." Many leading watch manufacturers advise to polish not more than once per 5-10 years. It is best to accept that an enjoyed watch, is a watch that accumulates memories ("scars").
Techniques and how-to's will be released in August 2023.
If you have any questions, please call us toll-free (888) 938-0736 or email info@wristclean.com.
